The Persian word “sabzi” used in Indian cuisine usually refers to any vegetable dish, both with or without gravy. So if you go along to any South Asian restaurant or home, generally a sabzi dish will be vegetarian. There are some dishes that may contain yoghurt, cheese or butter, so if you’re vegan, you’ll need to double-check.
One of my mother-in-law’s favourites that appears regularly on the dinner table, dill aloo sabzi is a dish consisting of fresh dill and aloo (potato). It’s a classic vegetarian dish made in many South Asian households. It’s easy, comforting and versatile – a dish that everyone loves on its own or as an accompaniment to other dishes.
I love dill. It’s a herb that is often used in fish dishes, but I think it’s amazing with vegetables too. Fresh dill has a beautiful, delicate fragrance and a pretty, lace-like appearance, and when it’s sprinkled onto tender potatoes, it looks divine!
Prep time: 10 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Ingredients:
- 1 large potato, peeled and sliced
- 1 small onion, sliced finely
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 1 small green or red chilli, sliced finely
- 1 small bunch fresh dill, washed and chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
- salt, to taste
- water
Method:
- Place the oil in a heated saucepan and gently fry the onion until slightly brown.
- Add the cumin seeds and crushed garlic and stir for 1–2 min.
- Add the sliced potato and a little bit of water to cover the base of the saucepan. Gently coat the potato with the existing onion mixture and leave on medium heat until the potato is tender.
- When the potato is slightly tender, add the chopped tomato, sliced chilli and salt to taste and leave on low heat for a further 5 min.
- Finally, when you see a bit of oil surfacing to the top, add the freshly chopped dill, put on the lid of the saucepan and leave for another 2 min – that’s it!
- Serve hot with naan or rice.
Recipe notes:
- The amount of dill you use in the dish is based on your preference. A bit more of a generous handful will give a deeper depth of fragrance and colour.
- Fresh dill can be frozen in bunches after removing the thick stems. When you want to use it for cooking, simply remove from the freezer and crush over your dish.
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