Ala Thel Dala (Fried / Tempered Potatos)

This is a every famous dish in Sri Lanka in both occasions and day to day meals. If you are a vegetarian prepare this dish without Maldive fish, I´m sure you´ll love it. One of my family´s favorite menu is, yellow rice, parippu (dhal) curry, chicken curry with ala thel dala (tempered potatoes). Try this meal with yourself, hope you also like it very much just like us :-). Good luck with the recipe.

3 boiled potatoes – cut into chunks 

1 onion – sliced

3 – 4 garlic cloves – sliced

4 – 5 teaspoons Maldive fish – optional

1 ½ teaspoons mustard seeds

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 teaspoons chili pieces

½ teaspoon chili powder

¼ teaspoon turmeric

4 – 5 tablespoons oil

1×1.5cm cinnamon piece

5 – 6 curry leaves

salt to taste

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients (onion, garlic,Maldive fish, lime juice, chili pieces, chili powder, turmeric & salt) except the potatoes and oil. Heat a pan in medium heat & when it´s hot add the oil. When oil is ready add mustard seeds and let it pop up (nearly 2 – 4 seconds), then add cinnamon and curry leaves and let it fry for 1 – 2 minutes. then add the onion mixture & mix it well with oil. Keep it on heat for 5 minutes. After that mix it again and keep it again for another 5 minutes.

When the onion mixture is nice brown & also you can smell a nice smell, that´s the time you have to add potatoes into onion mixture. Mix onions and potatoes well but don´t break potatoes into small pieces. Keep it on heat nearly 2 – 3 minutes. Taste for salt.

Mainly goes with every kind of rice. you can have it with bread & roti too.(My favorite 🙂

1.If you don´t have Maldive fish, you can use dried prawns also. Break it to small pieces.

2.If you want you can add lime juice at the end, no problem you can do it that way also.