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At my home, a bowl of comforting khichdi was always accompanied by a side of aloo chokha which was basically mashed potatoes with onions, chilies and some achar ka masala. My brothers would often request my mom to make aloo paratha out of that aloo chokha. It’s such an easy to make side dish, probably takes less than 10 minutes to make if you have boiled potatoes ready to go.
The main flavor of this dish comes from the use of mustard oil and achar (pickle) masala. My mom would always use my nani’s homemade achar ka masala and it would make the chokha tangy, and spicy. It’s great with khichdi or as a side with dal-rice.
The word bharta and chokha basically mean the same, where a vegetable is cooked and then mashed with spices, just like in baingan bharta. My nani would always call it chokha, and out of all the chokha that we made at home, this aloo chokha was probably the one that was made most frequently.
Some people also add tomatoes to this chokha, for that that roast the tomatoes on direct heat until charred, remove the skin and then add it to the chokha. But in my home, we made a very basic version and that’s the aloo chokha recipe that I am sharing with you today.
Authentic Aloo Chokha
- Boil & roughly mash potatoes
You can boil the potatoes using a pressure cooker or open pan or microwave. Boil them until they are very tender. I like using Yukon gold potatoes and boil them in a pan until done. Then mash them using a potato masher.
- Add all the other ingredients for the chokha
The flavor of this aloo chokha comes onion, mustard oil, chilies, cilantro and pickle masala. You can adjust everything to taste! Want more spice? Add extra chilies, prefer more tang? Add more of the achar masala, so it’s very easily customizable. And that’s it! Enjoy this chokha with a side of khichdi or dal rice.
Which achar masala to use?
At home, we would use homemade lal mirch ke achar ka masala (red chili pickle masala) for this chokha. Now, that I don’t have access to it, I used the masala from store-bought pickles. You the masala from your favorite achar! The goal is to give chokha that achari flavor.
Aloo Chokha (Easy Authentic Recipe)
Ingredients
- 500 grams potatoes I used yukon gold potatoes
- 1 small red onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1-2 green chilies finely chopped
- 1 & ¼ teaspoon mustard oil
- 1 & ½ teaspoon achar masala use the achar masala from your favorite achar (pickle)
- 2-3 tablespoons cilantro finely chopped
Instructions
- Wash 500 gram potatoes and then cut them in half, add them to a pot and then fill the pot with water. Boil on a stove-top on medium-high heat until potatoes are soft and complete cooked. This takes around 20 minutes on stove-top. You can also do this step in a pressure cooker or using a microwave.
- Drain the water and let the potatoes cool slightly and then remove the potato skin. Transfer them to a large bowl and mash them using a potato masher.
- Now, to the bowl add 1 small red onion (chopped), ½ teaspoon salt, 1-2 green chilies, 1 & ¼ teaspoon mustard oil, 1 & ½ teaspoon achar masala, and 2-3 tablespoons cilantro (chopped). Mix and mash everything together using a fork or potato masher. Aloo chokha is ready! Taste test and adjust salt/spice levels as needed.
Notes
- The achar masala already has salt in it so add salt accordingly.
- Mustard oil has a strong flavor and aroma, but it is a key ingredients here, so do not replace it with any other oil for that authentic taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These home recipes are the best! I love the stories that go along with them.
What store-bought achar ka masala is your favorite?
I use Deep mixed achar masala here!
Good to know! Thanks.