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Ingredients
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Vegetables & aromatics
Spices & flavoring
Acid & finishing
Method
Prep
- 1
Prepare vegetables
Peel and cube the potatoes into 1/2–3/4 inch pieces so they cook evenly. Finely chop the onion, mince the garlic and ginger. Measure spices and open coconut milk.
Cook base & potatoes
- 2
- 3
- 4
Add dry spices
Stir in the turmeric, ground coriander, ground cumin, chili powder (or paprika) and 1 tsp salt. Cook the spices with the aromatics for 1 minute to bloom their flavors.
- 5
Tomato paste
Add 2 tbs tomato paste and stir, cooking 1–2 minutes more to reduce raw tomato flavor and coat the aromatics with the paste.
- 6
Add potatoes and liquid
Add the cubed potatoes to the pot and stir to coat with the spiced mixture. Pour in 500 ml vegetable or chicken broth, bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 12–18 minutes depending on cube size.
Finish sauce
- 7
Adjust texture
When potatoes are fully cooked, decide on desired texture: for a smoother, thicker roti/curry sauce, remove about 1/3 of the potatoes and mash them in the pot or transfer 1/3 of the mixture to a blender and pulse until smooth, then return. Alternatively, use an immersion blender to lightly purée 1/3–1/2 of the sauce to thicken while retaining some potato chunks.
- 8
Add coconut milk and season
Stir in 120 ml coconut milk (or cream) and the remaining 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar or jaggery (if using). Simmer gently 3–5 minutes to meld flavors and heat through—do not boil vigorously if using coconut milk to prevent separation.
- 9
Finish with garam masala and acid
Sprinkle 1 tsp garam masala and stir. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice or tamarind concentrate to brighten the sauce. Taste and adjust salt, acidity, or sweetness as needed.
- 10
