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Indian

Maharashtrian Upwas Ratali Salad

Ratali salad dresses boiled sweet potato with peanuts and pomegranate, eaten on fasting days.

Published and reviewed by Kitchgrow on 6 September 2026Updated

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Maharashtrian Upwas Ratali Salad

25 mintotal

Prep 10 min · Cook 15 min

Serves
2
Difficulty
Easy
Spice
Mild
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Ingredients

Quantities are for 2 servings.

You'll need: Stovetop.

Twenty-five minutes, most of it boiling and cooling the sweet potato. That can be done a day ahead.

Method

  1. Boil the sweet potatoes until they are fork-tender but not mushy. Over-boiling will ruin the salad texture. Peel and cut them into neat, bite-sized cubes.

  2. In a mixing bowl, combine the diced sweet potatoes and the vibrant pomegranate seeds.

  3. Add the roughly crushed roasted groundnuts. These add the essential crunch that balances the softness of the sweet potato.

  4. Toss in the finely chopped green chilli and fresh coriander leaves.

  5. Sprinkle fasting salt (Sendha Namak) and squeeze the fresh lemon juice over the top. Toss gently to combine without breaking the sweet potatoes.

How to tell it's done

Dense, naturally sweet, and buttery potatoes lifted by the intense crunch of roasted peanuts.

Getting it right

Tip

If you want a slight caramelization, you can briefly pan-fry the boiled sweet potato cubes in a little ghee before adding them to the salad.

What to serve it with

A fulfilling, energy-dense salad perfect for Navratri or Ekadashi fasting days.

Common mistakes

The sweet potato breaks into a mash as you toss.
Boil it until a fork goes in with slight resistance, not until it slides in freely, and let it cool completely before cutting. Warm sweet potato collapses under a spoon.
The salad tastes flat and sweet.
The lemon and green chilli are what balance the sweet potato. Add them at the end and taste — this salad needs noticeably more acid than it looks like it should.

Substitutions

  • Boiled potato works in place of sweet potato where a fast is not the reason for the dish.
  • Ordinary salt replaces the sendha namak outside a fasting context.

Storing and reheating

Best within a few hours. Boiled sweet potato keeps two days in the fridge unpeeled. Once dressed, the pomegranate bleeds and the peanuts soften, so assemble close to serving.