This Potato curry is a simple flavorful curry made with sharp onions, tangy tomatoes, fresh herbs and fragrant spices. This is a quick and tasty one pot aloo curry. The recipe is also gluten-free and vegan.
Table of Contents
Potato Curry – A Comfort Food!
Potato curry is one of those recipes that is full of memories for me. Growing up, my mom used to make this easy potato curry for all of us.
The combo of rice and this delicious potato curry would be comforting and till today it is one of my favorite meal. I am sure you also must be having your favorite potato curry.
This is just a basic simple potato curry but packed with flavors. The taste is reminiscent of the simple humble food made in Indian villages.
I have been fortunate enough to have meals in the homes of a few villagers and their meals are healthy, nutritious and tasty.
Potato is known as “Aloo” or “Alu” in Hindi. Thus the name of any curry or gravy made only with potatoes is called Aloo Curry or Aloo Gravy in Hindi.
About this recipe
My potato curry is also one of those recipes that you can make in a hurry after a tired day’s work or when you have no veggies or lentils in your pantry.
In India, every region has its own version and variation of a potato curry. Mostly in many Indian states, aloo curry is relished with the Indian fried bread aka poori.
My potato curry recipe is an exception. It tastes great with steamed rice and even with Indian breads like roti or paratha.
There is little extra oil used in this curry and that does make a difference in the overall taste. If you prefer you can add less oil.
This is a one-pot curry. The potatoes are cooked in the sautéed onion-tomato base. So you see this cooking method saves time.
You can also make aloo curry in a stove-top pressure cooker or the Instant pot. Add less water if making in either of these.
I have mentioned below on how you can make this curry in a stove-top pressure cooker (in the step-by-step guide) and the Instant pot (below the step-by-step guide and in the recipe card notes).
The pressure cooked aloo curry tastes different than one made in pan. For best taste, I would suggest making this potato gravy in a pan or pot.
How to make Potato Curry
Sautéing onions, tomatoes
1. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a pan or kadai. Add ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic and saute for a few seconds. No need to brown garlic. You can also add 2 tablespoons oil.
You can 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 until the onions turn translucent on a medium-low heat. Keep on stirring in intervals.
4. Then add 1 cup of tightly packed chopped tomatoes.
5. Mix very well.
6. Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a low heat until the tomatoes soften and become mushy. Do check a couple of times when the tomatoes are cooking.
TIP: If the tomatoes stick to the pan, adding a few splashes of water, deglaze the pan and continue to cook.
TIP: If you are making this curry in a pressure cooker, then sauté the tomatoes without covering your pressure cooker with its lid.
7. Cook until the tomatoes soften and become mushy.
8. When the tomatoes have softened well, then add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder (or ½ teaspoon regular red chilli powder or cayenne pepper), ½ teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala powder and ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional).
TIP: For making a spicy potato curry you can increase the amount of red chili powder. You can also add 1 finely chopped green chili (or ½ teaspoon chopped green chili or serrano pepper).
9. Mix the spice powders very well with the onion-tomato mixture.
Adding potatoes
10. Then add diced potatoes (4 medium sized potatoes, diced). Also season with salt as required.
11. Mix very well.
12. Pour 2 cups of water and stir well.
TIP: If making this curry in a stove-top pressure cooker, then use a 2 or 3 litre 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 7 to 8 minutes or 2 to 3 whistles.
Cooking potato curry
13. Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a medium to medium-high flame until the potatoes are cooked.
14. Do check a couple of times when your 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 or chapati or bread, then you can add less water and make the curry consistency more thick.
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 (cilantro). Mix very well.
17. Serve potato curry hot or warm.
Serving suggestions
- Indian breads: Potato curry pairs so well with Indian breads like roti, paratha, poori. You can also serve with spiced Indian breads like methi thepla or ajwain paratha.
- Rice: Steamed white rice is another great combination. Spiced rice dishes like jeera rice also taste good with potato curry.
- Baked breads: Any good loaf of white bread or whole grain bread goes well with the potato curry. You can also serve it with dinner rolls.
Variations
Adding veggies to this basic potato curry will make it more nutritious and flavorful. The aloo curry will take on the flavors of the vegetables that you add. Peas, capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli and green beans pair wonderfully with potatoes in this humble curry.
Instant Pot Potato Curry
- Using the sauté function of the Instant pot, add oil in the steel insert. When the oil becomes hot, add the garlic and sauté for a couple of seconds.
- Tip in the onions and sauté stirring often until onions soften.
- Add the chopped tomatoes. Sauté until they soften and become pulpy.
- Add all the ground spices and mix thoroughly. Add the diced potatoes, salt and 1 cup water. Mix and deglaze.
- Pressure cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Do a quick pressure release after 3 minutes.
