Aloo Achar: Kamala’s Potato Salad
By Priya Pradhan
Picnics have been synonymous with all my childhood memories — from potluck parties to picturesque picnic spreads with my parents. I can recall countless afternoons spent lounging on chequered blankets, surrounded by baskets and coolers filled with delightful treats, and close company to bring it all together.
When I was younger and my parents were still graduate students, my family lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Our cozy community, part of a university housing neighborhood, was made up of many other international families. Every month, we’d all come together to have a potluck picnic, brimming with diverse and delectable dishes from cuisines around the world.
One of the most popular and savoured dishes was my grandmother, Kamala’s, aloo achaar, which is a traditional Nepali potato salad. Without fail, her serving dish would be completely empty and wiped clean, not even half-way through our picnics. The zing of schezuan pepper combined with the roasted aroma of the sesame and heat of the chili, all infused into the comfort of potatoes, make this dish a spectacular sensory experience. It’s undoubtedly a necessary addition to any picnic, so go ahead and try it out!
Photo by Priya Pradhan
Ingredients
8- 10 small-sized potatoes, use waxy potatoes for the best result
3 tablespoons mustard oil
½ cup finely chopped fresh green cilantro
½ cup sesame seeds, brown sesame seeds preferred
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tsp fenugreek seeds (methi)
½ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp Szechuan pepper (timur)
Water
Fresh green chilies, add depending on your spice tolerance
Salt, to taste
Optional ingredients:
Thinly sliced carrots, radish, cucumber, or ½ cup peas
If adding cucumber, marinate with salt to draw out the water for about 10 minutes. Drain the water out before adding it to the potatoes.
Instructions
Bring water to boil in a large pot. Season with salt and add in unpeeled potatoes. Boil until the potatoes are tender, around 20 minutes.
Peel and dice boiled potatoes into bite-sized, one-inch cubes and set aside.
Optional: Add in water-drained cucumbers, radish, or carrots at this step.
Dry roast sesame seeds and Szechuan pepper on a pan until aromatic or sesame turns a nice toasted brown shade, around 3 minutes. Grind roasted sesame seeds in a spice mixer or using a mortar and pestle.
To the potatoes, add salt, chili powder, cilantro, sesame seed powder, and lime juice. Also, add ½ cup of water and mix until well combined.
Heat the mustard oil, add in fenugreek seeds and leave in hot oil until blackened. Remove from the heat, add turmeric powder into the hot oil and pour hot oil over the potatoes. Savour the sizzle, but be careful with the hot oil!
Toss the potatoes until each piece is well coated. If the achaar looks dry add a tablespoon or two of water and mix again.
Set aside the salad for around 30 minutes at room temperature to allow the potatoes to absorb all the delicious seasoning!