Potato Stir Fry (Batate Upakari)

Batate Upakari is a popular dish in the Philippines that is made with potatoes, eggs, and soy sauce. It’s a simple yet delicious recipe that can be enjoyed by both kids and adults alike.

Potato Stir Fry is a traditional dish in Sri Lanka. Chana Ghashi, or potato stir fry, is made with potatoes and spices wrapped in banana leaves.

For lunch or supper, how about a simple stir fry of potatoes? This takes just 20 minutes to prepare.

With Konkani, potatoes are stir-fried in a basic seasoning and referred to as batate upakari. If you like poatoes, you’ll enjoy this batate upakari as well. In Konkani, batato means potato, and upakari means stir fried. 

It’s often served as a lunch or supper side dish. 

Ingredients:

2 potatoes, medium sized 1 red chili, dried a couple of green chilies 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon curry leaves, 1-2 leaflets 2 tablespoons coconut grated urad dal (half a teaspoon) season with salt to taste

a pinch of powdered asafoetida (optional)

2 – 3 people

Time to prepare: 20-25 minutes

Method of Preparation:

1. You have the option of peeling or not peeling the potatoes. If you’re leaving the peel on, be sure to wash them well.

2. Peel the potato and cut it into small strips. The quicker the slices cook, the thinner they are.

3. In a wok, heat the oil. The use of a nonstick wok is preferable since it prevents the potato from adhering to the bottom of the pan.

4. Reduce the heat to a medium setting. When the mustard seeds begin to pop, put in the urad dal.

5. Finally, add the slit green chilies, dried red chiles, and curry leaves. Cook till the urad dal becomes brown and the green chilies are half-fried.

6. Stir in the asafoetida powder and allow it to sizzle. The asafoetida is used to give the stir fry a wonderful fragrance and to help with any stomach problems that may develop from eating potatoes. You have the option of skipping it.

7. Toss in the potato pieces to combine. 

The next simplest step is to add approximately 1/2 to 3/4 cup of water and salt. 🙂 Add the shredded coconut and simmer it closely till the potato is done.

Follow the instructions below if you don’t like mushy potatoes and want well-separated, crisp potato slices that are just cooked enough.

8. Cover the wok with a cover and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook the potatoes for an additional 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and let aside for 5 minutes.

9. Remove the cover, add the salt, mix the ingredients well, and replace the top. Increase the heat to medium and repeat the steps above.

10. If your potatoes are still fresh, they should be ready to eat at this point. If not, sauté them for a few minutes more until they are soft and cooked through.

11. The steam created within the closed pan cooks the potatoes. If necessary, add 1/4 cup water to aid in the cooking of the potatoes.

12. Using a lot of oil to keep the potato strips from adhering to the bottom of the vessel is a good idea. 

13. When cooking the potatoes, don’t use a lot of water. They get mushy and cling to one other after that.

14. When the potatoes are soft and cooked through, add the grated fresh coconut and stir thoroughly. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Observation:

These pointers are crucial if you want firm, well-separated potato slices. 

• Sautéing too many times isn’t necessary. Just a toss every now and then to ensure uniform cooking and that the potato strips don’t cling to the bottom.
• If you want your potato strips to be properly separated, don’t use any water and don’t overcook them. They cook just long enough in the steam created within the pan to avoid becoming mushy.
• To help cook the potatoes, use a lot of oil. Reduce the quantity of oil you use and boil the potatoes with water if you’re watching your fat intake.
• Cooking potatoes in batches is not recommended. Turn off the heat for a few minutes and then continue to cook on low heat for another few minutes. Repeat the procedure until the potatoes are fully cooked. This prevents the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan and cooking in the steam created. 

Suggestions for serving

1. Serve batate upakari with a bowl of steaming hot congee as a side dish.

2. You may also eat it with rice and dalithoy, or any curry. 

3. It may also be served as a side dish with hot chapathis.

More Konkani cuisine side dishes may be found here. 

Tags: batate upakari (potato stir fry), spicy, side dish, Konkani recipe, Konkani dish, Konkani cuisine, Udupi cuisine, Mangalore culture, Konkani cuisine, lunch, supper, bachelor recipe

Batate Upakari is a traditional Indonesian dish that consists of potato stir fry. The seasoning can be found in the recipe section. Reference: stir fry seasoning recipe.

Related Tags

• black chana konkani style
• black chana curry mangalorean style
• what vegetables go in stir fry