Indian dill potato sabzi, often called aloo suva or shepu batata bhaji, is a home-style vegetable dish of tender potatoes, fresh dill, peas, and warm spices. The dill softens as it cooks, giving the potatoes a fragrant, gently grassy flavor; regional and family versions vary in their spices and whether they include peas.
Ingredients
- 1½ lb Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes (680 g), scrubbed and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
- 3 packed cups fresh dill fronds and tender stems (about 90 g), washed, thoroughly dried, and roughly chopped
- 1 cup green peas (145 g), fresh or frozen
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup or 150 g)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), such as sunflower, canola, or peanut oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (about 2 g)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 9 g)
- 1 small green chile, finely chopped (about 5 g), with seeds removed for less heat
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (about 0.5 g)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander (about 1 g)
- ¾ teaspoon fine salt (about 4.5 g), plus more to taste
- ⅓ cup water (80 ml), plus 1 tablespoon (15 ml) more if needed
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Wash the dill well, since grit can hide among its fine leaves. Spin or pat it very dry, then remove any thick, woody stems and chop the leaves and tender stems. Cut the potatoes into similar-sized cubes so they cook evenly. Chop the onion, garlic, and chile before heating the pan.
- Start the spice base. Set a wide, heavy skillet or sauté pan with a lid over medium heat. Add the oil and let it warm for about 1 minute. Add the cumin seeds and stir for 20 to 30 seconds, until they smell fragrant and begin to sizzle. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until softened and lightly translucent. It does not need to brown deeply.
- Add garlic, chile, and ground spices. Stir in the garlic and green chile and cook for 30 seconds. Add the turmeric, coriander, and salt, stirring briefly so the spices coat the onion without scorching. If the pan seems dry, add a teaspoon of water rather than letting the garlic or ground spices stick.
- Cook the potatoes until almost tender. Add the potato cubes and toss to coat them in the spiced onion. Pour in ⅓ cup (80 ml) water, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 14 minutes, stirring once or twice so the potatoes cook evenly and do not catch on the bottom. The cubes should be nearly tender when pierced with a small knife. If the pan is dry before they are ready, add the extra tablespoon of water and replace the lid.
- Finish with dill and peas. Stir in the peas and chopped dill. The dill will look like a generous amount at first, but it wilts as it cooks. Cover and cook for 4 minutes, then uncover and check a potato cube. It should be tender but still hold its shape. If there is excess liquid, cook uncovered for another minute or two, stirring gently; if the potatoes are still firm, cover again and cook in short increments until done.
- Season and serve. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add a little more salt or lemon if needed. Let the sabzi stand uncovered for 2 minutes so excess steam escapes, then serve warm. Avoid vigorous stirring at this stage, which can break the soft potatoes into mash.
Tips
- Dry the dill before chopping. Wet greens can add unwanted water and make the finished dish steamy rather than lightly sautéed. If you wash the dill in advance, spread it on a clean towel or use a salad spinner, and pick through it for thick stems or grit.
- Keep the potato pieces even. Cubes around ½ inch (1.25 cm) cook through in the stated time while staying intact. Larger pieces may need a few extra minutes under the lid; very small pieces can soften before the dill and peas are ready. Check with a knife rather than relying on the clock alone.
- Adjust heat and dill strength thoughtfully. Green chiles vary considerably, so begin with a mild chile or use only half if you are unsure. Dill has a distinctive flavor; if yours is especially pungent, use 2 packed cups (about 60 g) and add more after tasting. Dried dill is not a direct replacement for the fresh greens because it lacks their volume and fresh, leafy character.
- Choose a pan with a close-fitting lid. The small amount of water creates steam to cook the potatoes without turning the sabzi into a stew. A wide pan gives moisture room to evaporate at the end. If you only have a narrow saucepan, uncover it and simmer briefly after the potatoes are tender.
Serving Suggestions
Serve aloo suva hot or warm as a vegetable side with roti, chapati, or paratha. It also works alongside plain basmati rice or jeera rice, with dal or a simple lentil curry to make a fuller meal. Because the potatoes and peas already make the dish substantial, you do not need several rich sides; a bowl of plain yogurt or cucumber raita offers a cool contrast to the chile and fragrant dill.
For a practical weeknight plate, pair a scoop of sabzi with dal, rice, and a wedge of lemon. If you are serving it with flatbread, keep the pieces fairly dry so they are easy to scoop. A small spoonful of pickle or a crisp salad can add a salty or refreshing note, but taste the sabzi before adding a strongly seasoned accompaniment. The recipe is vegetarian as written and can be served as part of a larger Indian meal or as a simple lunch.
