Indian Roasted Potatoes – kaara curry in a sheet pan

April 10, 2021 (Last Updated: August 5, 2021)

These indian roasted potatoes have familiar flavours reminiscent of a south indian potato kaara curry. They are ideal for a party because it is only one sheet pan to wash. You can vary the spices, the fat and make a whole new version of potato curry. If olive oil and garlic can be used with rosemary, why not sesame oil with ajwain?!

What is in these potatoes?

These roasted potatoes include only a handful of ingredients, essentially same as your favourite potato kaara curry!

Potatoes
oil of choice, ( I recommend a mix of sesame/coconut and a neutral oil like vegetable oil)
spices of choice like red chilli, turmeric and the mandatory hing!
spices for tadka like mustard, urad and ajwain. I love adding garlic too
fresh curry leaves and coriander for garnish

look at that texture – crisp on the outside, soft on the inside

Can I make these roasted potatoes without a microwave?

Parboil the potatoes in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles or in a open pot until fork tender.

I recommend parboiling them in an open pot over a pressure cooker because it is essential to not have mushy potatoes before it goes into the oven.

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5 from 1 vote

Kaara Curry Roast – South Indian Oven Roasted Potatoes

Skip the pan and roast these magical potatoes in a sheet pan. It is one of my favourites to have with sambar and rasam rice.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword 30 minute meals, oven roasted, potatoes, sheet pan, side dish

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Servings 2

Ingredients

For roasting

4 potatoes medium sized
2 tsp oil i use vegetable oil
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp hing
salt

For tadka/thalipu

1 tbsp oil i use sesame or coconut oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 tsp ajwain or cumin
2 cloves garlic
curry leaves, coriander leaves or mint leaves

Instructions

Preparing the potatoes

Peel and chop potatoes into wedges. Place in a microwave safe bowl and cover with a cling film or a microwave splatter lid. Microwave in high for 4 minutes.
Toss them in 2 tsp oil ( i use vegetable oil), chilli, turmeric, hing, and salt. Ensure all pieces are evenly coated.

Roasting the potatoes

Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and layer the potatoes in a single file
Bake at 220C for 20 – 25 minutes. Toss them around halfway through once.

Making a tadka

To a small wok, heat 1 tsp oil ( i use sesame/coconut oil) and add mustard, urad, ajwain/cumin and garlic to roast till mustard pops and garlic mildly browns
Add to the roasted potatoes and mix lightly. Add herbs for garnish

Notes

Garlic is optional, but I love the flavour of ajwain and mint in this recipe.
Add a pinch of baking soda if boiling in an open pot. It makes the potatoes really soft, gives rough crevices on sides and gives the most amazing roast potatoes. This tip is from the book Masala Lab.

What I love about this recipe is how handsfree it is! Toss these potatoes into the oven while the rest of cooking gets done and just add the tadka before serving.

If you like this recipe, you will love my recipe for a Roasted Cauliflower Salad

This recipe was first shared on my Instagram in October, 2019

Please leave a comment below if you made this recipe, have any questions or thoughts! Your comment will help me learn more about what your preferences and other readers.