Aloo jeera is a beloved delicacy, famous across the Indian subcontinent. The magic of the aloo jeera recipe lies in its simplicity. However, beyond the humble cumin and potatoes, the relishing recipe has several variations in spices. These variations are essentially regional and include the use of staple spices native to a region, which gives the dish a unique identity.
By learning about these regional spice variations, you can transform your regular aloo jeera into a culinary journey, making your meal special. So, the next time you shop for groceries on a grocery app, search for some regional spices to make a tempting recipe.
Aloo Jeera Recipe: The Regional Spice Variations
The Classic North Indian Aloo Jeera
- Scrub and clean 5 to 6 potatoes thoroughly.
- Boil or steam the potatoes. Once done, allow them to cool.
- After the potatoes cool down, peel them and cut them into cubes.
- Add oil to the pan and heat it on a medium flame.
- Add 3 tsp of cumin seeds to the oil and let them crackle.
- Add chopped green chillies and mix them well.
- Add boiled potato cubes to the pan and mix till the cubes are coated with jeera.
- Sprinkle the potatoes with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and amchur powder.
- Mix everything well and garnish it with coriander leaves.
The South Indian Flavours
- The basic ingredients and steps to make remain the same across the country.
- You can add curry leaves to the tempering after the cumin seeds splutter.
- Once you add the potato cubes to the pan, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to the potatoes.
- Mix them well and garnish them with grated fresh coconut.
East Indian Aloo Jeera
- In a pan, heat some oil.
- Add mustard seeds and 3 tsp jeera to the oil.
- Add curry leaves and let them splutter.
- Add the boiled potato cubes to the pan and stir everything together.
- Add powdered spices like turmeric, red chilli powder and salt to the potatoes and mix them well.
Western Indian Aloo Jeera
- The western states of India, such as Maharashtra, have their version of aloo jeera.
- Heat some oil in a pan.
- Add abundant jeera to the oil when it is hot.
- Add chopped garlic cloves to the oil and saute them.
- Add slit green chillies to the oil and let them crackle.
- Add boiled potato cubes to the oil and stir them to coat the jeera on the potato cubes.
- Then sprinkle some turmeric powder, red chilli powder, and salt, squeeze lemon juice on the potatoes and mix them.
- Sprinkle some coriander leaves on the jeera aloo for a refreshing flavour.
Conclusion
While aloo jeera is a perfect dish to create quickly, it can give you a burst of flavour. With a few spice swaps, you can enjoy several regional variations of the delicacy. From mustard seeds to grated coconut, aloo jeera is a diverse delicacy that all can enjoy.
From the classic north Indian recipe to its southern Indian variation, aloo jeera is the comfort food for most Indians. So, the next time you’re ordering ingredients for an aloo jeera recipe, add some spices to your grocery app cart to try these amazing variations.
