Vegan Achari Aloo – Healthier Steps

Vegan Achari Aloo is an Indian Punjabi potato dish cooked with pickling spices. It is tangy and spicy. It goes well as a side dish or with parathas for breakfast.

I feel like the weather has transferred its indecisiveness onto me as it remains indecisive! When I go into the kitchen to prepare, what I end up cooking is nothing like what I had intended! Remember this time last weekend when I bought a bag of fresh potatoes from a farmer’s market intending to make Bombay Potatoes? Instead, I made Achari Aloo, a tasty and easy recipe that combines roasted potatoes with freshly ground spices to make an Indian delicacy. Now that the words don’t appear to be coming to me, allow me to discuss this cuisine.

What Is An Achari Aloo Dish?

The Punjabi dish “aloo achari” is cooked with potatoes and flavored with pickling spices that are freshly ground. This dish can be made in a variety of ways, such as with baby potatoes, boiled potatoes, or even a gravy-like sauce as in some restaurants.

Here, I’ll show you how to make achari aloo, which is the simplest dish to cook and goes well with rice, roti dal, or even other types of rice.

Potatoes are a staple in our house. I prepare these on a weekly basis because they are tasty, a kid’s favorite, and simple to prepare.

I often make some unique potato recipes at home. We love easy aloo recipes like this achari aloo, Potato Fritters, Potato Burgers, or Smashed Potato Bites the most.

This potato dish, made with fresh pickle spices, tastes amazing and goes well with roti, sambar, dal, dosa, and even rasam. It has a very slight bitter flavor.

This spice combo actually packs a punch and adds a spark to any veggie stir fry, dal, or curry preparation.

Try this recipe; I promise you’ll enjoy it if you’re trying to add some flavor to traditional aloo ki subzi.

This dish only requires a few ingredients, and in case you’re worried, it also doesn’t call for onions or garlic. Enjoy this tasty achari aloo recipe from North India by giving it a try.

Why You Love This Recipe?

Achari Aloo is a popular Indian dish that includes potatoes with pickling spices, and there are many valid reasons to give it a try. Here are some of the reasons why people should try this tasty dish:

• Flavorful and Spicy: The strong, robust flavors of Achari Aloo are well-known. The addition of pickling spices such as fennel, mustard, and fenugreek seeds gives the meal a distinct and zesty flavor. If you prefer spicy and tangy food, this dish may appeal to you.
• Variation in Vegetarian Meals: Because Achari Aloo is a veggie dish, it is an excellent alternative for vegans and vegetarians wishing to diversify their diets. Potatoes can be used in many different ways and add a lot of taste to food. They make a great main dish.
• Easily Made at Home: Achari Aloo is a popular dish that many try since it is made at home using easily found ingredients. When you make this recipe from scratch, you can adjust the flavors and level of spiciness to your preference.
• Benefits to Health: Rich in potassium, vitamin C, and B vitamins, potatoes are a wonderful source of carbs and other minerals. Vegan achari Aloo is easier to make healthy at home since you can adjust the ingredients use less oil and add other nutritious elements to make it a better alternative.
• Comfort Food: Achari Aloo can bring back fond memories for people who grew up loving Indian food. The flavor of pickled spices and potatoes might bring back memories of home-cooked dinners.

Ingredients For Vegan Achari Aloo

• Potatoes: This recipe can be made with any variety of potatoes, including baby potatoes. Before using the sliced potatoes in the recipe, ensure to soak them in water for about 20 minutes as some potato kinds have a tendency to be starch.
• Vegetable oil: Achari Aloo is typically made with mustard oil, but I use avocado  oil instead
• Cumin seeds: They have a uniquely warm, earthy flavor with a hint of bitterness, and their smell has hints of lemon.
• Fenugreek seeds: A herb that resembles clover is fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum). The seeds are used in cuisines and medicines and have a flavor similar to maple syrup.
• Fennel seeds: The fennel herb’s dried seeds resemble cumin seeds, but are noticeably greener. They smell warm and sweet with a hint of anise.
• Mustard seeds: One of my favorite dry spices, adds the perfect aroma to the dish!
• Red pepper flakes: Red chili flakes are perfect for adding desired heat to this sabzi! (adjust to your spice preference)
• Turmeric powder: Gives a hearty flavor and that distinctive yellow color.
• Salt: I used the pink salt.
• Water
• Steamed rice for serving

How To Make Vegan Achari Aloo?

