Name: Maharashtrian Batata Rassa
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 2 Potato, batata, raw, peeled and cubed; ½ Onion, finely chopped; ½ Tomato, finely chopped; 2½ clove Garlic, crushed into paste; ¼ inch Ginger, grated; ¼ tsp Mustard Seeds; ¼ tsp Cumin Seeds; ⅛ tsp Asafoetida, hing; 5 Curry Leaves; ¾ tbsp Kanda Lasun Masala, or Goda Masala + Red Chilli Powder; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; 1 tbsp Peanuts, roasted and powdered (danyacha kut), for thickening; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil, groundnut oil preferred; ½ tsp Salt, to taste; 1¼ cup Water, hot; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

40 mintotal

30 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 20 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Spicy

Add to your week

Method

Heat groundnut oil in a deep pan or kadhai on medium heat.
Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing), and curry leaves.
Add the finely chopped onions. Sauté until they turn golden brown.
Add the crushed garlic and ginger paste. Fry for 1 minute to remove the raw smell.
1 min
Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, and Kanda Lasun Masala. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and oil releases from the edges.
Add the raw potato cubes. Sauté for 2-3 minutes in the spicy masala base.
2–3 min
Pour in the measured hot water and add salt. The gravy (rassa) should be quite thin at this stage.
Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and simmer on medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes until the potatoes are completely cooked.
12–15 min
Once the potatoes are tender, lightly mash a few pieces of potato against the side of the pan to naturally release starch. Stir in the roasted groundnut powder (danyacha kut).
Simmer uncovered for 2 more minutes. The groundnut powder and mashed potatoes will magically thicken the broth into a rich, cohesive gravy.
Turn off the heat, garnish heavily with fresh coriander, and serve.

How to tell it's done

Soft, heavily spiced potato cubes swimming in a fiery red, thin, and deeply savory groundnut-infused broth.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

277kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein6.6 g9%
Carbohydrate43.8 g61%
Fat9.5 g30%

Sugars: 4.1 g
Saturated fat: 1.4 g
Fibre: 6 g
Sodium: 603 mg
Potassium: 1090 mg
Calcium: 65 mg
Iron: 2.6 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Adding hot water instead of cold water ensures the cooking process of the potatoes doesn't stop, resulting in a perfectly blended 'Rassa' where the oil floats beautifully on top.

What to serve it with

A staple weekday dinner in Maharashtra. Especially good with hot jowar bhakri, or poured over plain steamed rice.

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Ingredients