Skip to main content

What Is Jakhiya Aloo: The Pahadi Dish Served At Rashtrapati Bhavan Banquet

At a state banquet hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 27, 2026, the spotlight was firmly on the Himalayas. Curated as a regional showcase for visiting European Union leaders, the menu drew from the food traditions of India's mountain states and featured various high-altitude ingredients. The meal presented a side of Indian cuisine that rarely appears at formal diplomatic tables. One of the delights served was Jakhiya Aloo, a simple Kumaoni potato dish cooked with mustard oil and a native hill spice. It was heartening to see a simple home-style treat served at such a diplomatic event. Given how wholesome and delicious it is, you should also consider trying it at home. Find out more about it below: What Is Jakhiya Aloo? Jakhiya Aloo is a traditional potato preparation from the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It relies on boiled or parboiled potatoes cooked in mustard oil and tempered with jakhiya seeds, green chillies, turmeric, and salt. There are no onions, no tomatoes, no...

What Is Jakhiya Aloo: The Pahadi Dish Served At Rashtrapati Bhavan Banquet

At a state banquet hosted at Rashtrapati Bhavan on January 27, 2026, the spotlight was firmly on the Himalayas. Curated as a regional showcase for visiting European Union leaders, the menu drew from the food traditions of India's mountain states and featured various high-altitude ingredients. The meal presented a side of Indian cuisine that rarely appears at formal diplomatic tables. One of the delights served was Jakhiya Aloo, a simple Kumaoni potato dish cooked with mustard oil and a native hill spice. It was heartening to see a simple home-style treat served at such a diplomatic event. Given how wholesome and delicious it is, you should also consider trying it at home. Find out more about it below:

What Is Jakhiya Aloo?

Latest and Breaking News on NDTV

Jakhiya Aloo is a traditional potato preparation from the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It relies on boiled or parboiled potatoes cooked in mustard oil and tempered with jakhiya seeds, green chillies, turmeric, and salt. There are no onions, no tomatoes, no garam masala. The flavours are comforting and restrained. It is a dish meant to nourish and is often served alongside dal, rice, or mandua roti.

In hill households, this dish appears frequently, especially in colder months. It's filling without being heavy, comforting without being indulgent. It travels well too, which is why variations of it often find their way into packed meals for long journeys.

What Is Jakhiya?

Latest and Breaking News on NDTV

Jakhiya is the soul of the dish. These tiny, dark brown seeds are native to the Himalayan region and are often mistaken for mustard or cumin by those unfamiliar with them. Unlike mustard seeds, jakhiya doesn't burst open aggressively. It pops gently, releasing a warm, nutty aroma with subtle bitterness. That behaviour matters. The spice perfumes the oil without overpowering it, creating a base that feels rounded rather than sharp.

Easy Recipe For Jakhiya Aloo

Ingredients:

  • 500 g baby potatoes (boiled, peeled, roughly cubed)
  • 2 tbsp mustard oil
  • 2 tsp jakhiya seeds
  • 1/2 tsp asafoetida
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 4 dried red chillies (broken)
  • 1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
  • 4-6 garlic cloves (pounded)
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1-2 tsp salt, or to taste

Method:

  1. Heat mustard oil in a heavy-bottomed kadhai until it just begins to smoke; lower the heat.
  2. Add jakhiya seeds and let them crackle gently for 20-30 seconds.
  3. Add garlic, asafoetida, red chillies, turmeric and salt.
  4. Add the potatoes, lightly pressing a few pieces to roughen them. Mix to coat them well.
  5. Cover and cook on low heat for around 5 minutes, until the potatoes are lightly crisp at the edges.
  6. Lightly stir the ingredients. Incorporate coriander leaves and top with lime juice. The jakhiya aloo is ready to be served.

Like most home dishes, Jakhiya Aloo changes subtly from kitchen to kitchen. Some households may add other vegetables too. Some may add ingredients like ginger for added flavour. The core technique remains the same, but proportions and textures vary.

If you love potatoes and want to enjoy a different recipe this season, we highly recommend Jakhiya Aloo. Try it soon!



from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/MVEBPQY

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

"Khala Ka Ghar Nahi...": Akhtar On India Having It Easy In Asia Cup Final

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar has warned Team India ahead of the Asia Cup final against Sri Lanka. The Rohit Sharma -led side received a timely wake up call following its loss to Bangladesh in the final Super 4 fixture on Friday. While India had rested several key players for the game, including star batter Virat Kohli , Akhtar suggested that it was a embarrassing defeat. Sri Lanka defeated tournament favourties Pakistan to reach the final, and Akhtar feels that winning the final won't be a cakewalk for India. "We were not expecting that India would lose to a team like Bangladesh but they did. It was an embarrassing defeat. Pakistan lost to Sri Lanka. They are out of the Asia Cup, which is an even bigger embarrassment. India are still in the final. All is not lost for them. It was a great wakeup call for them to come back harder and make sure they secure victory in the finals but that will only happen if they play really well. Ye khala ji ka ghar nahi hai jaha pe India...

Why Trump's Claims About Americans Splitting The Atom Angers New Zealanders

Imagine a newly-elected president of a country claiming the legacy of someone as foundational as Thomas Edison. That's the kind of appropriation New Zealanders are witnessing. The recent inaugural address of President Donald Trump has sparked a heated debate over the origins of a groundbreaking scientific achievement: splitting the atom. Trump's claim that American experts were responsible for this feat has been met with swift correction from New Zealanders, who proudly assert that their native son, Sir Ernest Rutherford, was the true pioneer behind this discovery. Rutherford's achievement in 1917 at Victoria University of Manchester in England marked a pivotal moment in the history of nuclear physics. His work not only earned him a Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1908 but also led to the discovery of radioactive half-life and the understanding that radioactivity involves the transmutation of one chemical element to another. Nick Smith, the mayor of Nelson, near Rutherford...

Video: US Teens Vandalise Chinese Restaurant, Police Search For Suspects

A group of masked, violent teens enters a Chinese restaurant and vandalises it badly over the weekend, overturning tables and breaking chairs as terrified staff watched helplessly, according to The New York Post. According to a video shared on Twitter by local activist Yiatin Chu, the wicked hooligans left the eatery in very bad shape.The footage shows full anarchy ensuing inside the restaurant as the masked teenagers flipped tables, flung chairs, and broke dishes, leaving a trail of destruction behind. This video is going viral on WeChat. Fish Village, a restaurant in College Point, Qns was ransacked by a gang of masked kids in hoodies. We've fallen so low that there's no expectation of consequences for this horrific attack on private property. pic.twitter.com/DQdnHPR5r8 — Yiatin Chu (@ycinnewyork) March 7, 2023 "This video is going viral on WeChat. Fish Village, a restaurant in College Point, Qns., was ransacked by a gang of masked kids in hoodies. We've fall...