- If you find the curry thin for your liking, then press the sauté button and sauté the curry for 5 to 7 minutes until you get the desired consistency. Mashing the potatoes a bit will also thicken the curry.
- Finish with coriander leaves and serve hot.
How can I make potato curry with boiled or mashed potatoes?
If you have leftover boiled potatoes or just simple unseasoned mashed potatoes, then add them at the step when the tomatoes have becomes soft and pulpy.
Add in the 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.
Expert 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.
- Tomatoes: In India, we get fresh tomatoes throughout the whole 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.
- Spices: The list of ground spices in the recipe are the basic Indian ground spices which you can easily find online on amazon or in an Indian or asian grocery store.
- Garam Masala: One of the most important ground spice mix added to many dishes from the North Indian cuisine, is garam masala. Replace it with ½ teaspoon of curry powder, if you do not have it. Or make your own with my trusted and tried Garam Masala Recipe.
More Indian Potato Curries
Vegetable Recipes
Curry Recipes
Palak Recipes (Spinach Recipes)
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Potato Curry
Ingredients
- 4 potatoes (medium sized) – 280 grams, rinsed, peeled and chopped
- ½ cup chopped onions – 60 grams or 1 medium-sized onion
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes (tightly packed) – 160 grams or 2 medium to large tomatoes
- ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 2 small to medium garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons oil – any neutral oil, you can also add 2 tablespoons oil
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder or ½ teaspoon red chilli powder or cayenne pepper
- ½ teaspoon Coriander Powder (ground coriander)
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (ground cumin) – optional
- 2 cups water
- ¼ cup chopped coriander leaves (cilantro)
- salt as required
Instructions
Sautéing onions and tomatoes
- Heat oil in a pan or kadai. You can use any neutral flavored oil. My personal preference is to use peanut oil for this recipe.
- Add finely chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds. No need to brown garlic.
- Next add chopped onions. Keep on stirring in intervals and sauté till they turn translucent.
- Then add chopped tomatoes and mix very well.
- Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a low flame till the tomatoes soften and become mushy. Do check a couple of times when the tomatoes are cooking.
- When the tomatoes have softened well, then add turmeric powder, kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and cumin powder (optional).
- If you want to make a spicy curry then you can increase the red chilli powder or add ½ teaspoon chopped green chilli.
- Mix the spice powders very well with the onion-tomato mixture.
Adding potatoes
- Then add diced potatoes. Also season with salt as required. Mix very well.
- Pour 2 cups water and mix again.
Cooking potato curry
- Cover the pan with its lid and simmer on a medium to medium-high heat until the potatoes are cooked.
- Do check a couple of times when the curry is simmering.
- The curry will thicken slightly by the time the potatoes are done.
- You can adjust the consistency of the curry as per your needs. Example if you want to serve this potato curry with rice then you can add a bit more water and let the curry be slightly thin in consistency. In case you are planing to have it with roti or plain paratha, then you can add less water and make the curry consistency more thick.
- Once you get the desired consistency in the curry, then switch off the heat and add chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
- Serve potato curry hot or warm
Serving suggestions
- Indian breads: Roti, paratha, poori pair nicely with potato curry. You can also serve with spiced Indian breads like methi thepla or ajwain paratha.
- Rice: Steamed white rice or jeera rice also tastes good with potato curry.
- Baked breads: Any good loaf of white bread or whole grain bread pairs well with potato curry. You can also serve it with dinner rolls.
Notes
Ingredient Notes
- Potato variety: Use red skinned potatoes, Yukon gold (yellow potatoes), baby potatoes, and russet potatoes.
- Spices: The list of ground spices in the recipe are the basic Indian ground spices which you can easily find online on amazon or in an Indian or asian grocery store.
Ingredients Swaps
- Tomatoes: Use ½ cup tomato puree or 1 cup chopped or crushed canned tomatoes as a substitute for fresh tomatoes.
- Garam Masala: Replace garam masala powder with ½ teaspoon of curry powder, if you do not have it.
Instant Pot Cooking
- Press the sauté button of your IP. Heat oil in the steel insert. Add garlic and sauté for a couple of seconds.
- Add in the onions and sauté stirring often until onions soften. Add the chopped tomatoes and and sauté until the tomatoes soften and become pulpy.
- Now add all the ground spices and mix thoroughly. Add the diced potatoes, salt and 1 cup water. Mix and deglaze.
- Pressure cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes. Do a quick pressure release after 3 minutes.
- If you find the curry thin for your liking, then press the sauté button and sauté the curry for 5 to 7 minutes until you get the desired consistency. Mix in the coriander leaves and serve hot.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This potato curry recipe from the archives (December 2016) has been republished and updated on 21 December 2020.
Thank you, I had a delicious yet not super complicated dinner. And the spices will be useful for upcoming indian cooking sessions 🙏.
Welcome and thanks.