Potato Sagu is a potato-based gravy that you can serve as a side dish with pooris and rava idlis.
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Potato Sagu
Potato Sagu is a gravy or side dish served wtih pooris or rava idlis in Karnataka, India.
Sagu is a word used to describe a gravy like or stew like consistency of the dish.
Potato sagu also goes by the name of Bombay sagu probably because it got popular there, but South Indians make this dish more that folks in Mumbai. Or I think it might be because that the “Bhaji” paired with poori resembles this dish closely, if that makes sense.
Ingredients for Potato Sagu
Potatoes are the main ingredient for this dish. Choose medium-sized potatoes so that all of them get cooked evenly in the pressure cooker.
Onions – one medium-sized, diced
Herbs – Curry leaves, Green chillies slit vertical, ginger – skin peeled and finely chopped.
Spice powders – Turmeric powder, Potato Sagu Masala Powder if you are using and salt.
Garnish – Coriander leaves without the stems finely chopped, and juice from one whole lemon.
How to make Potato Sagu or Bombay Sagu?
Cooking the potatoes
The first step to making the sagu is to boil the potatoes. Personally, I prefer to pressure cook potatoes because it saves me time and space on the stove. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and cut into halves.
Place them in a small pressure cooker with an inch of water and allow for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure come down naturally. If the potatoes are not cooked, pressure cook for 2 more whistles (some times, some potatoes take more time to cook). Once done, remove the skin, mash and keep aside.
If you are boiling your potatoes in a pot of water, add peeled potatoes that are cut into quarters into a pot of boiling water. Allow it to boil on a low-medium flame until they are soft and reach a mashable texture.
Making the Sagu
Start off with placing a pan on low-medium heat and add a tablespoon of cooking oil. Once the oil is warm, add the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter.
No South Indian dish is complete without the curry leaves, green chillies and ginger to add that extra zing. Add them one by one until they are sauteed in the oil well.
Next, add the diced onions and saute them until they get soft. You can speed up the cooking process by adding hald a teaspoon of turmeric powder and salt.
If you have the Potato Sagu Masala ready, you can add it at this stage and allow the spices to combine well with the onion.
Next, you can add the star ingredient – potatoes. You can keep the potatoes slightly lumpy as this will provide texture to the dish and will avoid it being completely gooey.
At this stage, season the Potato Sagu with salt. Mix well and check for salt and spice level. You can also add more Potato Sagu Masala at this stage if you feel like it.
Add 1/2-3/4 cup of water to make it into a gravy like consistency. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer for a minute or two.
Turn off the flame, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and the juice from one whole lime.
Serve your Potato Sagu with Pooris or Rava Idlis.
Storage and Shelf life
Potato Sagu is best served hot, but you can prepare it and store it in the fridge for a couple of days. The flavours will remain intact.
If the weather is warm/hot, the sagu will go bad, so it’s best to put it in the fridge as soon as you finish your meal, especially if you have leftovers.
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Recipe
Potato Sagu
Ingredients
- 5-6 Potatoes medium sized
- 1 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 Tsp Chana Dal
- 1 Onion small, diced
- 2 Green Chillies
- 2 sprigs Curry leaves
- 1 inch Ginger finely chopped
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 tbsp Sagu Masala Powder (optional)
- ½ tsp Salt
Garnish
- 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves finely chopped
- 1 Lemon fully juiced
Instructions
- The first step is to cook the potatoes. Wash the potatoes thoroughly and pressure cook them for 3-4 whistles. When the potatoes are in a mashable consistency, they are ready. Mash the cooked potatoes and keep them aside.
- Next, place a pan on medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of oil.
- Once the oil is warm, add the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter.
- Add the chana dal and allow to roast for a bit until slightly golden.
- Follow it up with the green chillies, curry leaves and ginger. Saute for about 30 seconds.
- Next, add the onion and saute them along with the rest of the spices until they are soft.
- You can add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and the two tablespoons of Sagu Masala powder at this stage and give it all a good mix. Saute for under a minute.
- Add the mashed potatoes and season with salt. Start off with half a teaspoon and adjust accordingly later.
- Since sagu is a gravy-like dish, add half a cup of water (preferably warm). Mix all the ingredients well and allow it to simmer on a low flame for the couple of minutes.
- Finally turn off the flame, and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and a juice from a full lemon.
- Your potato sagu is ready to be served with pooris or rava idli.
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