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
2. Add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, and mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter and release their aromas. This should take about 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the thinly sliced potatoes to the pan. Stir well to coat the potatoes with the aromatic spices and oil.
4. Sprinkle the red pepper flakes, turmeric powder, and salt over the potatoes. Stir to evenly distribute the spices.
5. Pour in the ½ cup of water and give it a gentle stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and let the potatoes simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking.
6. Check the potatoes for doneness. They should be soft and mushy. If they’re not done yet, continue to simmer for a few more minutes.
7. Once the Achari Aloo is ready, remove it from the heat. Serve hot with plain steamed rice

Serving Suggestions

Any Indian dish, such as Gram Flour flatbread (Besan Roti), Low Carb Flatbread, and Lentil Oat Dosa goes well with Achari Aloo Masala.

It can also be served with plain rice and Dal as a side dish.

Storage Suggestions

When kept in the refrigerator, Achari Aloo can easily be kept for four to five days. Keep it in an airtight container that is dry and clean.

When ready to serve, reheat in a pan or microwave. While reheating, lightly mist the top with a little water to add some moisture.

Recipe Notes

• Choose the Right Potatoes: For Achari Aloo, use waxy potatoes such as red or baby potatoes. They are creamy in texture and keep their shape beautifully when cooked.
• Salt: You can use black salt in place of regular salt for extra zing.
• Mustard Oil Treatment: If use mustered oil, heat mustard oil till it smokes, then cool slightly before using. This process lessens the raw mustard oil’s potent, sharp flavor.
• Balance of Achari Masala: If you’re using store-bought achari masala instead of home spices, adjust the amount to suit your taste. Increase the spice if you prefer it hotter; decrease the spice if you prefer it mellower.
• In place of the masala powder, add two tablespoons of pickle masala if you have any leftover lemon or mango pickle.
• Use Fresh Herbs As a Garnish: A garnish of fresh coriander leaves, also known as cilantro, gives the meal a vibrant splash of color and freshness.

Variations

• Achari Aloo Paratha: Stuff parathas with a mixture of Achari Aloo. After rolling out the dough and stuffing it with the Achari Aloo filling, sear it in ghee or oil on a griddle until it becomes crispy and brown.
• Achari Aloo Wrap: Toss together some fresh veggies, a flatbread or tortilla, and a yogurt-based sauce with the Achari Aloo filling.
• Sandwich with Achari Aloo: For a spicy twist, sandwich pieces of bread with Achari Aloo and top with cheese or chutney.
• Achari salad: To make Achari Aloo Salad, combine it with some fresh tomatoes, onions, and cucumbers. Add in some fresh coriander and add some chaat masala for a zesty salad.
• Achari Aloo Tacos: Shred some cabbage, dice some tomatoes, and stuff tacos with Achari Aloo. Top each taco with sour cream or yogurt.
• Achari Aloo Pizza: For a spicy and one-of-a-kind pizza, substitute Achari Aloo for some of the cheese and vegetables on top.
• Burger: A burger made with a patty made from the Achari Aloo combination, a burger bun, lettuce, tomatoes, and any other toppings you like.
• Achari Aloo Pasta: For a fusion pasta dish, toss cooked pasta with an Achari Aloo sauce and some yogurt or cream.
• Achari Aloo Rice: To make a tasty and easy rice dish, combine cooked rice with Achari Aloo.

How To Make Achari Masala?

The four primary spices used to make this spice blend are mustard, fenugreek, cumin, and fennel seeds. To add more flavor to this masala, a few other ingredients are added. It takes about a few minutes to make this achari masala. This recipe can easily scaled up and down.

If you like my Vegan Achari Aloo recipe, please share your thoughts in the comment section. Enjoy cooking!

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• 4 medium-sized potatoes thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon teaspoon fennel seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes adjust to your spice preference
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 cup water

• Heat the avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat.

• Add the cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, fennel seeds, and mustard seeds. Allow them to splutter and release their aromas. This should take about 1-2 minutes.

• Add the thinly sliced potatoes to the pan. Stir well to coat the potatoes with the aromatic spices and oil.

• Sprinkle the red pepper flakes, turmeric powder, and salt over the potatoes. Stir to evenly distribute the spices.

• Pour in the 1/2 cup of water and give it a gentle stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and let the potatoes simmer for about 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more water if needed to prevent sticking.

• Check the potatoes for doneness. They should be soft and mushy. If they’re not done yet, continue to simmer for a few more minutes.

• Once the Achari Aloo is ready, remove it from the heat. Serve hot with plain steamed rice.

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 923mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 85IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 2mg