Nepali Aloo – Crispy Garlic Vinegar Potatoes
Nepali aloo – crispy potatoes in a fragrant, spiced, ginger, garlic, vinegar sauce – is a super easy and flavorful side dish. They also make a delicious snack! This post was originally published on April 3, 2009.
This is a recipe from when my husband and I first moved to Seattle after getting married. My maasi (that’s my auntie) visited us. At that time, we were living a very bachelor kind of life, not cooking much at home, but maasi wanted to eat at home, so she made a bunch of dishes and taught me how to make them, too. One of these was these Nepali potatoes (Nepali aloo- potatoes from the country of Nepal), and they were so delicious and super easy!
I don’t know where she got the recipe from, and there are a couple of different variations online. My Maasi makes it with frying boiled potatoes. She first fries some boiled potatoes (shallow fry). Then she fries some ginger, garlic, and green chilies, and then makes a tarka: the spice oil with mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Then she mixes the potatoes ginger garlic chilies with all of the tempering along with a little bit of vinegar for tang. They make the best potatoes you’ve ever had!! The spices, ginger and garlic, vinegar all work amazingly with crisp potatoes.
I change it up a bit to reduce the cooking steps. This is my simplified version of Nepali aloo. You cook the potatoes in a skillet, so you don’t need to use a second pot boiling them. I also reduced the oil, so that you have just enough to cook the whole spices, ginger, garlic, and green chili. Then, combine the crisped up potatoes with this spice oil mixture, add the vinegar, cook that for a bit, and that’s it.
It turns out really great if you use sliced potatoes that are not too thick, because they cook quickly and have more surface area to crisp up. Yellow potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes work best, but you can use any other potatoes, as well.
Why You’ll Love Nepali Potatoes
- super easy, 1-pan, 30-minute side dish
- crisp-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside potatoes in a delicious sauce
- so many amazing flavor from whole spices and aromatics and vinegar!
- naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
Cook the potatoes.
- Peel and cube the potatoes, if you haven’t already. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add a teaspoon of oil.
Whole spices such as brown or black mustard seeds and cumin seeds are essential for the tempering.
Aromatics like julienned ginger, garlic, and green chilies are crucial for adding flavor. It's important to slice them thinly.
Turmeric and salt are added for color and flavor.
White vinegar gives the dish a tangy flavor. Rice vinegar can be used as an alternative.
For best results, make sure to slice the aromatics thinly and the potatoes into thin pieces to ensure quick cooking.
This dish is versatile, allowing you to prepare the potatoes and tempering separately before combining them in the same pan.
To make Nepali potatoes, peel and cube the potatoes, then cook them in oil until crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ginger, garlic, green chilies, salt, and vinegar to create a fragrant and flavorful dish.
Serve the Nepali potatoes hot with dal and rice, or enjoy them on their own. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this recipe allergy friendly?
Yes, this Nepali potato recipe is allergy-friendly as it is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.
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