Dahi Wale Aloo

Well, to be honest, we Indians can’t go without potatoes. You may not find any other vegetable in our vanity, but potatoes are a must-have. We make thousands of recipes with potatoes. Sometimes, I myself get surprised by the number of varieties we can create with this one vegetable. Dahi wale aloo is one of the many recipes that you will want to make.

What is Dahi Wale Aloo?

Dahi Wale Aloo, also known as Dahi Aloo, is nothing more than potatoes simmered in a tangy spiced yogurt sauce. This is a simple Punjabi curry dish that requires only boiling the potatoes. The yogurt sauce is actually quite simple to make. It’s usually served as a quick side gravy with roti or steamed rice.

I learned this recipe very interestingly; I would love to share that story with you all. On one of our road trips in India, we halted at a roadside food court known as Dhaba in India. A lovely couple owned the dhaba. They were very welcoming, and we did order this dish that day. While we were having conversations and me going all gala about this dish, the lady shared this recipe with me. So, here is my homemade recipe of dahi wale aloo for you all, inspired by Mrs. Kukkad’s recipe. Oh! Mrs. Kukkad is the lady of the dhaba. 

Aside from the aloo and dahi, the other ingredients in this Dahi Wale Aloo recipe are fairly simple, including onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, green chilies, spice powders, and seasonings. I recommend using fresh curd, preferably homemade when picking yogurt. 

If you love my dahi wale arbi recipe, you will love this one too. Steamed rice, roti, or chapati are common accompaniments to Dahi Wale Aloo. You can also include peas, pulao, and jeera rice in this list.

Notable Ingredients At A Glance 

Potatoes – Use golden potatoes for this recipe. I have chosen slightly bigger potatoes cut into halves; you can also use baby potatoes for this recipe if available. I suggest boiling the potatoes a bit and then shallow frying them so that it is well cooked. 

Yogurt – If you have homemade yogurt, that is obviously the preferred choice. Alternatively, you can also use store-bought yogurt. If using Greek yogurt, do add some water to it to make the consistency thinner. 

Spices – Like any other Indian recipe, this dahi wale aloo recipe calls for basic Indian spices.

Whole Spices – Coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds.

Ground Spices – Turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, and asafetida.

Sweetener – I have used jaggery powder. You can use sugar as well.

Garnishing – Garnish it well with some lengthwise-slit green chilis and chopped coriander leaves. The fresh and raw aroma of green chilis and coriander will add up to the aroma of the dish. 

Mustard oil – This dish tastes best when made in mustard oil. However, if you do not prefer mustard oil, you can choose any either oil of your preference. 

How To Prepare Dahi Wale Aloo?

Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and coriander powder in half a cup of curd and mix well.

Keep it aside.

Then take a pot and parboil the potatoes. 

Heat a kadai or frying with oil and shallow fry the parboiled potatoes until golden brown. While the potatoes are frying, sprinkle with half a teaspoon of turmeric powder to give them a nice golden color.

Since we are shallow frying the potatoes, it will take about 5 to 6 minutes to fry them. You can even deep fry the potatoes, but that requires more oil, so I prefer shallow frying.

Once done, take them out of the kadai and keep them aside to prepare the spice. 

Now in a separate frying pan, dry roast the coriander, fennel, and cumin seeds for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat till they give out a nice nutty aroma. You can also do this step before frying the potatoes. 

In a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind all of the roasted masalas. We don’t want fine powder around here.

Heat the Kadai in which the potatoes were fried. Add the remainder of the oil to heat. Add asafetida and green chilies to the hot oil.

Now add the coarsely ground spices and cook for 30 seconds. Then, cook for 7 to 8 minutes on low heat with the curd spice mixture you prepared earlier.

Followed by which add salt and jaggery powder. Saute for another 3 to 4 minutes. 

Then add in the potatoes and mix thoroughly with the spice. 

If you feel that the masala has become very dry, add 1/2 cup water and mix.

Cook, covered, for 3 to 4 minutes or until the oil separates. Serve with roti, paratha, or poori and garnished with coriander leaves.

Some Expert Tips For Preparing Dahi Wale Aloo

• Like I have boiled the potatoes in a pot, you can also pressure cook the potatoes for 3 whistles with a bit of salt in the water.
• Make sure to whisk the curd thoroughly to prevent it from curdling.
• If you add salt before the curd mixture has reached a boil, the milk can curdle. It is best to add it later. 
• If you want a rich and creamy texture, cook the dahi aloo recipe on low heat.