Vrat Waale Aloo | Farali Bhaji

A delicious stir fry using potatoes; this Vrat Waale Aloo is an amazing dish for fasting days like Navratri, Ekadashi and more!

It needs only a handful of ingredients and comes together in minutes.

Fasting season calls for delicious recipes. While the wide majority of fasting treats are fried, there are some like this Vrat Waale Aloo that are not.

Not just for fasting months and days like Ekadashi, these recipes are great for any weekday. These recipes are often very easy to make and come together quickly.

When I was a kid my grandmom would boil a super huge pressure cooker filled with potatoes on fasting days. Once these potatoes were ready, making the biggest feast was a matter of an hour or so.

And we all loved the spread every Ekadashi and throughout the month of Shravan. There was always Sabudana Vada, Rajgira Parathas, Dudhi Barfi and Sabudana Khichdi and this recipe of Vrat Waale Aloo.

What is Vrat Waale Aloo

Vrat or Upwas is the Hindi word for fasting. The Hindu calendar is full of fasting days. On these days we do not consume any grains. Generally ingredients like potatoes, sweet potatoes, barnyard millet, sabudana and peanuts are perfect to have these days.

Also, no garlic, onions or tomatoes are used in these recipes. Plus, we do not use any turmeric powder or red chili powder too.

Vrat Waale Aloo is a popular fasting recipe. An easy preparation made with boiled potatoes and a handful of ingredients; this one is really easy to make.

Not only is it great as a fasting recipe, it works well as weekday recipe or even for the lunchbox.

A fasting version of Jeera Aloo, this recipe comes together in just 10 minutes and is always delicious. Given that it uses only a few ingredients, it is easy to swap out the ones that you may not enjoy or have at hand.

For the simplest lunch I like to make this with Rajgira Parathas. Together they are great for any day. However, the sabji can be enjoyed without any side too.

This Recipe of Farali Aloo

• This recipe is perfect for fasting days. Made with potatoes, peanuts and a handful of ingredients; this comes together in minutes.
• Unlike a lot of other fasting recipes, this vrat waale aloo do not need a lot of ghee or oil. The recipe comes needs just enough ghee to stir-fry the potatoes.
• Can be made in ghee for the best flavor. However, use oil if you would like to make the recipe Vegan. All other ingredients are Vegan friendly.

As we make this recipe, ensure you use the ingredients you consume on fasting days. Every family has their own set of traditions and beliefs. So whether it is using ghee or oil; red or green chili, regular or sendha namak; make your choices.

Video Recipe

Ingredients

Potatoes: This is the base of the recipe. We use boiled potatoes to make this sabji.

Boil the potatoes using a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. As they cool they become firm and it is easy to get clean cubes.

I like to boil them a while before I make the sabji.

Peanuts: I like to add roasted peanut powder to the sabji. It provides the best texture and flavor. In addition, it is fasting friendly and tastes great in this Vrat Waale Aloo.

Ginger, Curry Leaves, Chili: Grated or ground ginger and green chili is the best for flavor and spice in this recipe. Moreover, these are the only spices we use in the recipe.

We do not consume red chili on fasting days. So I stick to green chili. However, add red chili if you consume it. Ginger adds spice and it aids digestion of all the fasting recipes.

Plus, we add curry leaves in the recipe for flavor. Though these are optional, I would recommend not skipping any of them for the recipe.

Indian Spices: The recipe uses minimal spices. We only add roasted cumin powder and black pepper powder to the potatoes. I do not use any chili, turmeric or dhania jeera here.

Seasonings: Salt, a hint of sugar and lemon juice are perfect to season the recipe. They make the potatoes perfectly balanced in taste. However, adjust the ratio based on how you like it.

Ghee: Like most other fasting recipes, we make this vrat waale aloo in ghee. However, if you would like a Vegan version, use oil in place of it.

Apart from these, a little water can be added if the stir-fry dries out a lot. Finally, a generous sprinkle of cilantro makes the sabji super amazing too.

Step by Step Instructions to make Vrat Waale Aloo

1- Heat ghee in a wide pan.

2- Add cumin seeds and let them pop. Then add curry leaves and green chili. Let them cook for a minute.

3- Next add the diced boiled potatoes and grated ginger. Mix well.

4- Season with salt, sugar, roasted cumin powder and ground pepper powder.

5- Mix well and let the potatoes cook for 5-6 minutes. Then add roasted peanut powder.

6- Mix well and let everything cook for another 4-5 minutes.

7- Then sprinkle cilantro and add lemon juice. Mix well.

8- Serve with your choice of parathas, sabudana khichdi etc.

Tips and Notes

• The recipe uses only a handful of ingredients and comes together super quick. It is great for weekday lunch or even for a lunchbox.
• This sabji is flavored with green chili and ginger. No red chili, turmeric, garlic or onions are used. Feel free to add them if you like.
• I have used regular salt but use sendha namak if that is what you consume on fasting days.
• While the recipe can be made immediately after boiling potatoes, I like to wait till they cool.
• I have used ghee in the recipe as that is what we have on fasting days. Use oil if you like or want to make the recipe Vegan.