Potato Curry Recipe (Indian Aloo Curry)

Potato Curry (also called Aloo Curry) is a simple North Indian curry made with potatoes cooked in a lightly spiced onion-tomato gravy with garlic, herbs and aromatic spices. This comforting one-pot curry is easy to make and pairs well with steamed rice, roti or paratha. It is naturally vegan and gluten-free.

More Potato-Based Curries To Try

1. Aloo Gobi
2. Aloo Matar
3. Aloo Paneer
4. Aloo Palak
5. Kashmiri Dum Aloo

How To Make Potato Curry (Stepwise)

Make Onion Tomato Masala

1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan or kadai (wok). Add ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds. No need to brown garlic.

You can also add 2 tablespoons oil. You could use any neutral flavored oil.

For this recipe, I prefer to use peanut oil. However, you can also make it in sunflower oil, canola oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil.

2. Next, add ½ cup chopped onions.

3. Sauté on medium-low to medium heat until onions are softened and turn translucent. Stir at intervals.

4. Next, add 1 cup tightly packed chopped tomatoes.

5. Mix very well.

6. Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on low or medium-low heat until the tomatoes soften.

Check a couple of times, while the tomatoes are cooking.

Tip 1: If the tomatoes stick to the pan, add a few splashes of water, deglaze the pan and continue to cook.

Tip 2: If you are making this curry in a pressure cooker, then sauté the tomatoes without covering the pressure cooker with its lid.

Tip 3: You could sauté the tomatoes without covering with a lid.

7. Cook for about 6 to 7 minutes or until the tomatoes soften and become mushy.

8. When the tomatoes have softened well, lower the heat and add the ground spices listed below:

• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder or sweet paprika (or ½ teaspoon regular red chili powder or cayenne pepper)
• ½ teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder – optional

Tip: For making a spicy Aloo Curry, you can add more red chili powder. You can also add 1 finely chopped green chili (or ½ teaspoon chopped green chili or serrano pepper).

9. Mix the ground spice powders evenly with the onion-tomato mixture.

Make Potato Curry

10. Next, add 4 medium peeled, diced potatoes and salt as required.

11. Mix very well.

12. Pour 2 cups water and stir to combine.

If using a stovetop pressure cooker: If making this curry in a stove-top pressure cooker, use a 2 or 3-liter pressure cooker. Follow all the steps from 1 to 11 as mentioned above. Add 1 to 1.25 cups water. Pressure cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 whistles or 7 to 8 minutes.

13. Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on medium to medium-high heat till the potatoes are cooked.

Depending on the quality of potatoes & the size of the diced potato cubes, it may take about 15 to 20 minutes for the potatoes to become fork tender. But make sure you do not overcook them.

14. Check a couple of times, while the curry is simmering.

15. The Aloo Curry will thicken slightly by the time the potatoes are done. You will also see some oil specks on the top of the gravy.

Tip: In case you plan to serve this curry with roti, chapati or bread, then you can add less water and make the curry consistency thicker.

However, if you want to serve it with rice, then you can add a bit more water and let the curry be slightly thin in consistency.

You can adjust the consistency of the curry as per your needs.

16. Then, switch off the heat and add ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.

17. Serve Potato Curry hot or warm. Opt to garnish with a few chopped coriander leaves if you like.

Serving Suggestions

Here are a few ways that you can serve this Aloo Curry and enjoy:

• Indian breads: Potato Curry pairs really well with Indian breads like Roti, Paratha and poori. You can also serve with spiced and flavored Indian breads like Thepla or Ajwain Paratha.
• Baked breads: Any good loaf of White Bread or Whole Grain Bread goes well with this potato gravy. You can also serve it with Dinner Rolls.
• Rice: Steamed white rice and the potato curry is another great combination. Spiced rice dishes like Jeera Rice also taste good with this tangy curry.

How To Make It In The Instant Pot

1. Using the sauté function of a 6 quart Instant Pot, add oil in the steel inner pot. When the oil is lightly hot, add the garlic and sauté for a couple of seconds.
2. Tip in the onions and sauté, stirring often, until the onions soften.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes. Sauté until tomatoes soften and turn pulpy.
4. Add all the ground spices and mix thoroughly. Add the diced potatoes, salt according to taste and 1 cup water. Mix and deglaze.
5. Place the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure it is sealed and securely locked. Next turn the the steam release vent to the sealing position.
6. Pressure cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Do a quick pressure release after 3 minutes.
7. If you find the curry thin, press the sauté button and sauté the curry for 5 to 7 minutes or until you get the desired consistency. Mashing the potatoes a bit will also thicken the curry.
8. Finish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Helpful Tips

• Potato Type: For Indian curry or gravy recipes, the potato varieties that are well suited are red skinned potatoes, Yukon gold (yellow potatoes), baby potatoes and Russet potatoes.
• Using Boiled or Mashed Potatoes: If you have leftover boiled potatoes or simple unseasoned mashed potatoes, add them at the step when the tomatoes are soft and pulpy. Then, add salt and 1 cup water or as required. Mix and simmer for 5 minutes. You can add less or more water, according to the consistency you prefer.
• Tomatoes: In India, we get fresh tomatoes throughout the year. So, canned tomatoes is something unheard of with most folks. If you do not have access to fresh tomatoes, use ½ cup tomato puree or 1 cup chopped or crushed canned tomatoes.
• Choice of Fat: You can use any neutral flavored oil to make this curry recipe. For instance, peanut oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil or even avocado oil.
• Spices: The list of ground spices in the recipe are the basic Indian ones which you can easily find online on Amazon or in an Indian or Asian grocery store.
• Garam masala powder: One of the most important spice mixes added to many dishes in North Indian cuisine is the garam masala powder. Replace it with ½ teaspoon curry powder, if you do not have it. Or make your own with my trusted and tried Garam Masala Recipe.

Potato Curry recipe from the archives was first published on December 2016.