Skillet Aloo Jeera (Cumin Potatoes): 20 Minute Recipe

I love both cumin and potatoes and, whenever they have it on the menu, I always order aloo jeera at an Indian restaurant. The simplicity of this recipe amazes me! The thing is that it is so, so delicious that I usually eat most of the dish before it even reaches the table 😆.

This bhindi masala and aloo palak are some other restaurant favorites that I love making at home.

Is there a favorite dish that you love having at Indian restaurants and that you love to recreate at home? Let me know in the comment below. I would love to hear from you. - Padma

Allergens free labels

This simple aloo jeera recipe is naturally gluten-free and, like this aloo matar recipe, is allium-free. It also:

• nut-free
• soy-free
• grain-free

This recipe also has no mustard or tomatoes.

To make it vegan, just swap the ghee with oil.

Jeera (Cumin) - The Key Ingredient

Jeera is the main ingredient in this recipe, just like in this cumin rice. I have used it in three forms: whole, as a powder, and roasted.

The whole cumin seeds become crunchy from frying in the fats. The cumin powder makes a flavorful coating on the potatoes. The roasted cumin seeds also known as bhuna jeera, adds a deep earthy aroma to the dish. Besides these, the chaat masala also has some cumin that enhances the flavor even more!

This recipe is also known as jeera aloo dry because it is a dry dish i.e. it has no gravy or sauce. This makes it the perfect side dish for any main meal or as a filling for your sandwiches and wraps (more on that later!).

Some people call this dish zeera aloo and that is fine too!

What is Aloo Jeera made of?

Potatoes and cumin basically and a few basic spice powders that bring a beautiful balance of flavors. Here is a quick snapshot of the ingredients used in this recipe.

See recipe card for quantities.

• Potatoes: Use ones, like Yukon Gold, that cook soft but do not turn mushy too easily. Red or baby potatoes will work too. Russet potatoes may not be a great choice for this recipe.
• Crushed coriander and cumin: I crushed them coarsely in a pestle and mortar. You can do this in a spice or mixer grinder. Otherwise, regular cumin and coriander powder will work.
• Oil and ghee: Ghee adds a wonderful flavor to the dish. You can make it entirely with ghee or use oil only. Neutral oil works best.
• Cumin: In addition to the coarsely crushed cumin powder that I mentioned above, I used whole cumin seeds and bhuna jeera. This recipe is called jeera aloo for a reason 😀.
• Amchur: This is dry mango powder that is made with green mangoes and is quite sour. You can get this at any Indian supermarket or online store. Don’t have it? Read the section below for easy swaps.
• Chaat masala: This is a spice blend that is salty, spicy, and sour. It has spices such as black salt (kala namak), cumin, ground coriander, amchur, and dried mint. It is used a lot in Indian cuisine, especially in street foods. It is ok to skip it if you don’t have it.
• Red chili powder: I have used this mainly to add some color. You can use a spicier one, if you like.

Besides the above, you will also need 1-2 tablespoons of water.

Are you wondering if I have forgotten turmeric powder?! 🙂 This recipe is one of the few that I make that does not have turmeric in it.

How to make jeera aloo

If you have pre-boiled potatoes, then this dish will take only 20 minutes to make. Follow these steps and the tips below to get it perfect, every time!

Also see the video at the end of the recipe card.

Step 1: Begin with some prep work.

• Peel the potatoes and cut them into even, medium-sized pieces. It's ok if a little peel remains—it adds character!
• Crush the cumin and coriander seeds to a coarse powder.
• Measure the rest of the ingredients and keep them ready.

Step 2: Make the jeera aloo sabji.

Place the cast iron pan, or any other pan that you are using, on medium-high heat and when the pan is evenly heated, add the oil and the ghee.

Add the cumin seeds. Wait for them to deepen in color and release their aroma.

Add half of the coriander-cumin spice mix. Stir fry them for a minute. Add the potatoes and mix, gently, so that the spices coat them well.

Spread the potatoes evenly in the pan and roast them on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until they get some color and crunch up a bit.

