A super delish recipe for navratri fasting with no onion and garlic which can be made in under 20 minutes. Potatoes are cooked in a tangy yogurt gravy and seasoned with spices!!!
And the festival season begins! I am super excited and everything suddenly seems brighter and more beautiful. The festivities begin with Navratri which literally translates to Nav meaning nine, Ratri meaning night, nine nights of worshiping Goddess Durga. Many people observe fast during this time and break it on ashtami (eighth day) or navmi after kanjak poojan.
Falahari or fasting food is mostly simple yet yummy mostly consisting of fruits, vegetables, nuts, milk, yogurt, etc. Potato dishes are undoubtedly one of the most popular things to eat during navratri fasting simply because of its versatility, taste, and ease of cooking.
Though I must confess that among all, dahi aloo is my absolute favorite. There is barely any prep work needed. Hard to believe but the addition of just a few spices and yogurt gives a delicious spin to this everyday potato curry. Trust me it's one of those things that can be enjoyed any time or day of the year. This one checks all those boxes. It's a no onion no garlic recipe. Different families follow different sets of rules about what and what not to eat during navratri fasting. So follow what's right for you.
Enjoy dahi aloo with rajgeera puri, singhada cheela, or vrat ke chawal!!!
Ingredients
- 3 medium potatoes, washed, peeled, and cubed
- 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
- 2 green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 cup yogurt (curd), whisked
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ tablespoon fennel powder
- ½ teaspoon dry ginger powder (saunth)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1.5 cups water, divided
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (coriander), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
- 1 teaspoon rock salt (sendha namak)
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Whisk yogurt and keep it aside. Make sure it is at room temperature.
- Turn Instant Pot to SAUTÉ mode. Once it displays HOT, add ghee/oil.
- Add cumin seeds and let them pop for about 30 seconds.
- Stir in grated ginger and chilies. Sauté for a minute or so.
- Now, add potatoes. Cook for about a minute.
- Mix in all the spices except rock salt or sendha namak - chili powder, ground cumin, turmeric, fennel powder, and dry ginger powder. Give it all a good toss so that the potatoes are nicely coated with spices.
- Pour 1.25 cups water and stir.
- Close the lid. Cancel Sauté mode. Change the setting to PRESSURE COOK or MANUAL mode at High for 3 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot beeps, do a quick pressure release.
- Open the lid and pour the rest of the water (¼ cup).
- Now gradually start adding the yogurt. Keep stirring continuously while doing so.
- Turn on the SAUTÉ mode again at Low. Add rock salt and let the gravy come to a simmer. Turn off the heat.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with rajgeera puri, singhada cheela, or vrat ke chawal!!!
Stovetop
- For traditional pressure cookers, follow above instructions till step 7.
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
- Let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the lid and add about half a cup of water.
- Now gradually start adding the yogurt. Keep stirring continuously while doing so.
- Turn on the heat at low. Add rock salt and let the gravy come to a simmer.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with rajgeera puri, singhada cheela, or vrat ke chawal!!!
Recipe Notes
- Based on the traditions you follow, feel free to skip the ingredients you don't use during navratri fasting.
- Make sure to stir continuously while pouring yogurt, so that it doesn't curdle.
- Stir in salt after adding yogurt.
- Dahi aloo might look watery to begin with, but it thickens with time.
- This recipe is moderately spicy but skip green chilies for a milder curry.
