Patal bhaji (patal batat bhaji) is a mild Goan potato bhaji made with boiled potatoes, onion and garlic, tempered with mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal, curry leaves and green chillies. This easy potato bhaji recipe needs only a few ingredients, is not spicy, and is a great first recipe for anyone learning to cook. In Goa it is served with puri or pav, often alongside chana bhaji as mixed bhaji.
What to serve with patal bhaji
This patal bhaji is non spicy. Kids love to have it. Hence, it can be packed in the lunch box along with puris or palak puris too. Patal batat bhaji is served in Goa along with salad bhaji or chana bhaji known as mixed bhaji in Goan restaurants and is ideal to have for breakfast. I have added water to this potato subzi to make gravy in it. Hence the name patal bhaji. We also make sukhi(dry) potato bhaji in similar way. Just that we need not add extra water while making it.
The patal batat bhaji is very simple and easy to make. This can be the first recipe any person beginning to cook can start with.
Potato bhaji was also one of the first recipes that I learnt from my mom and once made it for my dad’s birthday under mom’s guidance as a surprise. Hence this recipe is special too. So guys, give this recipe a try and let me know how it turns.
Related posts: Baked potato wedges, Semolina coated potato
Ingredients for patal bhaji
- Potato: Use big firm potatoes. Remember to wash the potatoes and removed any mud before using in cooking. Peel the potatoes before adding the curry.
- Onion: Use red onion and chop them finely.
- Garlic cloves: I love to add garlic to potato based curry recipes.
- Seasoning: For seasoning we have used mustard seeds, cumin seeds (jeera), urad dal (black gram dal), asafoetida, green chilies and curry leaves. All these ingredients can be easy found in any Indian grocery store. Some Indian people might also have it available in their kitchen pantry.
- Turmeric powder: This powder is used in most of the Indian recipes. You can find this in any Indian grocery store.
- Oil: You can use any type of cooking oil in this recipe. We need minimal oil to prepare this delicious potato based comfort food.
- Coriander leaves: Used for garnishing. This is also an optional ingredient as it is only meant for garnishing. But yes the curry tastes better when coriander leaves are added. Parsley can also be added as an alternative.
How to make Goan potato bhaji, step by step
- Boil the potatoes. After cooling, peel and chop them into small pieces.
- Heat a kadai/wok and add oil.
- After oil gets heated, add mustard seeds and after they flutter, add cumin seeds and urad dal.
- Add asafoetida, slit green chilies and curry leaves and saute for few seconds.
- Mix finely chopped onion and saute until onion turns pinkish.
- Add finely chopped garlic and saute till raw smell goes away.
- Mix chopped potato and 1/2 cup water(same water used for boiling potatoes can be used) and mix well.
- Simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add salt to taste, mix and switch off the gas or heat.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
FAQ
What is patal bhaji?
A thin (patal) Goan potato bhaji with a light gravy, tempered with mustard seeds, cumin and curry leaves.
Is patal bhaji spicy?
No, it is mild, which makes it popular with kids and for lunch boxes. Add more green chillies for heat.
What to serve with potato bhaji?
Puri, palak puri, Goan pav or chapati. In Goa it is also served with chana bhaji as mixed bhaji.
Can I pack patal bhaji in a lunch box?
Yes; it pairs well with puris and stays good for a few hours.
Patal Potato Bhaji
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized potatoes boiled and peeled
- 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Jeera (Cumin seeds)
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (black gram dal)
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida
- 2 green chilies slit
- 7-8 curry leaves
- 2 teaspoon oil
- To Taste Salt
- Handful Coriander Leaves for garnish
Instructions
- Chop the boiled potatoes into small pieces.
- Heat a kadai and add 2 teaspoon oil.
- Add mustard seeds and after the flutter add cumin seeds and urad dal.
- Add asafeotida, curry leaves and green chillies and sauté for few seconds.
- Add finely chopped onion and sauté till onion turns pinkish.
- Now add minced garlic and sauté till raw smell of garlic goes away.
- Add turmeric powder and mix well.
- Add chopped boiled potato, ½ cup water and mix well.
- Simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add salt to taste and switch off the gas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
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Note: This post was originally published on 10 Dec 2017. Re-posting with updated description.
Raksha, I enjoy and cherish to see the battata bhajee but it should be peanut sized cut. In this picture the potato sizes are so massive. Do you add curry patha?
Hi Dominic,
The potato size need not be peanut size.
I have cut the potatoes little bigger than peanut size. The size can vary. Some hotels cut it very small to save costs.
Curry patta is optional.
Hello Raksha
I prepared this today . Everyone in the family enjoyed along with poee . It’s a very simple recipe but it’s very delicious. Thank you.
Thanks a lot for taking time to comment and let me know 🙂