Potato Podimas, Urulai Podimas or Urulai Kizhangu Podimas is a delicious No Onion No Garlic South Indian vegetarian side made with potatoes, turmeric, spices and served as side with chapati or sambar and rasam rice.
Think of Potato Podimas as South Indian Mashed Potatoes. It's comfort food, easy to make and absolutely irresistible.
Unlike the traditional mashed potatoes, this has No butter, No Cream, No Milk making it perfect to consume for vegetarians and vegans alike.
I learnt making the best Potato Podimas from my mother and needless to say, this is her recipe. It's a childhood favorite!
The ingredients are easily available in a South Indian pantry. Read the recipe notes to customize the recipe / cook with available ingredients.
Some of our Potato Recipes include South Indian Potato Roast, Air Fryer French Fries, Roasted Potatoes and Smashed Potatoes.
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About Potato Podimas
Podimas refers to the process where boiled potatoes are mashed (read crumbled) lightly using a potato masher or the back of a ladle.
The mashed potatoes are then cooked with lentils, turmeric, ginger, chilies and curry leaves.
Unlike the famous Mashed Potatoes of the US, this recipe does not contain cream, butter or milk. It is Vegan and can be easily made Gluten Free, if you skip hing or asafetida.
This Potato Podimas is made in true Tamil Brahmin Style (a community that primarily eats vegetarian food and also refrains from consuming Onion and Garlic on certain days in a week/month).
It can be served with Chapati or Roti, Rice, Bread, Stuffed in a dosa etc. It's quite versatile.
How to make Potato Podimas
(1) Lightly mash the boiled and cubed potatoes using potato masher, back of a ladle or fork. Ensure you do not mash the potatoes completely (refer pic below).
(2) Heat a pan, add oil, mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, whole red chillies.
(3) Once the mustard crackles, add haldi powder or turmeric, green chilies, ginger, curry leaves and hing or asafoetida.
(4) Now add the lightly crumbled potatoes along with some salt to taste.
(5) Mix well and cook for sometime (without covering) on low heat until the potato is coated with spices.
(6) Switch off the heat and serve with Kuzhambu or Sambar, Rasam.
Serving Suggestion
Can be served as Side with Sambar, Rasam and Rice or cooked millets.
Pairs well with Poori, Dosa and Uttapam.
Ideas to use leftover potato podimas
Potato Podimas is always made extra at home. Read some of the ways in which our family likes leftover potato podimas.
Cutlets / Patties / Tikki - Add some leftover veggies like steamed beans, corn, carrots to turn the mashed potatoes into a wholesome patty. Can be served as sliders with buns, sandwich filling or vegetable wraps.
Mumbai style Masala Toast Sandwich - Add a layer of this sabzi between two slices of bread, top it with more veggies like cucumber slices, tomatoes etc and grill it until golden. You can also add a slice of cheese and pack this for kids lunchbox.
Quick Filling for Dosa - Saute onions + Add leftover podimas, curry leaves, adjust salt and add some water to adjust consistency.
Add some spices like garam masala, amchur powder, finely chopped coriander leaves and turn it into a filling for making a quick aloo paratha for kids lunch box.
Make small balls of the leftover sabzi, dip them into besan (gram flour / chickpea flour batter) and deep fry to make batata vada or bonda.
Other Traditional South Indian Vegetarian Sides
Vazhakkai Podimas (Raw Banana Stir Fried)
Beans Paruppu Usili (Green Beans / French beans lentil crumble)
Vazhaipoo Paruppu Usili (Banana Blossom Lentil Crumble)
This post was originally published in October 2020. I have updated the recipe with fresh content and info.
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Potato Podimas | South Indian Mashed Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 2 teaspoon Chana Dal Kadala Paruppu, Bengal Gram Dal
- 1 teaspoon Urad Dal or Ulutham Paruppu
- 2 - 3 Dry whole red chillies broken into pieces
- 3 - 4 Green Chilies finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ginger finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1/8 tsp Hing or Asafoetida skip this ingredient for gf recipe
- Few sprigs of curry leaves
- 500 grams Potatoes approximately 3 & 1/ 2 cups boiled, peeled and cubed potatoes.
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Lightly crumble or mash the boiled and cubed potatoes. Use a potato masher or the back of a ladle.
- Heat a pan, add oil, mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal and whole red chilies.
- Once mustard crackles, add turmeric, green chilies, finely chopped ginger, curry leaves and hing or asafoetida. Saute for a few minutes.
- Next add the lightly crumbled potatoes with some salt to taste.
- Mix well and cook on low heat for 5 mins until the potatoes are coated with spices and the flavors are absorbed.
- Switch off the heat. Potato Podimas is ready to serve.
Notes
- This sabzi stays fresh in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours depending on weather conditions. In summers, it tends to spoil faster.
- Leftovers can be re-heated in a microwave oven.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan