Make Kanda Batatyaacha Rassa – An easy, stew-like potato curry that is palate-pleasing and comforting. Scoop some up with your favorite flatbread for a classic “Roti-Sabji” meal.
You don’t need fancy ingredients, or even a lot of time, to make this simple Maharashtrian curry. With Kanda (Kaan-Daa, soft ‘d’, like ‘th’ in ‘the’) and Batata (But-aa-taa), which mean onions and potatoes in Marathi, this is a much-loved dish, always eliciting happy smiles all around. My Mom made it fairly frequently, although she didn’t particularly care for it herself…. She was one of those rare souls NOT smitten with potatoes, you see!
My Dad was not terribly fond of spice-laden foods, and he detested garlic with a passion! So, of course he was very happy when she made this simple “low-in-spice”, garlic-free Kanda Batatyaacha Rassa. As for Mom… Well, she loved spicy food and she loved garlic… Hmmm…!
It makes me smile as I remember how she would put a big spoonful of fiery hot green-chilli pickle, and maybe some Lasoon-Khobra Chutney (garlic-coconut chutney powder) as well, on her plate whenever we had this curry for dinner. I have posted her recipes for both of these tasty condiments on this blog – just click on the links below to get straight to the recipes:
- Green Chilli Pickle: Spicy green chillies pickled in seasoned lime/lemon juice
- Lasoon Khobra Chutney: Garlic and Dried Coconut Chutney powder
These are some of the fun memories that surface whenever I make this dish… I made it today, remembering Mom and Dad on their special day… they were married on this date in 1949!
Kanda Batatyaacha Rassa – Old school method
When Mom made this Rassa, she would start with the Tadka (Thud-kaa), then add the onions and potatoes. After sauteeing them for a few min, she would add water and simmer the mixture until the potatoes were tender. Then she added the seasonings along with the tomatoes and cooked it some more, adding water as needed.
Sure, it’s a super-easy recipe, and doesn’t really need much baby-sitting. However, I felt I might shorten the overall cooking time if I cooked the potatoes and onions separately, side-by-side, before mixing them together for a final simmering. Also, when you cook the onions and potatoes together, the onions tend to get mushy by the time the potatoes are done.
Then …. The mushy onions simply disappear into the curry! Personally, I’d rather the onions didn’t disappear…. I actually like to “see” the sliced onions in the curry, and quite enjoy biting into the tender, subtly sweet, cooked onions.
Mom’s Rassa Recipe – modernized!
So, here’s my strategy…. my modernized version of how Mom made it, with a classic “parallel processing” strategy to save time. My modifications are not just to make the Rassa faster, but for final dish to also have the look and texture I want. The potatoes get perfectly cooked, and so do the onions… No mushy onions disappearing into the curry!
After peeling and dicing the potatoes, I toss them with seasonings and use the microwave to cook them. I also set some water to boil in a small saucepan. Meanwhile, I slice up the onions, make the Tadka (Thud-kaa) and saute the onions for a few min. As the onions cook, I chop the tomatoes. See? Lots of “parallel processing” ideas to save you time!
I add the tomatoes and seasonings to the sauteed onions, then let it all cook together for a few min. By this time, the potatoes are cooked and ready to be added to the curry. So… In go the potatoes, along with some boiling hot water; 4-5 min of simmering to blend flavors, and… The curry is ready to serve!
Low Calorie Curry – with Several Micro-nutrients
This simple curry, fairly low in fat and overall calories, is a pretty good source of several micro-nutrients from the onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Vitamins, such as B6 and Vitamin K, minerals such as potassium and manganese, phytonutrients like quercetin, lycopene, beta-carotene, etc., …. All serve to support your well-being in numerous ways.
So, don’t let its very simplicity make you think you would be consuming “empty”calories! For a dish that adds up to less than 100 calories per serving, you get quite a lot of the nutrients your body needs – take a close look at the nutritional data I’ve provided!
Special Diets
This Kanda Batatyaacha Rassa is vegetarian, vegan, gluten free and soy-free. You can make it nut free by using nut-free oil. It doesn’t have garlic, but sure, go ahead and add a little if you like. If you do decide to add garlic, add chopped fresh garlic at the same time as you add the onions.
You could also swap out the red chilli powder and replace it with a different Masala powder for a taste-variation… I sometimes like to add Malvani Masala – its flavor is distinctly different, and a bit reminiscent of the distinctive taste of Pav Bhaaji.
So… when you crave a bit of easy-to-make comfort food, it’s time to make this easy and delicious Kanda Batatyaacha Rassa. Enjoy it with Roti, Paratha, Naan, Pita… your choice. My Dad’s favorite, actually, was to have this with fresh-baked bread – not surprising, considering how much he loved bread. Want to have it with rice instead? Sure, why not? It’s great on top of simple Jeera rice (Cumin rice) or Pulao.
By the way, if you’re concerned that this meal would be a bit low on the protein side, just have a bowl of fresh yogurt with your meal. Your gut micro-biome will be happy too!
Do leave a review and star rating… Much appreciated!
Enjoy!
