Have you ever thought about where your favourite potatoes come from? These starchy legends that make every meal better hail from the Andes mountains of South America, where indigenous communities have been cultivating them for over 7,000 years. Long before they made their way to India, potatoes were thriving in terraced fields high up in Peru and Bolivia. They were grown in hundreds of varieties that fed empires and inspired legends.
So how did potatoes reach Indian subcontinent and become a staple diet for lakhs of people in the country? Let us trace its journey!
How did aloo reach India?
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Dutch and Portuguese traders began their journey to the East, reached India and brought along with them potatoes. It quietly made its way to Indian shores, slowly gaining popularity. But it wasn’t until the British period that the potato truly found its place in Indian cuisine. The British, already fond of the vegetable, encouraged its cultivation across the subcontinent, pushing it from novelty to necessity.
While potatoes are indispensable now, did you know that many of the iconic Indian dishes we now associate with potatoes originally had nothing to do with them.
But here’s the fascinating twist—many of the iconic Indian dishes we now associate with potatoes originally had nothing to do with them.
Take dosas, for instance. In 16th-century Karnataka, these crisp, golden crepes were deliciously filled with local ingredients like plantains, tamarind, and spiced lentils. There was no aloo masala for a masala dosa. The potato was added way later!
Another dish that got revolutionised thanks to potatoes is the samosa! Today, it’s hard to imagine this crispy snack without its spicy potato-pea filling. But back in the 15th century, samosas were royal fare in the Malwa region and usually had meat. They were decadent, aromatic, and distinctly different from the humble aloo samosa we devour today.
Even Kolkata's biryani, the one that is incomplete without a potato, was once made sans the ingredient. n the 19th century, Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh was exiled to Kolkata by the British. While he wanted to have his royal Lucknawi biryani, his exile did not leave him much choice. In times of scarcity, when meat was limited, the chefs began adding potatoes. What started as a practical adjustment soon became an iconic dish.
The story of the potato in India is more than just a culinary journey—it’s a tale of migration, adaptation, and transformation.
