Bombay Sagu or Potato sagu or Poori Sagu is a lightly spiced potato curry that is served with pooris. This delicious South Indian style potato preparation can also be served with poori, dosa, chapati or rava idli.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 3
  • Category: Breakfast
  • Cuisine: Karnataka, South Indian

Ingredients

  • 250 grams potatoes (or 3 to 4 medium potatoes - boiled, peeled and crumbled or 1.5 cups crumbled potatoes)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal ((split husked black gram))
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal ((husked and split bengal gram))
  • 100 grams onion (or 1 large onion, chopped or ⅔ cup chopped onions)
  • 1 or 2 green chilies (- chopped or ½ to 1 teaspoon, chopped)
  • 1 inch ginger (chopped or 1 teaspoon chopped ginger)
  • 7 to 8 curry leaves
  • 1 tomato (- small, or ¼ cup chopped tomatoes, optional)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • 2 teaspoons gram flour ((besan))
  • 1.25 cups water (or add as required)
  • salt (as required)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped)

Method

Boiling potatoes

  1. Rinse 3 to 4 medium potatoes very well and then boil or steam them in a pressure cooker. If pressure cooking, then pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.You can also cook the potatoes in a pan or pot or in the Instant Pot adding water as needed.
  2. For stovetop pressure cooking, place the potatoes in a 3 litre pressure cooker. Add water almost covering the potatoes. You can also add a few pinches of salt if you prefer.Pressure cook on medium heat for 4 to 5 whistles. When the pressure drops naturally in the cooker, then only open the lid.Using tongs removed the cooked potatoes and place them on a plate to cool.
  3. When the potatoes are still warm, peel and crumble them. You can also chop them and keep aside.

Making potato sagu

  1. In a pan heat oil. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter on low heat.
  2. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add urad dal and chana dal.
  3. Stir and sauté on low heat till the dals become golden.
  4. Then add the chopped onions. Sauté the onions until they soften and turn translucent.
  5. Now add chopped green chillies and ginger and also the curry leaves.
  6. Next add chopped tomatoes.
  7. Sauté for 2 minutes on low to medium heat and then add turmeric powder and asafoetida.
  8. Mix and continue to saute for 2 more minutes.
  9. Then add the besan or gram flour.
  10. Mix the besan very well and saute for a minute.
  11. Add water. Stir and mix well.
  12. Bring the entire mixture to a gentle boil.
  13. Add the crumbled potatoes.
  14. Mix the potatoes with the rest of the curry.
  15. Season with salt. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer potato sagu on a low heat for 7 to 8 minutes or more till the gravy thickens. Do check once or twice when simmering.
  16. The potato sagu gravy should have a medium consistency and should not be thick or thin.
  17. A slight thin consistency is also fine. Check the taste and add more salt if required.
  18. Lastly add the chopped coriander leaves and switch off the heat.
  19. Serve Bombay Sagu with dosa, rava idli, chapati, paratha or poori.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.