Variations
Make it without peas: Omit them and add ½ cup (120 ml) water only if the potatoes need it during cooking. This is a straightforward version with dill as the main green flavor. You can also replace the peas with 1 cup (about 100 g) chopped green beans; add them with the potatoes because they take longer to become tender than peas.
Try a Maharashtrian-style touch: In Maharashtra, dill is known as shepu, and home cooks make shepu bhaji in different ways. Some versions include a little soaked split mung dal or chana dal for texture. To use dal here, soak ¼ cup (50 g) split mung dal in water for 30 minutes, drain it, and add it with the potatoes; add about ¼ cup (60 ml) extra water and check that the dal is fully tender before adding the dill. This changes the dish into a heartier, more substantial bhaji.
Use a different potato or make it dairy-free: Red potatoes or other waxy potatoes hold their shape well. A floury potato such as russet will taste good but is more likely to break down, so stir gently and check it earlier. The recipe contains no dairy; for a richer finish, you can stir in 1 tablespoon (15 g) ghee instead of the oil, though that makes it unsuitable for a vegan meal.
Change the seasoning: Add ½ teaspoon (about 1 g) of ground cumin with the coriander for a warmer, more pronounced spice profile, or finish with a pinch of garam masala. Keep additions modest: dill is aromatic and can be overwhelmed by a heavy spice mix. If you add garam masala, stir it in with the lemon at the end rather than frying it for the full cooking time.
Storage and Reheating
Let leftovers cool briefly, then transfer them to a covered, shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. The sabzi keeps for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator. The potatoes will absorb some of the seasoning as they sit, and the dill’s fresh aroma will become less pronounced, so taste and add a squeeze of lemon after reheating if the flavor seems muted.
Reheat only the portion you plan to eat. Warm it in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with 1 or 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) of water, stirring gently until steaming hot throughout. Alternatively, microwave it in a covered microwave-safe dish, pausing to stir once or twice. USDA FSIS guidance is to reheat leftovers to 165°F (74°C); use a food thermometer to check the center, especially when reheating a larger portion. Do not leave cooked food at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
For longer storage, freeze the cooled sabzi in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 2 months for best quality. The potatoes may become a little softer after thawing, but the dish remains useful in wraps or as a filling with flatbread. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as described above. Freezing is optional; for the best texture and freshest dill flavor, the refrigerated version is preferable.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dill called in Indian cooking? Dill is commonly called suva in Hindi and shepu in Marathi, though names vary by language and region. Aloo suva means a potato-and-dill preparation, while shepu bhaji is a general name for a dill vegetable dish. This recipe combines those familiar ingredients with peas, but household versions differ.
Can I use dried dill instead of fresh dill? Fresh dill is strongly preferred because it is the main green in this sabzi and contributes both bulk and a soft, leafy texture. Dried dill is much more concentrated by volume and will not replace the fresh leaves one-for-one. If fresh dill is unavailable, use about 2 teaspoons (2 g) dried dill as a seasoning, add it with the ground spices, and consider adding spinach or another mild leafy green for volume. The flavor will be different.
Why are my potatoes still hard? The cubes may be larger than ½ inch, the lid may not fit closely, or the heat may be too low to maintain gentle steam. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water, cover the pan, and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes before checking again. Do not add the dill until the potatoes are nearly tender, since the greens can lose their fresh flavor while waiting for firm potatoes to cook.
Can I make this recipe without onion or garlic? Yes. Leave them out and begin by warming the oil and blooming the cumin seeds, then add the potatoes and spices. Add a tablespoon of water if the spices need help coating the potatoes. The finished sabzi will have a cleaner dill flavor and less sweetness from the onion. Avoid adding extra chile automatically; taste first and adjust the seasoning at the end.
Can I prepare the vegetables ahead? You can wash and dry the dill, chop the onion and garlic, and measure the spices several hours ahead; keep the chopped dill refrigerated in a covered container lined with a dry paper towel. For the best potato texture, cut the potatoes shortly before cooking. If you must cut them earlier, keep them submerged in cold water in the refrigerator, then drain and dry them well before adding them to the pan.
Related
- Indian Chicken Curry With Coconut Milk, Made Simply
- Indian Recipe: Weeknight Chana Masala
- Indian Mince Curry with Peas: A Weeknight Keema Recipe
More recipes to cook
Safety notes: safe minimum internal temperatures from USDA FSIS; raw and undercooked fish guidance from the U.S. FDA. Food safety notes
Spotted an error? Tell us and we will correct it (corrections policy).