Assamese Aloo Pitika
Warm potatoes carry raw onion, green chile and mustard oil in one of Assam's simplest, most expressive side dishes.
About this dish
Aloo pitika is an Assamese mashed potato preparation typically seasoned with mustard oil, onion, green chile and fresh herbs. Unlike buttery mashed potatoes, it is intentionally rustic and aromatic.
Why this dish matters
Pitika preparations are part of Assamese home cooking and can be made from potato, eggplant or fish. The defining technique is mashing and seasoning simply rather than building a sauce.
Mustard oil is central to the flavor; use culinary mustard oil where legally sold for cooking.
Preparation notes
Warm potatoes absorb mustard oil better.
Do not whip smooth.
Fresh green chile can be intense.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb potatoes
- 2 tbsp mustard oil
- 1/3 cup minced red onion
- 2 green chiles, minced
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp lime juice
Method
- 1.Boil potatoes until completely tender.
- 2.Peel while warm and mash roughly.
- 3.Add mustard oil, onion, chile and salt.
- 4.Fold without overworking.
- 5.Checkpoint: mixture should remain slightly chunky and smell distinctly mustardy.
- 6.Add cilantro and lime juice.
- 7.Serve warm or room temperature.
Worth finding before you cook
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are affiliate links; if you buy through them, Fringe Table may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
These links are included only for ingredients that can be meaningfully harder to find in a standard supermarket.