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Potato curry (Batate Vagu) is an easy-to-make, spicy, and delicious no-onion, no-garlic dish prepared using grated coconut, mixed vegetables, and tempering. This spicy aloo curry is dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free.
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Batate Vagu
If you visit the Mangalore Udupi region of South India, you will see that this style of potato curry is very popular at events.
Batate means Potato in Konkani, and vagu (vaagu or vaghu) means Tiger. As this dish is one of the spiciest among the Konkani cuisine, it might have got its name :-). I love spicy food, and especially this potato curry with shevai (rice noodles) has been my favorite since childhood. This dish is prepared during auspicious occasions like weddings, thread ceremonies ( brahmopadesham), and vrat like Navratri, Satyanarayan Pooja, etc., as it is a no onion, no garlic dish.
Aloo curry: A spicy Indian potato recipe
There are variations of potato curry across different cuisines, each with its own unique blend of spices and ingredients. This potato curry mixed with vegetables is nutritious and healthy, is simple to make, and gives that traditional village flavor. You can make this for a quick lunch or dinner. I generally love adding more veggies and making one single curry rather than two dishes for my meal.
The potato curry recipe is budget-friendly, meatless (satvik), protein-packed, and can be made not only for weekend or weeknight meals but also for festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, or any vrat and pooja.
How to serve potato curry?
- Traditionally konkani batate vagu is served with shevai or idiyappam, neer dosa, set dosa, and steamed rice.
- Serve this aloo curry with chapati, poori, phulka for Indian breakfast or brunch or with roti, ghee rice, or jeera rice for lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
For the curry paste: You need coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies, grated coconut, and cashews.
Vegetables: Along with potatoes, add cauliflower or broccoli, green peas, and capsicum (any colored bell pepper). This vegetable combo complements each other very well.
Tempering: Mustard seeds, coconut oil, hing (asafoetida), curry leaves, and red chile - traditional Indian tempering spices.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-step instructions
Prepare the vegetables
Peel the skin of potatoes and cut them into bite-size cubes. Similarly, chop the tomatoes and capsicum into bite-size cubes and keep this aside.
Make the curry paste or masala.
- In a pan, dry roast coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds till you get a nice aroma on medium-low flame. Make sure not to burn them. Add dry red chilies and saute for a few more seconds and switch off the flame.
- Grind the grated coconut, cashews, and dry roasted ingredients adding little water to form a thick, smooth paste in a mixie jar or blender.
Making of the best potato curry or aloo curry
- Method 1: In a pot, add the ground paste and potatoes with little water and bring them to a nice boil.
- When the potatoes are halfway cooked, add tomatoes, green peas, capsicum, cauliflower, and salt to taste and bring them to a nice boil. You can add water to adjust consistency.
Simmer until the veggies are tender and cooked and the flavors are combined.
Method 2: In a pot, add enough water to cover the potatoes and bring them to a boil. When potatoes are halfway cooked, add tomatoes, green peas, capsicum, and cauliflower along with ground paste and salt and bring it to a nice boil. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the veggies are cooked through.
(The only difference between the two methods is that potatoes are cooked directly in curry in method one and are cooked in water first in method 2. Potatoes soften faster when cooked in water than in curry. The taste will remain the same, only the cooking time varies. However, to cut short the cooking time, you can even microwave the potatoes or use any leftover boiled potatoes, mix them with other veggies and curry paste, and bring everything to a boil together.)
Make the tempering
- Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add hing, curry leaves, and dry red chile and switch off the flame.
Add the tempering and coriander leaves to the gravy and mix well. Serve hot with steamed rice,neer dosa, orchapati,and enjoy.
Tips
- Vary the amount of dry red chili as per your taste. You can even use red chile powder instead of red chilies.
- To get that wedding-style taste in your dish, you can even fry the red chiles in oil for seconds and add it while making the paste.
- This is an authentic South Indian Konkani-style potato curry recipe.
- Once the dish is done, you can keep it aside for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the fridge, reheat and serve the next day. It tastes even delicious and has the flavors from the masala and vegetables all combined.
- You can also keep this simple by adding only potatoes and tomatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Do you have to boil potatoes for curry?
No. You do not have to precook the potatoes. Cut them into bite-size cubes, and they will be cooked in the curry itself.
How do you thicken curry?
I add cashews while grinding, which will not only make your gravy thick but also adds a hint of sweetness and richness. If your gravy has thinned down with too much addition of water, then to thicken it, mix tablespoon of flour in ½ cup of water and whisk it and add it to the gravy, and bring it to boil.
Which potato is good for the curry?
