This farali sweet potato and potato shaak is a satisfying and comforting dish. It is made with white-fleshed sweet potatoes (the Indian variety) and regular potatoes. The shaak is gently spiced and finished with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut for a nutty, slightly sweet flavour.

It's sometimes called sing bataka ni khichdi.

Sweet potato nu shaak in a pan, next to a bowl of chopped herbs and crushed peanuts.

Note – This recipe has been updated from our recipe archives with new images and content. First published on 2 March 2016.

In many Gujarati homes, including ours, dishes like this are prepared during fasting days such as Navratri, Ekadashi, or Mahashivratri.

I cook shakarkand nu shaak slowly so the potatoes become tender while staying intact. Afterwards, it's finished with lemon juice and fresh coriander for brightness. The result is a dry stir-fry and works perfectly as part of a larger farali meal.

Handy tip: quick and easy!

Sometimes for ease and speed, I boil the potatoes in advance and then simply stir fry. It's the similar technique to making sukhi bhaji.

Ingredients highlights

Be sure to check out the full recipe and exact ingredient list below in the recipe card.

I like to use roasted peanut powder, sesame powder and coconut as they add richness and texture without needing grains or complex spices. It’s a common technique in many fasting recipes because it keeps the dish filling and flavourful.

White-fleshed sweet potatoes are traditionally used here. They are less sweet and firmer than orange sweet potatoes, which helps the slices hold their shape when cooked. If you can’t find them, orange sweet potatoes will still work, but I find the dish will be slightly sweeter.

Serving Suggestion

This potato and sweet potato stir fry is usually served as part of a fasting thali. Because the dish is dry, I like to pair it with it either plain yogurt or a mixed fruit raita. Another side which works well are these crispy sabudana vada made with tapioca pearls.
A farali thali is incomplete with something sweet! I tend to include a sweet dish made with amaranth flour such as rajgira halwa (without milk) or a nutty rajgiro magas.

More Recipe Tips

This is a straightforward recipe, but I've found these small tips will help the dish turn out perfectly.

Cut the potatoes evenly - keeping the cubes similar in thickness ensures they cook at the same rate.
Cook the potatoes slowly - this shaak is best cooked on low heat, allowing the potatoes to soften without breaking apart.
Don’t skip roasting the peanuts and sesame - roasting brings out their nutty flavour and makes the powders more aromatic.
Add the powders towards the end - peanut, sesame and coconut powders can burn quickly, so they should only be added once the potatoes are almost cooked.
Finish with lemon juice - a little lemon at the end brightens the dish and balances the sweetness of the potatoes.

Gujarati style sweet potato shaak garnished with chopped coriander and roasted peanut powder in a pan.

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Farali Shakarkandi Bateta nu Shaak

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This farali sweet potato and potato shaak is made with white-fleshed sweet potatoes and regular potatoes. The shaak is gently spiced and finished with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut for a nutty, slightly sweet flavour.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Gujarati

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Author Hayley Dhanecha

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato white-fleshed
1 medium potato
3 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2-3 green chillies slit
2 tablespoon roasted peanut powder
2 tablespoon roasted sesame seed powder optional
2 tablespoon grated coconut or desiccated coconut optional
1 tablespoon sugar or to taste
lemon juice to taste
coriander leaves chopped
rock salt sindhav mithu, to taste

Instructions

Peel 1 medium sweet potato and 1 medium potato and cut into small equal size cubes.
In a thick-bottom pan, heat 3 tablespoon oil and add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Once seeds splutters, add 2-3 green chillies.
Add cubed potatoes and rock salt, mix well. Sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of water and cook potatoes on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Cover the pan with a lid. Keep stirring in between to prevent sticking potatoes base of the pan.
Cook the potatoes until they are fork tender but not mushy. If needed sprinkle extra water and cook further.
Turn off the heat, add the 2 tablespoon roasted peanut powder, 2 tablespoon roasted sesame seed powder, 2 tablespoon grated coconut or desiccated coconut, and 1 tablespoon sugar.
Finish with lemon juice and garnish with fresh coriander leaves before serving.

Notes

You can also boil the potatoes, then peel the skin and use directly in the recipe.

Nutrition

PLEASE NOTE: Nutritional values are estimated by a computer and may vary based on ingredients and portion sizes. For personalised dietary advice, please consult a qualified healthcare professional.

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