It does not have to be like this every time you want to cook indian food.

In the mood for yummy Indian food but don’t have the slightest idea where to begin? It’s more than just adding lots of spices. But here is Indian cooking simplified!

Not the greatest fan of cooking myself, I devised some shortcuts that would help me feed my growling stomach in a jiffy. Follow these simple steps to feast on delicious Aloo sabzi in 20 minutes!

Take a largish potato, peel it and poke it all over with a knife so that it cooks well on the inside. Place it in the microwave for 4 minutes on high power. You heard it right. I steam it in the microwave to save time. Can’t stand waiting around while it takes its own sweet time on the hob.

Chop half an onion into little pieces. By the time you do the onion, the potato should be done. Be patient now, let it stand in the microwave for a minute and then get it out. Dice it as above.

Add some oil (about 4 tablespoons) in a casserole. Let it heat for 3-4 minutes approximately.

You NEED TO ensure you have all of these spices. You can easily get them in any Indian store. Clockwise after turmeric (the yellow powder) is jeera (cumin seeds), dhaniya (mustard seeds), lal mirch (red chilli powder), garam masala (no English equivalent), jeera powder (cumin seed powder, although it’s not strictly necessary), and in the centre is dhana powder (coriander powder). Sitting next to the pretty circular box is a box of heeng (asafoetida).

Once the oil is hot, add one or two grains of mustard to see if it’s crackling. If it doesn’t let it heat a bit more. If it does, then add about 1 tbsp of mustard seeds, 1 tbsp of cumin seeds and a pinch of asafoetida. Add 3/4 tbsp of turmeric and quickly put the onions in and stir. This is done so that the turmeric doesn’t burn.

Mix it well. Now add 1/2 tbsp of garam masala and a pinch of red chilli powder. You can increase the quantity as per your threshold for spices. I usually add 3/4 – 1 tbsp garam masala and 1/2 tbsp red chilli powder approximately.

After adding the spices, put in the diced potatoes and mix well.

Aaaaand lastly, add around 1/2 tbsp of salt (or more as per taste) and mix thoroughly.

Et voilà!!! Your Aloo sabzi ready in 20 minutes! Achieved in 25 minutes the first time round.

Serve with roti. Can’t make it? Well, use a frozen one for now until I come up with a quicker way for it and show you how it’s done! Bon appetit!