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    Home Âť Indian Sides and Subzi

    Potato Pepper Fry

    Published: Apr 23, 2022 by Richa 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe

    A simple yet flavorful South Indian Potato Pepper Stir-fry which is super addictive with loads of black pepper and a simple tempering /tadka. Serve this easy vegan dish with Dals or sambar and rice or flatbreads or dosa. Or just eat up as is! So good. Gluten-free! 

    a plate with South Indian Potato Pepper Fry sprinkled with cilantro

    Oftentimes when sitting down to dinner we wish there was a more exciting, more zesty side dish to go with our main.
    Enter this South Indian potato pepper stir-fry! If potatoes are your thing and you have run out of new exciting ways of making them in a manner that is simple and not overly time-consuming, this recipe is for you!

    Pan-fried potatoes with a South-Indian twist that should interest you.

    overhead shot of a pan with pan-fried potatoes and onion sprinkled with cilantro

    What lends this potato fry its special flavor are curry leaves, red onion, black pepper and mustard seeds. Mustard seeds are widely used in Indian cooking, and when roasted in hot oil, infuse the oil with a delicious flavor. To learn how to roast mustard seeds, follow my Indian cooking series on my tik tok or Instagram!

    When cooking with them they are added at the start of the dish and fried until they being to pop and release their unique flavour and add a nutty taste to the dish.

    a frying pan with potatoes sprinkled with cilantro

    More potato dishes:

    • Crispy spiced potatoes
    • Bombay potatoes and peas
    • Potato spinach stir fry  
    • Jo Jo Potatoes
    • Spicy Maple Mustard Tofu Bowl with Sweet Potatoes
    • Easy Roasted Breakfast Potatoes (Vegan)
    • Vegan Scalloped Potatoes

    Print Recipe
    5 from 6 votes

    Potato Pepper Fry

    A simple yet flavorful South Indian Potato Pepper Stir-fry which is super addictive with loads of black pepper and a simple tempering /tadka. Serve this easy vegan dish with Dals or sambar and rice or flatbreads or dosa. Or just eat up as is! So good! Glutenfree nutfree Soyfree
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Side
    Cuisine: Indian
    Keyword: black pepper potatoes, potato pepper stirfry, south indian potato
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 188kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    For the potatoes:

    • 3 cups (450 g) quartered baby potatoes or 3 cups of cubed potatoes about 1 inch size cubes
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes

    For the tempering:

    • 2 teaspoons oil
    • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
    • 1 cups (160 g) of thinly sliced red onion 1 to 1.5 cups
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 10 curry leaves
    • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    • 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes or use 2 dried red chilis
    • 1/4 teaspoon salt
    • cilantro and lemon juice for garnish

    Instructions

    • Boil the potatoes: Heat a large saucepan of water over medium high heat. Add the salt, turmeric, and pepper flakes and then add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until the potatoes are cooked to preference(9-12 Mins) You don't want the potatoes too soft but you want them cooked through. Drain the potatoes and set aside.
    • Make your tempering: Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium to large skillet
    • Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to start popping.
    • Then add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onions are starting to get golden. (7-10mins, depends on your pan and stove)
    • Then add the garlic, curry leaves, and mix in and cook until the garlic is golden. 1-2 mins. Add splashes of water if the mixture is drying out too much.
    • Then add in your freshly ground black pepper and pepper flakes or red chilis and the rest of the salt and mix in.
    • Cook for half a minute then add the potatoes and toss well to coat.
    • Cover and Cook for another 2 minutes to crisp them up then take off heat. Garnish with cilantros and lemon juice.
      Serve these potatoes with Dals or sambar and rice or flatbreads or dosa or with breakfast.

