Tawa jeera aloo is an all-in-one recipe for serving as a breakfast item & even in lunch or dinner. A step further, this dry aloo jeera can also be a snack and is a favourite among Indian homemakers.
Why is Aloo (Potato) Favourite among Housewives?
You see housewives especially Indian housewives, hustle bad in the morning time. Making breakfast & lunch at the same time is a pretty tiresome job for them. Husband & children leave for work & school simultaneously.
In that case, potatoes, sabji or curries are always quick & simple to make. In other words, aloo recipes are always a time saver. If you are an Indian housewife, then you know what I am talking about. That’s the reason why I Am calling it the housewives favourite.
What shall I cook today for lunch/dinner?
A universal problem that we hear daily in everyday households. The tawa jeera aloo recipe I am sharing today is the answer to the problem – आज खाने में क्या बनाऊ? So let’s begin with the ingredients.
Tawa Jeera Aloo Ingredients
If you scroll at the bottom, you will see the complete list of items. Moreover, the measurements are also given for each ingredient. Make sure the quantity is correct.
Cooking Oil
We will not use butter here. The age-old flavour of jeera aloo lies deep in cooking oil. When cumin seeds are tempered in hot oil, the aroma & taste is next level. Hence, cooking is a must in this recipe.
Onion
Onions are tempered in hot oil. This way, a distinct flavour of onion is integrated into the recipe. We will use chopped onion & not onion puree.
Cumin Seeds
Jeera, aka cumin seeds, is the star ingredients here. Do not overuse because jeera has a strong taste profile. Too much will overpower other ingredients. On the other hand, too little won’t give you the exact taste. Therefore, use wisely.
Masalas for Tempering Tawa Jeera Aloo
Coriander powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder & chaat masala – all these are regular Indian masala powders. Moreover, they are already available in your kitchen—salt as per taste.
Tomato
Similar to onions, tomatoes will be a part of tempering the tawa jeera aloo. Tomato has the required tangy taste profile. You will love the combo of tomatoes & chaat masala in this sabji.
Water
Add water gradually as required. We are making a dry sabji; hence water quantity will be less. If there’s excess water, then burn it out.
Potato
Potato is our base ingredient because we are making jeera aloo. Hence, use medium-size potatoes. Avoid large ones. Boil potatoes beforehand. The recipe requires boiled ones and not raw ones.
Coriander
Fresh coriander on your spicy tawa jeera aloo is like icing on the cake. Garnish your sabji with chopped coriander.
The ingredient list is complete now and let’s move on to the making steps.
Tips to Making Perfect Tawa Jeera Aloo
It’s effortless.
Boil potatoes and peel the skin. It’s an essential pre-preparation you need to do before you begin making the sabji.
Temper the Masalas
Start with cumin seeds and then saute chopped onions. When onions change colour, mix all masala powder along with salt. Finally, add chopped tomatoes & combine the mixture.
Add water & cover the pot with a lid. The masala mixture needs to be cooked for at least 10 minutes. During this time, the spices will release their unique flavours in the hot oil.
Cover the Pot with Lid
Covering the pot is essential. If you don’t cover, the aroma will vanish & your tawa jeera aloo won’t smell or taste good. Additionally, it also reduces your cooking time. The heat remains uniform in the vessel and speeds up the cooking process.
The Final Step
The last step is to add boiled potatoes. Mix everything one final time. Add fresh coriander & serve hot with roti or paratha.
Best Way to Serve Tawa Jeera Aloo
Tawa jeera aloo is a dry dish. There’s very little gravy. However, you can’t even tell gravy. Because it is the masala tempered in the cooking oil. So, how will you eat a dry sabji and still enjoy it? Read below:
Roti or Paratha (or Both)
A plain roti or butter roti or parathas are ideal if you are eating an Indian sabji. Since we do not have gravy, I will not recommend eating it with Nan.
Instead, go for lachcha paratha. They are buttery & soft. Add ghee or butter a little more on your lachcha paratha. Above all eating spicy potatoes without roti or paratha is the best way to enjoy. Try it.
Squeeze Lemon on Your Tawa Jeera Aloo
I can’t imagine eating masaledar aloo without squeezing lemon on it. The raw & tangy taste of lemon juice with masala is enough to tingle your taste buds.
Onion & Tomato Salad
Chop some juicy tomatoes and mix them with chopped onions. Sprinkle salt & lemon juice. It is the desi India style of eating jeera aloo. There’s one more thing you can do which is to slit onions & sprinkle red chilli powder on them. It’s laccha pyaz.
Ripe Green Mango+Masaledar Tawa Jeera Aloo
Slit green ripe mango vertically. The pieces should be long enough. Do not remove the mango skin. Now sprinkle salt & red chilli powder. Mix and serve it with spicy potatoes.
The above mentioned are a few masaledar methods to eat jeera aloo. You can also try them with the dum aloo recipe. I bet you will enjoy it.
So, that was it with the tawa jeera aloo recipe today.