The word “snack” in Nepal is kind of a funny thing. Back home in the US, we think of snacks as chips and dip, fruit, or something simple and light. In Nepal, snacks can mean an entire meal or at the very least, cooking something. My mother-in-law doesn’t eat junk food or pre-packaged food, so her idea of snacks is homemade aloo choka. Until she stayed with us, I’d never heard of this dish. Now that I’ve tried it, I really enjoy it! We serve this aloo choka recipe as a side dish, but it can also be a standalone snack.

Table Of Contents

Aloo Choka Recipe Ingredients
Aloo Choka Photos
Aloo Choka Recipe
Michelle Della Giovanna

Aloo Choka is kind of like a Nepali mashed potato (except cold). It’s easy to make and only has a few ingredients, but the taste packs a punch. With just the right amount of timur, you’ll get the sensation that these mashed potatoes are dancing on your tongue. Depending on how much you like chili, you can make this mild (the way I do below) or you can add a ton of chili like my mother-in-law who eats food that is so hot it makes me cry.

Aloo Choka Recipe Ingredients

Aloo choka only has a few ingredients. You should be able to find them in your local supermarket, but if you can’t, here are the links to buy them on Amazon. This list has basic ingredients for all my Nepali recipes, so you don’t need everything listed below.

Aloo Choka Photos

The ingredients to make aloo choka laid out on a cutting board — The ingredients used to make aloo choka.

Chili, garlic, and timor ground together on a mortar — Chili, garlic, and timur ground together on a mortar.

Aloo Choka Recipe

Aloo Choka is a spicy Nepali style mashed potato which can be eaten as a snack or side dish.

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Cooling Time 15

Total Time 45

Course Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Nepalese, Nepali

Servings 6 people

Equipment

Mortar and Pestle

Ingredients

9 small potatoes (about 2 inches long each)
1 dried red chili (add more if you like spicy food)
2 tbsp mustard seed oil
3 cloves garlic
¼ tsp timur powder (Sichuan powder)
½ tsp salt

Instructions

In a mortar, grind the red chili, garlic cloves ,and timur powder (Sichuan) together until they are extremely fine.
Boil 9 small potatoes for about 10-15 minutes or until soft
Take the potatoes out of the hot water and let them cool for about 10-15 minutes.
Once the potatoes have cooled, peel them. Then, mush the potatoes by hand.
Add in the mustard oil and spices.
Serve at room temperature or cold.

Notes

If you like spicy food, you can add 2-3 dried red chilis instead of just one.

Keyword Aloo, Aloo Choka, Aloo Choka Recipe, Potato Choka, Potato Choka Recipe

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Michelle Della Giovanna

Writer at Full Time Explorer

I’m just your average New Yorker who quit her job in the fashion industry to explore the world. Come find out what it’s like to trade in five-inch heels for squat toilets.