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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:

Potato Pepper Fry

5 from 6 votes
By: Vegan Richa
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Course: Side
Cuisine: Indian
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
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Ingredients 
 

For the potatoes:

  • 3 cups 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 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

Calories: 188kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 675mg, Potassium: 838mg, Fiber: 6g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 183IU, Vitamin C: 90mg, Calcium: 60mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe? Rate and comment below!

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

 

 

About Richa

Hi, I'm Richa! I create flavorful plant based recipes that are inspired by my Indian upbringing, including many gluten-free, soy-free, and oil-free options.

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5 from 6 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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12 Comments

  1. Karen says:

    This looks so delicious! I know it wouldn’t be as tasty, but is it possible to do the “tempering” without oil?

    1. Richa says:

      Yes, dry toast the mustard seeds then add broth to cook the curry leaves onions etc and proceed

  2. Mark says:

    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!

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      thank you!

  3. Candy says:

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

    1. Richa says:

      Awesome

  4. Harshini says:

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

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      you bet

  5. Joy Elkayam says:

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

    1. Vegan Richa Support says:

      Absolutely 🥔 !

  6. Shawna says:

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

    1. Richa says:

      I usually do. Added in the steps