• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Cooking Curries

  • Home
  • About
    • Work with me
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
Home » Recipes » Course » Entrees » Curries

Poori Masala | Potato Masala for Poori

Published: Sep 13, 2022 by Manju · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

18 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • WhatsApp
Poori Masala is a South Indian style potato curry that is served as a side to pooris and hence the name. Easy, delicious and ready in just 20 mins.
Prep 5 minutes mins
Cook 15 minutes mins
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
potato curry in a bowl and three pooris in a plate
Poori Masala is a South Indian style potato curry that is served as a side to pooris and hence the name. Easy, delicious and ready in just 20 mins.
Prep 5 minutes mins
Cook 15 minutes mins
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
potato curry in a bowl and three pooris in a plate
potato curry in a bowl and three pooris in a plate with a cup of chai next to it

A South Indian style potato curry made with crumbled potatoes and just a handful of other ingredients, this poori masala is called so as it is popularly served as a side to puffy pooris.

It is also called poori kizhangu or urulakizhangu masala. Kizhangu refers to a tuber / root vegetable of any sort, urulakizhangu specifically means a round tuber in Tamil and Malayalam.

Pooris are served with a variety of different sides, Chana masala being the popular one in Northern parts of India and this Potato masala being the popular one in the Southern parts of India.

We love plain pooris as well as these Spelt Methi Pooris and Palak (Spinach) Masala Pooris.

ingredients for poori masala laid out

Ingredients for Poori Masala

  • Potatoes - this goes without saying, as it is the main ingredient. Any kind of potato can be used, though I prefer to use small yellow / yukon gold potatoes. Potatoes are peeled for this recipe, but if you really want to, you can keep the skin on. Though I recommend peeling them to get the texture of the curry right.
  • Green Chillies, Asafetida and Ginger - Thai green chillies and ginger form the heat and flavor base for this curry. Potatoes can make you gassy and bloated. The ginger and asafetida in this curry helps with that. 
  • Tempered seasoning - brown mustard seeds, chana dal (split chickpeas) and curry leaves are added to hot coconut oil to form the first layer of flavor.
  • Turmeric powder - for the signature yellow color of the potato masala.
  • Onions - thinly sliced onions are sauteed along with the green chillies and ginger.
  • Cilantro - just a little bit to finish off the curry with.

There are other ingredients that are commonly used in making this potato curry. Some add garlic to this curry. But I prefer to leave them out and keep it simple and flavorful.

Oftentimes, a slurry of cornstarch or besan / garbanzo bean flour is added to get a silky consistency for the curry. I have found that the starch from the potatoes gives enough silkiness to the curry base. Just mash a few potato pieces a little more so they become part of the sauce and you got the consistency right.

Method

  • Cook the potatoes whole in the Instant Pot. Once cooked, put them in a bowl full of water and ice, to cool down quickly.
  • Once cooled enough to handle it, peel the potatoes and crumble them with your hands.
whole yellow potatoes in water in the instant pot
instant pot displaying number 6
cooked potatoes in the instant pot
cooked potatoes in a bowl with water and ice
boy peeling potatoes
cooked and peeled potatoes in a stainless steel plate
hand crumbling potatoes in a stainless steel plate
crumbled potatoes in a stainless steel plate
  • While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and chana dal to it. 
  • Once the mustard seeds have popped and the chana dal turns golden brown, add asafetida, sliced red onion, green chillies and minced ginger to it.
  • Saute the onions till they start to become translucent.
  • Add turmeric powder and salt and saute for a couple more minutes over medium low heat.
pinch bowl with mustard seeds and chana dal
curry leaves and mustard seeds in an enameled cast iron pot with a wooden spoon in it
pinch bowl with asafetida powder about to be put in a pot
onions, ginger and green chillies in an enameled cast iron pot
sauteed onions and spices in an enameled cast iron pot
  • Add the crumbled potatoes and some water to the pot. 
  • Let the water come to a boil and let the potatoes cook in the spiced mixture a little.
  • Mash some of the bigger pieces of the potato so that the curry is not too watery.
  • Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve.
crumbled potatoes added to the enameled cast iron pot
potato masala in an enameled cast iron pot

Serving Suggestions

This potato masala curry is served with hot fluffy fried pooris. You can also serve it as a side with rotis / chapatis too.

You may also love 

  • Chana Masala
  • Aloo Rasedar
  • Potato Curry with Onion and Tomatoes
  • Potato Curry with Coconut Milk
  • Spelt Methi Pooris
  • Palak Masala Pooris

Recipe variations

You can add some frozen green peas or chopped carrots to this potato masala curry. 