Yukon gold and russet potatoes will give you the best results when used in curry.
How do you soften potatoes in the curry?
Once you add potatoes to the curry, cover the pot and simmer it a little longer. Based on the size of the potato cubes and how old the potato is, the time it takes to cook may vary.
Should I peel the potatoes for curry?
The peel is waxy and helps the potato retain its shape. But many do not like the texture of it. So based on your family preference, you can peel it or simply leave the skin on while making curry or any Indian gravy.
More Indian Potato recipes
- Vrat Wale Aloo | Easy Potato Fry | Navratri Recipe
- Batata Vada | Aloo Bonda | Mashed Potato Dumplings
- Dahi Aloo | How to make Simple Dahi Wale Aloo
- Easy Aloo Paratha Recipe | Potato Flatbread (No Yeast)
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Recipe card
Potato curry | Konkani Batate Vagu | Vegetable Curry Recipe
Kushi
Potato curry (Batate Vagu) is an easy-to-make, spicy, and delicious no-onion, no-garlic dish prepared using grated coconut, mixed vegetables, and tempering. This spicy aloo curry is dairy-free, vegan, and gluten-free.
5 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 8 hours hrs 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 8 hours hrs 30 minutes mins
Course Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Indian, South Indian
Servings 8
Calories 247 kcal
Equipment
Pot
Ingredients
For the curry paste or masala
- 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds dhania
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds methi
- 4 to 5 Dry red chilies
- ¾ cup Grated coconut
- 5 to 6 Cashews optional
Vegetables used
- 3 Potatoes medium sized
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 cup Frozen green peas
- 1 Capsicum
- 12 Cauliflower florets
- 2 tablespoon Coriander leaves
- Salt, to taste
Tempering
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida Hing
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 Dry red chile
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
Peel the skin of potatoes and cut them into bite-size cubes. Similarly, chop the tomatoes and capsicum into bite-size cubes and keep this aside.
3 Potatoes, 2 Tomatoes, 1 Capsicum
Make the curry paste or masala.
In a pan, dry roast coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds till you get a nice aroma on medium-low flame. Make sure not to burn them. Add dry red chilies and saute for a few more seconds and switch off the flame.
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds, ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds, 4 to 5 Dry red chilies
Grind the grated coconut, cashews, and dry roasted ingredients adding little water to form a thick, smooth paste in a mixie jar or blender.
¾ cup Grated coconut, 5 to 6 Cashews
Making of the best potato curry or aloo curry
Method 1: In a pot, add the ground paste and potatoes with little water and bring them to a nice boil.
When the potatoes are halfway cooked, add tomatoes, green peas, capsicum, cauliflower, and salt to taste and bring them to a nice boil. You can add water to adjust consistency.
1 cup Frozen green peas, 12 Cauliflower florets, Salt, to taste
Simmer until the veggies are tender and cooked and the flavors are combined.
Method 2: In a pot, add enough water to cover the potatoes and bring them to a boil. When potatoes are halfway cooked, add tomatoes, green peas, capsicum, and cauliflower along with ground paste and salt and bring it to a nice boil. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until the veggies are cooked through.
(The only difference between the two methods is that potatoes are cooked directly in curry in method one and are cooked in water first in method 2. Potatoes soften faster when cooked in water than in curry. The taste will remain the same, only the cooking time varies. However, to cut short the cooking time, you can even microwave the potatoes or use any leftover boiled potatoes, mix them with other veggies and curry paste, and bring everything to a boil together.)
Make the tempering
Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add hing, curry leaves, and dry red chile and switch off the flame.
1 tablespoon Coconut oil, 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida, 1 sprig Curry leaves, 1 Dry red chile
Add the tempering and coriander leaves to the gravy and mix well. Serve hot with steamed rice, neer dosa, or chapati, and enjoy.
2 tablespoon Coriander leaves
Notes
- Vary the amount of dry red chili as per your taste. You can even use red chile powder instead of red chilies.
- To get that wedding-style taste in your dish, you can even fry the red chiles in oil for seconds and add it while making the paste.
- This is an authentic South Indian Konkani-style potato curry recipe.
- Once the dish is done, you can keep it aside for 2 to 3 hours or overnight in the fridge, reheat and serve the next day. It tastes even delicious and has the flavors from the masala and vegetables all combined.
- You can also keep this simple by adding only potatoes and tomatoes.
Nutrition
Calories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 10gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 168mgPotassium: 898mgFiber: 11gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1030IUVitamin C: 89mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Note: We originally posted this recipe in Sept 2015. It has now been modified in August 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
