Zero Oil Kandhari Aloo is a rich gravy dish made without a drop of oil and yet very rich as it has onion, cashews, poppy seeds paste added. The potatoes make this gravy delicious when served with rotis or naans. The name Kandhari comes from the Kanadhari deep red variety of pomegranates used for the gravy.
Kandahar is a city in Afghanistan that is famous for these deep red pomegranates. I adapted this recipe from Vaishali. Naturally, I need not research much when I am following her recipe. She had made it for her Zero Oil Thali.
When I actually thought about it, I was wondering how one would make a no oil gravy. However, after making this gravy, I realize it's quite easy to make a gravy without oil. Since I was adding pomegranate juice, I was skeptical if my parents would like it. Surprisingly, they said the gravy tasted very good and didn't find anything amiss in it. This is surely a gravy I can repeat.
With this dish, we are coming to the final alphabet in the A to Z series I have been doing on Easy Family Dinner Ideas. Each dish shared for this theme has been a simple one you can easily make for your busy weekday or to enjoy your weekend. I hope you will enjoy and benifit from this series.
On my part, I thoroughly enjoyed creating this series.
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Step By Step Pictures for making this Zero Oil Kandhari Aloo
Wash and boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker, peel them, and keep them aside. We can use both baby potatoes and regular potatoes. If using regular potatoes, cube them into chunks.
Take the Khus Khus and cashews in a bowl and soak them with warm milk to make a paste.
Heat a nonstick pan, add onion paste and sauté till the moisture is absorbed
Next, add the smooth cashew and khus khus paste and continue cooking until the moisture is all evaporated.
When the gravy thickens, add the tomato purée and cook till dry.
Since we have not added oil, the bottom might get burnt, so make sure to add a little water for the paste to get cooked well.
Now add all spices powders, potatoes and mix well.
Make a juice of the pomegranate and sieve it directly into the kadai.
Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add Kasuri methi.
Adjust the spice and consistency.
Serve with Rotis and garnish with pomegranate pearls and green chili.
Zero Oil Kandhari Aloo
Ingredients
- 4 medium Potatoes
- 1/2 cup Onion Paste
- 1/2 cup Tomato Purée
- 5-6 Cashewsnuts
- 1/2 tsp Khus Khus
- 2 tablespoon Milk
- 1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder
- A Pinch Turmeric Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1/2 teaspoon Kasuri Methi
- 1 cup Pomegranate Juice
For Garnish
- 1 Green Chilli
- 2 teaspoon Pomegranate pearls
Instructions
- Wash and boil the potatoes in a pressure cooker, peel them, and keep them aside. We can use both baby potatoes and regular potatoes. If using regular potatoes, cube them into chunks.
- Take the Khus Khus and cashews in a bowl and soak them with warm milk to make a paste.
- Heat a nonstick pan, add onion paste and sauté till the moisture is absorbed.
- Next, add the smooth cashew and khus khus paste and continue cooking until the moisture is all evaporated.
- When the gravy thickens, add the tomato purée and cook till dry.
- Since we have not added oil, the bottom might get burnt, so make sure to add a little water for the paste to get cooked well.
- Now add all spices powders, potatoes and mix well.
- Make a juice of the pomegranate and sieve it directly into the kadai.
- Let it simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add Kasuri methi.
- Adjust the spice and consistency.
- Serve with rotis and garnish with pomegranate pearls and green chili.
Vaishali says
Zero Oil Kanshari Aaloo are one of our favourites - no oil and yet so delicious! We do get the fat from cashews and milk, but yet the word zero oil plays it's roll and there is a tremendous feel good factor about it.
Glad that your family enjoyed the dish, you have made it so well and your step by step pics will make it so easy for everyone to understand.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
I love the spices and the natural richness that the aloo gets from cashews and milk. Such a simple recipe but so delicious.
Radha says
This is a great curry! As the nuts have enough fat, the curry would be rich even if no oil is used. The addition of pomegranate juice is interesting. The floavor profile is amazing and bookmarking to try soon!
Suma Gandlur says
The addition of pomegranate juice makes the dish so unique, The cashew - poppy seeds base is one of my favorite as they lend a rich, flavorful base. I am bookmarking it to try later.
Harini Rupanagudi says
I should try this variation for sure. My family usually loves aloo in any variation so nothing to fear there 🙂