    Video

    Notes

    • Curry leaves are often sold frozen in your Indian or Asian grocery store. They are also sold dried but if you can get fresh that would be best

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Potato Pepper Fry
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 188 Calories from Fat 18
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 2g3%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Sodium 675mg29%
    Potassium 838mg24%
    Carbohydrates 38g13%
    Fiber 6g25%
    Sugar 6g7%
    Protein 5g10%
    Vitamin A 183IU4%
    Vitamin C 90mg109%
    Calcium 60mg6%
    Iron 2mg11%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    Ingredients:

    •  small potatoes – use Yukon or Russet
    • turmeric lends a gorgeous color to this dish
    •  pepper flakes and black pepper add some heat
    • For the tempering, we fry mustard seeds along with sliced red onion, garlic, curry leaves and freshly ground black pepper
      as well as dried red chilis
    • cilantro and lemon juice are added as a garnish

    Tips:

    • Make sure to stir fry the potatoes till they are browned.
    • Curry leaves are often sold frozen in your Indian or Asian grocery store. They are also sold dried but if you can get fresh that would be best
    • Cannot find curry leaves?add bay leaf and add some lemon or lime zest to the dish. It will not be the same but it will lend a nice flavor to the dish.

    ingredients for making South Indian Potato Pepper Stir-fry

    How to make South Indian Potato Pepper Fry

     

    potatoes boiling in water

    Boil the potatoes: Heat a large saucepan of water over medium high heat.

    turmeric, black pepper and red pepper flakes in a pot

    Add the salt, turmeric, and pepper flakes and then add the potatoes and bring to a boil. Continue to cook until the potatoes are cooked to preference.

    You don’t want the potatoes too soft but you want them cooked through. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

    a glass bowl with boiled potatoes

    Make your tempering: Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium to large skillet

    Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and wait for them to start popping.


    mustard seeds being added to a frying pan with hot oil

    Then add the onion and a good pinch of salt and cook until the onions are starting to get golden.

    onions being added to frying pan with mustard seeds

    golden brown sauteed onions in a white pan

    Then add the garlic, curry leaves, and mix in and cook until the garlic is golden. Add splashes of water if the mixture is drying out too much.

    garlic and curry leaves being added to browned onions

    Then add in your freshly ground black pepper and pepper flakes or red chilis and the rest of the salt and mix in.

    fried onion and garlic in a sauteeing pan

    boiled potatoes being added to sauteeing pan with fried onions and tempering

    Cook for half a minute then add the potatoes and toss well to coat.

    Cover and Cook for another 2 minutes to crisp them up then take off heat. Garnish with cilantros and lemon juice and serve.

    Serve these potatoes with Dals or sambar and rice or flatbreads or dosa or with breakfast.

    onion and red potato stir-fry

    Storage:

    Cooked potatoes and other cooked vegetables can be safely kept in the refrigerator 3 to 4 days.

    close-up of a bowl of Indian potato pepper stir-fry with mustard seeds and curry leaves

     

     

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    1. Mark

      March 26, 2023 at 10:57 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful use of a potato!
      I had something similar that is as simple and delicious in Sri Lanka that used flat parsley and another in Tunisia with capers and green olives. Slight variations, but all hymns to the Supreme Ingredient!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        March 27, 2023 at 6:37 pm

        thank you!

        Reply
    2. Candy

      May 08, 2022 at 1:39 pm

      5 stars
      Easy enough for an evening meal, tasty! And quick! Very much appreciate Richa’s recipes-just can’t keep up with her!

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 08, 2022 at 9:35 pm

        Awesome

        Reply
    3. Harshini

      April 29, 2022 at 7:54 am

      This recipe sounds delicious. I would suggest people use natural ingredients than artificial ones, that would be best, right?

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        May 01, 2022 at 1:28 pm

        you bet

        Reply
    4. Joy Elkayam

      April 24, 2022 at 1:38 pm

      Hi! This looks delicious. Can you swap sweet potatoes instead of white? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        April 26, 2022 at 8:29 am

        Absolutely 🥔 !

        Reply
    5. Shawna

      April 23, 2022 at 6:40 am

      Can you please provide approximate cooking times? “To preference” and “until golden” are a little too ambiguous for novice cooks like myself.

      Reply
      • Richa

        April 23, 2022 at 9:02 am

        I usually do. Added in the steps

        Reply

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