I love making this Instant Pot Aloo Matar – Indian Potatoes and Peas Curry for its simplicity and amazing taste. This potato recipe is undoubtedly a true crowd pleaser and is perfect with steamed rice or tortillas. And guess what! It is vegan and gluten free too!
Potatoes and peas equal to aloo matar in Hindi. It is a recipe that is very common across India. People make it with adding onions, tomatoes and some generic spices. It is very flavorful and delicious. It is a perfect weeknight meal!
Instant Pot Aloo Matar – Indian Potatoes and Peas Curry – Ingredients
Oil, potatoes, peas, onion, cumin seeds, tomatoes, Serrano peppers (optional), kashmiri chili powder, ground cumin, ground turmeric, ground coriander, ground ginger, salt, ginger garlic paste, water, and fresh cilantro.
I personally prefer to use Yukon gold potatoes because they are so silky and smooth. But can you also you red potatoes? Absolutely! The key is that they need to be chopped to small cubes not more than 2-inch cubes each. If you chop them to large chunks they may not cook well and have a bite to them. I have used small to medium sized potatoes.
I have used frozen green peas. There is no need to thaw them.
How do I make this recipe in the instant pot?
Prep:
Firstly, rinse, peel, and cut the potato into 2-inch cubes.
Additionally, dice the onion and cilantro finely.
Furthermore, puree the tomatoes and Serrano peppers. I have pureed 2 Serrano peppers along with the tomatoes. You can eliminate the Serrano peppers if you can’t tolerate heat. If you like less heat, then you use only 1.
Cook:
Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add in oil to the pot.
Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds.
Let the cumin seeds splutter, then add the diced onions and ginger garlic paste. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
When the onions turn golden in roughly 2 to 4 minutes, add in the potatoes. Let them saute for a minute or two. Keep stirring.
Step 5:
Subsequently add in Kashmiri chili powder and 1/4 cup water. Give it a good stir.
Add in ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, ground turmeric, and salt. Give it a good stir.
Add the pureed tomatoes. Stir and let it saute for about 1 to 2 minutes to let the raw tomato odor out. Keep stirring gently.
Finally, add peas, 1 and 3/4 cup water and give it a good stir. Select cancel. Put the lid on and select manual/high pressure for 5 minutes. When done quick release the pressure. Garnish with cilantro. Transfer in a serving bowl and serve over steamed rice or with tortillas.
Can I made this on the stove top? Certainly
Stove top method: If you do not have an instant pot you can follow the same steps and cook this dish in a Iarge skillet or a wok with a lid. Heat oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds splutter, add the diced onions and ginger garlic paste. Stir occasionally to prevent burning. When the onions turn golden in roughly 2 to 4 minutes, add the cut potatoes. Let them sauté for a minute or two. Keep stirring. Then add Kashmiri chili powder and 1/4 th cup water. Stir well.
Further, add ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, ground turmeric, and salt. Give it a good stir. Add the pureed tomatoes. Stir and let it sauté for about 1 to 2 minutes to let the raw tomato odor out. Keep stirring gently. Finally, add 1 and 3/4 cup water (or more) and give it a good stir. Change to medium heat, cover and allow to cook at least 10 minutes, or until potatoes are almost softened. Garnish with cilantro.
Please try some of my other recipes:
Instant Pot Indian Sukhe Aloo / Instant Pot Indian Style Stir-Fry Potatoes
Green Beans and Potato Curry / Instant Pot Beans Aloo
Instant Pot Cauliflower and Paneer Curry with Milk and Turmeric / Instant Pot Kashmiri Gobi Paneer
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Instant Pot Aloo Matar – Indian Potatoes and Peas Curry
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp oil of choice
- 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
- 1/2 large onion finely chopped (1 cup chopped finely)
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste (freshly minced or packaged)
- 3 potatoes (small to medium yukon golden potatoes, roughly 1/2 pounds) (2 cups cubed to no larger than 2 inch cubes)
- 1/2 tbsp kashmiri chili powder
- 2 cups water (divided)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin (jeera powder)
- 1 tbsp ground coriander (dhaniya powder)
- 1/3 tsp ground ginger (sonth)
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric (haldi)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 and 1/2 tomato (pureed, roughly 1 cup when pureed)
- 2 cups peas (frozen, no need to thaw)
- 2 Serrano peppers, small pureed along with the tomatoes (optional) (hari mirch)
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
Prep
- Rinse, peel, and cut the potato into 2-inch cubes.
- Dice the onion and cilantro finely.
- Puree the tomatoes and Serrano peppers. I have pureed 2 Serrano peppers along with the tomatoes. You can eliminate the Serrano peppers if you can’t tolerate heat. If you like less heat, then you can use only 1.
Cook
- Select sauté on the instant pot and adjust to normal. Add oil to the pot.
- When the oil is hot add cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds splutter, add the diced onions and ginger garlic paste. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
- When the onions turn golden in roughly 2 to 4 minutes, add the cut potatoes. Let them saute for a minute or two. Keep stirring.
- Then add Kashmiri chili powder and 1/4 th cup water. Stir well.
- Add ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, ground turmeric, and salt. Give it a good stir.
- Add the pureed tomatoes. Stir and let it saute for about 1 to 2 minutes to let the raw tomato odor out. Keep stirring gently.
- Finally, add peas and 1 and 3/4 cup water and give it a good stir. Select cancel. Put the lid on and select manual/high pressure for 5 minutes. When ready quick release the pressure. Garnish with cilantro.
Notes
- On a scale of 1 to 5 in terms of spice levels I would say this dish is a 4 with the Serrano peppers. You can reduce the heat by reducing or eliminating the Serrano peppers.
- The Kashmiri chili powder imparts a beautiful red color to the dish and is not spicy.
Very well explained recipe.