If the curry turned out too watery, add a slurry of cornstarch or besan to this to thicken it up. Let it come to a boil and keep at it for a few minutes after you add the slurry, so the starch cooks well.

potato curry in a bowl and three pooris in a plate

📖 Recipe

potato curry in a bowl and three pooris in a plate

Poori Masala | Potato Masala for Poori

Manju
Poori Masala is a South Indian style potato curry that is served as a side to pooris and hence the name. Easy, delicious and ready in just 20 mins.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Vegetable Curries
Cuisine Indian
Servings 6 servings
Calories 62 kcal

Equipment

  • Instant Pot

Ingredients
  

  • 4 yellow potatoes medium
  • 2 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal
  • 6-7 curry leaves
  • ½ teaspoon asafetida
  • 1 red onion sliced thinly
  • 2 inch ginger minced
  • 3-4 Thai green chillies chopped
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ cup cilantro chopped finely

Don't forget to check out Step-by-step instructions with photos in the body of the post above

Instructions
 

  • Cook the potatoes whole in the Instant Pot. Cook in about 2-3 cups of water on Manual / Pressure Cook mode for 6 minutes and wait for pressure to release naturally.
    You can also cook the potatoes in a regular pressure cooker. Use the same amount of water / enough to almost cover the potatoes. Cook for up to 4-5 pressure whistles.
    4 yellow potatoes
  • Once cooked, put the potatoes in a bowl full of water and ice, to cool down quickly.
  • Once cooled enough to handle it, peel the potatoes and crumble them with your hands.
  • While the potatoes are cooking, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Add mustard seeds, curry leaves and chana dal to it.
    2 tablespoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon chana dal, 6-7 curry leaves
  • Once the mustard seeds have popped and the chana dal turns golden brown, add asafetida, sliced red onion, green chillies and minced ginger to it.
    ½ teaspoon asafetida, 1 red onion, 2 inch ginger, 3-4 Thai green chillies
  • Sauté the onions till they start to become translucent. Don't let them brown.
  • Add turmeric powder and salt and sauté for a couple more minutes over medium low heat.
    1 teaspoon turmeric powder, salt
  • Add the crumbled potatoes and some water to the pot.
  • Let the water come to a boil and let the potatoes cook in the spiced mixture a little.
  • Mash some of the bigger pieces of the potato so that the curry is not too watery.
  • Remove from heat, garnish with cilantro and serve.
    ¼ cup cilantro

Notes

This potato masala curry is served with hot fluffy fried pooris. You can also serve it as a side with rotis / chapatis too.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 62kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.4gSodium: 464mgPotassium: 61mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 84IUVitamin C: 25mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 0.4mg
Keyword poori masala, potato masala
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More Curries

  • a pan with brass handle with vathal kuzhambu curry in it and a bowl of rice next to it
    Sundakkai Vathal Kuzhambu | Turkey Berry Tamarind Curry
  • Stew with potato, carrot and green beans in coconut milk in a black kadai bowl and a bowl of idlis
    Kerala Style Vegetable Stew with Coconut Milk
  • Dhaba Style Paneer Masala
  • a bowl of rice, dal kootu curry
    White Pumpkin Kootu with Green Peas
18 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • WhatsApp

Reader Interactions

Comments

No Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

manju in a purple sweater

Hi, I'm Manju!

Pull up a chair and grab a cup of chai while I take you along on a fabulous journey in my kitchen. Whether you love to cook with spices or you are intimidated by them, I can help you discover the power of spices in your food.

While we cook, eat and drink wine, I will also show you a glimpse of my life as a mother of two, a wife and someone who loves to dress up, eat and travel the world.

More about me →

Recent Posts

  • A stack of pancakes with sliced apples and syrup on top
    Spiced Apple Cider Pancakes with Cider Maple Syrup
  • a bite of pancake on a fork on a white plate with a pancake stack on it
    Easy Basic Pancakes Recipe from Scratch
  • a collage of four images with text in the center of the collage
    30+ Favorite Fall Dinner Recipe Ideas for Cozy Weeknights
  • a bowl of avial over a kitchen towel
    Kovakka Potato Avial with Tamarind

Trending Recipes

  • Avial ~ Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry with Coconut and Yogurt. Vegetarian. Kerala Sadya Recipe for Vishu / Onam Sadyas (Feast) www.cookingcurries.com
    Avial - Kerala Mixed Vegetable Curry with Coconut and Yogurt
  • Top wide shot of a platter with a bowl of potato curry and three pooris and another bowl of potato curry and a bowl of pickle to the side of the platter
    Aloo Rasedar (No Onion No Garlic Potato Curry)
  • Instant pot Indian Lamb Curry - Whole30 Paleo
    Instant Pot Indian Lamb Curry - Whole30 | Paleo
  • Butter Chicken - Murgh Makhani
    Butter Chicken - Murgh Makhani
Cooking Curries has been featured on prominent sites such as The Huffington Post, Woman's Day, Fox News, BuzzFeed, and many more.
  • Recipes by Cooking Method
  • Recipes by Course
  • Recipes by Cuisine
  • Recipes by Diet
  • Recipes by Season
  • Recipes by Holiday

Footer

↑ back to top

Contact

Work with me

Privacy Policy

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2022 Cooking Curries. All Rights Reserved.

18 shares