Make Kanda Batatyaacha Rassa – Easy Potato Curry
Equipment
- Microwave oven preferred If not available, see Recipe Notes for stove-top prep
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups Potatoes – peeled and diced medium any variety of potatoes OK
- 1 cup Onions – sliced lengthwise (root to tip) – medium thick
- 2/3 cup Tomatoes – chopped about 1 medium-large Roma Tomato
- 2 tsp Oil I prefer peanut oil, any mild tasting edible oil OK; if you like the strong flavor of mustard oil, that's fine too – it will impart its distinctive flavor to the curry.
- 1/4 tsp Mustard seeds (black, small)
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/8 tsp Hing (asoefetida) powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt adjust later a per preference
- 1/8 tsp Turmeric
- 1/4 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Cayenne) adjust later as per spiciness preferred
- 1 1/2 cups Water adjust as needed to get the curry consistency preferred
Seasonings for potatoes
- 1/8 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Cayenne) adjust as per spiciness preferred
- 1/16 tsp Turmeric
- 1/8 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Oil I prefer peanut oil; any mild tasting edible oil OK
Garish
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander leaves – (Cilantro) – washed and chopped Wash thoroughly to remove any grit/sand sticking to leaves/stems
Instructions
Prep and cook the potatoes
- Peel and dice the potatoes.
- Transfer to a microwave safe glass/ceramic dinner plate and add the salt, turmeric and red chilli powder.Note: Check Recipe Notes for alternative directions for cooking potatoes in a pressure cooker or in a saucepan on the stove-top.
- Use a spoon and fork to mix the seasonings with the potatoes.
- Cover the plate, microwave first 3 min on Hi, then 5 min on 50% power.
- Splash about 2-3 tbsp water on the partly cooked potatoes, then cover and microwave on Hi for 3 min. The potatoes should become easily "mashed" when poked and pressed lightly with a fork. If they are still too firm, microwave on Hi for an additional 2-3 min.
Prepare the curry
- While the potatoes cook, start making the curry: Place about 3 cups of water in a saucepan and set to boil on low-medium heat.Peel and slice the onions – not too thin – about 1/8 inch (2-3 mm) thick
- Make Tadka: Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan for 30-40 seconds on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, and cover immediately to catch the splatter as the seeds pop. Decrease the heat and add cumin seeds and Hing.
- Add the sliced onions and saute for 3-5 min on medium heat, until the onions turn translucent and the edges just start turning brown.
- While the onions cook in the Tadka, wash and chop the tomatoes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes to the onions, then add the seasonings: turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.
- Stir, add 1/2 cup hot water (from the saucepan), cover and simmer for 2-3 min
Add the cooked potatoes
- Add the cooked potatoes to the curry;
- Add 1/2 cup hot water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 2-3 min.
- Remove about 2-3 tbsp of the potatoes from the curry to a plate and mash coarsely with a fork or the back of a spoon.
- Transfer the mashed potatoes back to the curry.
- Add a little hot water, about 1/2 cup, cover and simmer for a couple of min to blend textures and flavors.
- While the curry simmers, wash and chop the fresh coriander leaves (cilantro).
- Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro). Serve hot, with your favorite flatbread, some spicy pickles, sliced carrots, Papad,….. for a tasty and satisfying meal.Enjoy!
Notes
No Microwave? No worries…
Follow one of the following methods for cooking the potatoes: Pressure cooker:- Add water to the pressure cooker pot – about 1 1/2 – 2 cups.
- Place a rack inside the pot – this helps raise the insert container above the water.
- Place the seasoned potatoes in a pressure cooker insert, or a stainless steel bowl that fits inside the pressure cooker pot.
- Add about 2 tbsp water to the potatoes.
- Place the container on the rack inside the cooker.
- Close the lid and pressure cook 4-6 min. Release pressure naturally for about 10 min, then gently force-release remaining pressure,
- Caution:
- Be careful : Keep your hands/fingers out of the path of the hot steam that escapes during forced-release of pressure.
- Caution:
- Use the cooked potatoes as directed in main recipe.
- Add 2 cups water to a small-medium saucepan (1 quart/1 liter) and bring to a boil.
- Add peeled and diced potatoes to the water, cover and simmer 10 min.
- Add salt, turmeric and red chilli powder (cayenne) and continue to cook for 3-5 min on low heat until potatoes are fork-tender, but not mushy.
- Note: If it looks dry and might burn, add 1/2 cup of hot water.
- Use the cooked potatoes as directed in main recipe.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover potato curry in a glass/ceramic container with a well-fitting lid. I do not recommend using plastic containers for this curry. Refrigerator:- Consume within 1-2 days.
- Reheat in microwave or stove-top until the curry comes to a boil. Add a little water if it looks too thick.
- Good for 2-3 weeks, maybe longer.
- To reheat:
- Thaw in the microwave on defrost setting (30% power) for about 3-5 min, until ice crystals have melted.Â
- Splash a little water, cover and microwave on high until the curry is boiling hot.
- Continue to heat on 40-50% power for 4-6 min or longer – you can also do this on the stove-top in a heavy bottom saucepan
- Note:
- Frozen potatoes need to simmer in gently boiling liquid for several minutes to restore their texture.Â
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