Aloo ko achar is a popular Instant pickle from Nepali cuisine. Potatoes and peas tossed in mustard oil and fenugreek tadka is an Nepali Recipe of Potato curry. An easy and simple Nepalese recipe. This instant potato pickle or achar served as a side dish in ‘bhoj’ that is a ceremonial feast. This is also known as Nepali Aloo Sabzi or Aloo sadeko.
I have been to Nepal but did not get the chance to try their local cuisine exhaustively because it’s been a very short visit. As a neighbouring country, Nepali food has a lot of resemblance with to the Indian cuisine.
The ingredients and spices are same and easily found on both sides of the border. The only difference is the ratio of spices and the method of cooking. As for this achar or pickle, it resembles the Indian instant aloo ka achar with a few regional variations.
Aloo ko achar is primarily served in the ceremonial feasts called bhoj. It is also one of the basic sides which can be eaten in everyday meals with the Nepali staple ‘dal-bhat-tarkari.’
Just as we have ‘dal chawal’ and instant ‘mirch ka achar’( chilli pickle), the Nepalese enjoy this addictive, tangy aloo ko achar. It is also served with chewra or poha (pressed rice flakes), sel-roti (fried rice bread) and Poori for snack time with tea.
I personally love either Omelette or paratha with aloo ko achar in breakfast with a hot cup of ginger masala tea. I know it’s very very rich in calories, so we do not indulge very often, but whenever I make this, believe me, its fastest moving dish on the table.
Aloo or potato is something that everybody loves, or maybe my family is crazy. Please please tell me you all need more potato recipes, it will give me excuse to indulge more too :D. In case you love spuds and want to try more Indian potato recipes, you can try these Sesame Masala Potato, Aloo Tamatar Sabzi, Aloo Gobhi.
There are so many potato recipes on the blog, I have lost count. I guess that also has something to do with the age! Losing count 😀
It is best to have a filling first meal of the day with a light lunch finishing with lighter dinner. A new research shows that eating high energy breakfast and a low energy dinner result in better blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.
Aloo ko achar recipe has a large amount of oil because it is a Himalayan cuisine. People living in the hills need oily, fiery food to generate enough heat and moisture in their bodies. If you hail from the plains Aloo ka achaar can make a small portion small portion and not like a sabzi.
Pair it with healthy stuffed parathas like dal and methi ka paratha, gobi paratha, methi paratha, chana dal and amritsari Vadi paratha, or chane ke saag ka paratha.
If you are a paratha fan like me but still sceptical if having paratha is healthy or not; have a look at my post on is paratha healthy for breakfast?
There are many variations to this authentic and robust aloo ko achar recipe. It entirely depends on your taste and availability of ingredients. Enjoy it in its raw flavours, either way, you can have aloo ko achar as a wholesome potato and green pea tongue tingling salad with some additional veggies like sliced cucumber, carrots, radish or onions.
Nepali Aloo ko achar Recipe Notes
- Grinding mustard seeds and sesame seeds in mortar and pestles gives good results.
- You can grind it in an electronic grinder too but make sure that it should be coarsely ground and not as a fine powder.
- You can even add a pinch of asafoetida (hing) if you like the flavour. I do sometimes but Authentic Nepali Aloo ko Achar recipe does not have hing.
- Boil Potatoes in salted water for the best taste.
- Do not use undercooked or overcooked potatoes as we do not want raw potatoes or mushy potatoes here.
- You can reduce the amount of mustard oil if you wish to, actually in this recipe also I have reduced it from a half cup to 4 Tablespoons.
Watch Nepali Aloo Achar / Nepali Aloo Sabzi Video
Enjoy such authentic recipes from all over the world. Find more pickles like Stuffed lal mirch ka achar, aam ka achar, nimbu Hari mirch achar, and instant balsamic roasted stuffed chilli peppers on MTC. This recipe of aloo ko achar is an under 20 minutes recipe if you have boiled potatoes in the fridge. A Perfect recipe for lunch box meal or breakfast.
Method
The first step to making Nepali Aloo Achar is by making the masala for the recipe. Take coriander seeds, and cumin seeds, and add them in a mortar.
Then add ginger in it. Now, with a pestle grind the ingredients.
Make a coarse paste, take it out in a bowl and keep it aside.
Boil potatoes, peel off their skin and keep them on a wooden board. Now, cut the boiled potatoes into cubes and put them in a shallow dish. Add boiled peas in the bowl.
After the peas add poppy and mustard powder, chopped green chili, salt, red chili powder, and the coarsely ground spices (coriander, cumin, and ginger) from the mortar to the potatoes. Mix them well and keep them aside.
Now, heat about 4 tablespoons of mustard oil in a pan, keep the heat to medium till it starts to smoke a little. This way you will remove the pungent raw taste of the oil. When the oil is hot switch off the heat and adds fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder in it.
Stir it and pour this hot oil tempering over the bowl of potatoes and spices.
Mix thoroughly tossing the seasoning (tadka) with the potatoes.
Squeeze a lemon and toss it again. Top it with some chopped coriander leaves and serve.
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Other Potato Recipes You Might Like to Try
- Aloo Katli
- Aloo Jeera/Cumin Potato
- Masala Aloo
- Bombay Masala Aloo
- Chutney wale Aloo
Also, if you love spuds like we do here, there is a master list of 10 Easy and quick Potato Recipes too
If you love dry aloo sabji or spicy potato dishes you may like to try
📖 Recipe
Nepali Aloo ko Achar - Aloo Sabzi
Ingredients
- 1.5 teaspoon Coriander seeds sabut dhania
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds jeera
- 1.5 tablespoon ginger
- 300 grams potatoes boiled
- 75 grams green peas boiled
- 2 green chillies chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame safed til powder
- 1 teaspoon yellow mustard powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 4 tablespoons mustard oil
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi
- ½ teaspoon haldi powder
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Coarsely grind coriander seeds, cumin seeds and ginger in a mortar and pestle. Keep it aside.
- Cut the boiled potatoes into cubes and put them in a shallow dish, add in the green peas.
- Sprinkle the sesame seed powder and yellow mustard powder in the potato.
- Add chopped green chillies, salt, red chilli powder, and the coarsely ground spices (coriander, cumin, and ginger)from the mortar to the potatoes.
- Take a pan and heat about 4 tablespoons of mustard oil till it starts to smoke a little. Cooking or heating the mustard oil will remove the pungent raw taste it has.
- Switch off the heat and add ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder to the oil.
- Pour this hot oil tempering over the bowl of potatoes and spices and mix thoroughly tossing the seasoning (tadka) with the potatoes.
- Squeeze a lemon and toss it again.
- Serve it with paratha and chai.
shweta
I am a fan of paratha and pickles! I am surely making this .
Rekha Kakkar
Try it 🙂 it’s super easy and tastes very good!
Ahaan
Achar can be made from aloo too! Never heard about this. Would definitely try this!
Rekha Kakkar
Yes 🙂 And this one is super quick and tasty too 🙂 Do share your feedback if you try it.
Afshin
i do it every day. I love it! Sometimes i put red onion inside.