Aloor Khosha Bhaja

Crispy fried potato peels with poetic flavour

Prep Time 10 min
Cook Time 30 min
Serving Size 2
Recipe Type Hob

Aloo Khosha Bhaja is a classic Bengali preparation where potato peels are fried until crisp with turmeric, salt, dried red chillies, and sometimes panch phoron or nigella seeds. Rooted in frugal kitchens and zero-waste cooking, the dish is prized for its crackling texture and deep, earthy heat. Simple ingredients, thoughtful technique, and flavour that lingers, this is comfort born from ingenuity.

Ingredients

potato peels – 100g
Salt – ½ tsp
Sugar – 4g
Turmeric powder – 1 pinch
Red chilli powder – 1 pinch
Poppy seeds – ½ tsp
Kaalo jeere (nigella seeds) – ¼ tsp
Mustard oil – ½ tsp
Rice flour – 10g
Maida – 10g
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

Peel the potato skin, peel them slightly thicker than you normally would. Divide into 2 cm long pieces. Wash in plenty of water to remove excess starch; this will result in crisp fries. Strain them completely.
Transfer the peels into a mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, posto, kaalo jeere, chopped green chillies, rice flour, mustard oil, and maida
Coat the potato skin with the spices and set aside for 15 minutes. The salt and sugar will draw out the moisture from the peels and allow the coating to adhere to them.
Heat vegetable oil in a kadai. Deep fry the peels on medium heat (oil temperature should be ~ 180 C) until crisp and golden.

Find out more about the history and tradition of the dish

In India, ragi has been found in archaeological excavations dating back to 1800 BC, and has been associated with honouring poets with a concoction of ragi, milk, and honey.

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