Turn the heat down a notch and on medium heat, add the remainder of the powdered coriander-cumin and the other spices. Do not add the bhuna jeera yet.

Add a splash of water. Mix gently. Turn the heat up to medium-high and roast for another 3-4 minutes.

The water will prevent the spices from burning and also help the spices to coat the potatoes.

Finally, for that deep earthy aroma, stir in the bhuna jeera and fry for another minute.

And that’s it! You have just made yourself the perfect aloo jeera dish! Enjoy it with any main meal you like. See the section below for serving suggestions.

Notes

There are two ways to make this humble potato recipe: One, by using pre-boiled potatoes, like I did. This will reduce the prep time. You can boil the them in a stovetop pressure cooker, an Instant Pot or on the stove, as you normally do.

The other way to make this recipe is to add uncooked cubed potatoes to the pan with the spices and cook them until they are soft and tender.

I prefer the first method over the second because A) I always have some boiled potatoes in the fridge as part of my meal prep routine and I can make this recipe in no time and, B) I like the texture of precooked potatoes with the crunchy cumin in this recipe.

It is a matter of personal preference and you can choose whichever method works best for you. The second method will obviously take longer.

Substitutions / Swaps:

• Ghee: Swap for equal quantity of oil.
• Amchur powder: Swap with equal quantity of chaat masala. Add less salt to begin with as chaat masala also has salt in it. Taste test and add more salt, if required. If you do not have both of these, then just add 2 teaspoons of lime juice after you take the pan off the heat.
• Red chilli powder: Use mild paprika instead. 

Variations:

• Spicy - add 2 chopped green chilies when adding in the potatoes.
• Flavor - just before serving, drizzle with some more melted ghee.
• Garnish - sprinkle some finely chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves.

Equipment: This dish tastes best when the spices and the potatoes roast in a single layer until they get some color and become crunchy. I find that a cast iron skillet works the best. So if you have one, use it and you will love the result. If not, use any heavy-bottomed skillet that you have.

Top tips

This is a simple dish to make and its beauty is in the potatoes holding their shape, being coated with the crunchy cumin and spices, and having a lovely balance of flavors. To achieve these outcomes, follow these tips:

• Boil the potatoes well with no hard center.
• The potatoes should have cooled down completely. Warm potatoes will turn mushy in the pan. 
• Use a cast iron skillet, if you can.
• Before you start adding the ingredients, make sure that the pan is nice and hot. 
• In order to bring out their flavor, add the cumin seeds to hot oil. 
• Ghee is the game changer! Don’t skip it unless you’re going for a vegan version. Trust me, it adds a rich depth of flavor that’s hard to resist.
• Stir gently and do not break the potatoes. 
• Do not overcrowd the pan. Spread the potatoes out evenly, in a single layer. This will ensure that they roast evenly. 
• Make sure not to burn the spices. Turn the heat down and add a splash of water. The water also prevents the jeera aloo from becoming too dry. 
• You can use lemon juice instead of amchur, but I prefer the sharp tanginess of amchur better.

Any doubts or questions? Feel free to ask via the comments below. I will try my best to answer them for you. - Padma

Serving Suggestions and Storage

As I mentioned earlier, these cumin potatoes are so moreish that I tend to eat them all by myself before I bring them to the table 😋.

When I am able to stop myself from devouring them, I love pairing them with this buttered rice and Bengali dal - my perfect meal! On some days I like having them with plain Basmati rice, yogurt, and some chopped green chillies, pure bliss!

This dry jeera aloo is also the perfect dish to pack in a lunch box. I especially love wrapping them in these turmeric tortillas with a few dollops of Indian yogurt sauce.

My younger daughter makes a hearty wrap for lunch in her own way: she spreads some hari chutney (cilantro chutney) on an Indian bread, adds some of the cumin potato, some spiced onions, and tops it off with a few dollops of tomato yogurt. Drool worthy, right?!

Storage: There won’t be any leftover, but if by some miracle is are any, store the leftover jeera aloo in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

How do you serve jeera aloo? Do let me know in the comments below. I would love to hear from you. - Padma