Potato Bhaji finger chip style, बटाट्याची भाजी

Potato Bhaji finger chip style (Batatyachi Bhaji)

Potato must be the most favorite vegetable in every Marathi household. It’s also the quick savior when you don’t want to go out to buy veggies. Potato and crushed peanuts is the combination that works every single time…

This recipe comes in handy when it’s a school morning. But the dependable bai suddenly announces early morning that she is taking a leave! Potato to the rescue…

You can take your time steaming the potatoes or say ‘done’ as soon as they are cooked. It obviously tastes extra nice when you give it the time and care. But the quick version also gets you the kid’s praise.

Household Preferences

You can add some Goda / Kala masala that’s very quickly found at a Maharashtrian home. I prefer the simpler taste so I don’t.

Make it for upwaas

You can convert it to an upwaas item if you replace oil with ghee and don’t add mustard, asafoetida and turmeric to the tempering.

My son is very happy to pick off a few chips even before it goes into his lunch box. I could probably write the potato 100 ways article as easily as this simple bhaji. 😉 But let’s begin with this one here and now…

Potato Bhaji finger chip style

Print Recipe

By Deepali Phadke Serves: 4 Prep Time: 5 mins Cooking Time: 15 - 17 mins

Ingredients

For the bhaji / भाजी साठी

• 4 Potatoes / बटाटे
• 2 spoons crushed groundnuts / दाण्याचे कूट
• Sugar and salt to taste / मीठ व साखर चवी प्रमाणे

For tempering / फोडणी करता

• 1 table spoon oil / तेल
• 1 tea spoon Mustard / मोहरी
• 1 tea spoon Cumin / जिरे
• 2 pinches of Asafoetida / हिंग
• 1 tea spoon Turmeric powder / हळद
• 1 tea spoon red chili powder (You may use less or more) / तिखट चवी प्रमाणे

Instructions

1

Wash, peel and cut the potatoes – the finger chips way. Approx 1cm X 1cm.

2

Heat oil in kadhai

3

Add mustard and cumin seeds and let it splutter

4

Reduce the flame and add asafoetida, turmeric and red chili powder… In that order

5

Add the finger chip potatoes

6

Mix a bit

7

Cover the kadhai with lid

8

Keep the flame low and check after every 5 minutes

9

Every time you open the lid, mix and turn the potatoes so the uncooked ones end up at the bottom and catch nice colour

10

After 12 - 15 minutes, potatoes should be cooked nice and tender

11

Then add crushed groundnut, salt and sugar

12

Mix up well

13

Cover again for about a minute or two

14

Say done and taste!

Notes

Some extra oil makes the potatoes crispy and yummy… If you are not overly concerned with the oil quantity, do add in a little extra there. I usually add a little extra sugar and salt at the time of making, so it tastes nicer even after it’s cold. Sweet and salty makes you eat it some more - even without the Chapati