Guess I was nearly a teen when my ammama (maternal grandmother) was unwell and my mum went to look after her for a while. Being a small town everyone knew she was away and ensured my dad and me were fed and looked after well. Having girls of the same age,the lovely Suma aunty next door ensured, I get to have dinner at their place. Looking back now I have to say I was an idiot! I was not fond of food and probably believed I could live off air and water! The lovely aunty prepared beautiful Konkani-style meals and hardly a couple of bites went into my mouth. Nowadays, when I try these Gowda Saraswat-style recipes, I often feel I should have or could have been nicer and enjoyed the food. Though I don’t remember a lot of the dishes, I like a couple of things she made. The sago channa dal payasa and this batata ambat are two of them. For years I have tried to get the same taste that she made it with, but not quite there yet, but this is the closest.
What is batata ambat?
Batata ambat is a Konkani style easy potato curry. Made with freshly ground coconut-based masala, the ambat (curry) is a well-loved part of the meal. You can make this curry with potatoes, onions, sprouts, cauliflower, peas or spinach. The ground masala paste usually has coconut, mustard seeds, chillies and tamarind. The curry is essential in Konkani cuisine and is served with cooked rice.
Ingredients to make batata ambat
Batata ambat is a fairly simple curry recipe that is beginner-friendly and quick as a stove-top recipe.
Potatoes: some good all-rounder potatoes are the main veggie base of this curry. I pick the white or red-skinned one that holds shape upon boiling rather than mashing up. You can choose to remove the peel or keep it on based on how you like to bite into it. I have removed the peel as that is how I have experienced this curry.
The coconut masala base: this is the flavour bomb in this curry. The mix is usually of grated coconut, a few mustard seeds and dry red chillies with tamarind. To this mix a tsp of rice is added. The rice is the regular cooking rice. This helps in thickening the gravy and doesn’t change the flavour in any way..
Seasoning and flavorings: other than salt and turmeric powder nothing much is needed in this potato curry mix.
Let’s make batata ambat
With just a few steps you can master this easy potato curry
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- tempering
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- potato wedges
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- cooking the potatoes
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- coconut masala
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- cooking the coconut masala
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- curry is ready.
Prep the potatoes: once you have a set of good all-rounder potatoes, I go with approximately one medium potato per person. Wash and peel them.then cut them into wedges.
Cooking the potatoes: add the wedged potato into the cooking pot with water, salt and turmeric powder. Cover and cook till the potatoes are fork tender and not mashable
Grinding the masala paste: the masala paste consists of freshly grated coconut, tamarind, mustard seeds and dry red chillies. Alternatively, you can add chilli powder and grind just the ingredients to add masala base. Grind this mix into a fine paste.
Finishing the curry: add the masala base to the cooked potatoes. Mix well. let the curry come to a slow bubbling boil. Let it simmer for a few minutes and let the curry come together as a smooth pouring gravy.
Remove from heat and the curry is ready to be served.
How to serve batata ambat?
Batata ambat is served with rice and upkari (stirfry). The combo though basic and simple is soul-satisfying and my kind of Sunday lunch. You can use the curry to dunk in rotis and phukas too.
Meal prep and storage
The curry stays well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. I don’t prefer to freeze this curry as the potatoes don’t freeze well. They start losing the water and become limp. If you are making this curry with cauliflower or spinach it does freeze well.
Batata ambat
Equipment
- Kadai wok
Ingredients
For tempering
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
For cooking together
- 2 large potatoes
- 2 cups drinking water
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- salt to taste
To grind to paste
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 1 tsp raw rice
- 1/2 tsp tamarind rolled as a ball.
- 2-3 dry red chillies use bydigai variety or better colour.
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Instructions
- Wash peel and cut the potato into wedges
- Into a kadai or deep pan add the oil and the mustard seeds.
- As they splutter add the fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.
- Let them turn aromatic.
- Now add the potato cut into wedges.
- Add water, turmeric powder and salt.
- Cover and cook till the potato is fork tender.
- Grind together the coconut, tamarind, rice, chillies and mustard into a smooth mix.
- Mix the coconut masala.
- Let this bubble and cook and thicken.
- The curry is now ready to be served.
More recipes from the Konkan region
Udupi huli
Basale gassi
Kosambari
Stay connected
Hope you will enjoy making this soul-soothing easy potato curry. When trying out our recipe, share your experience; we hope this will be a straightforward potato curry recipe you have tried. Do rate the recipe based on your experience where 5 stars is certainly great.
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Suma aunty and the story here was such a lovely recap of a time gone by seema. Loved the beginner friendly batata ambat. I make it slightly differently but sure to try ur version soon
Thanks, Kalyani. Looking back we did have the association with some incredible cooks but never realized how important it will be later on in life. Anyway, I am glad you will give the batata ambat a try.