South Indian Potato Masala: A Perfect Side Dish for Poori

What Is Potato Masala?

Potato masala, known locally as poori kizhangu masala, is a very popular dish at the small roadside tiffin centers of South India. Traditionally, this masala is served with poori and sometimes with chapathi.

It can also be stuffed inside plain, crispy dosas. We call this combination masala dosa, and it is a particular specialty of the Karnataka region. Since the main ingredient is potato, the dish is less spicy, making it very popular with children.

Cook Time

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon chana dal
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
• 10 to 15 garlic cloves, crushed
• Handful of curry leaves
• 4 green chillies, vertically sliced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium tomato, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 4 potatoes, boiled and peeled
• salt, to taste

Photo Guide: Ingredients

Onion, tomato, curry leaves

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Instructions

1. Clean and boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker till they become soft. Then mash the potatoes.
2. Heat oil in a pan. Add chana dal, fennel seeds, garlic, green chillies and curry leaves one by one. Then add the onions and saute till they become glossy.
3. Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder and salt. Saute well till the tomatoes become mushy. Then add a glass of water and bring it up to a boil.
4. Add the mashed potatoes to the pan and blend well. Once the curry becomes thick, garnish with some coriander leaves and serve with poori, chapathi or dosa.

Photo Guide: Preparation

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