There are many different types of potato curry, but I really think the recipe and method I’m sharing with you today is the simplest. This aloo curry is made with very few ingredients: potatoes, water, spices. And yet, somehow, it’s surprisingly flavorful and comforting.
It’s actually kind of amazing how just a few spices can turn potatoes and water into something so delicious. There’s very little work required to make this curry – no need to chop a thing – we’re leaving the potatoes whole. And you can make it in an instant pot or on the stovetop. This recipe makes me feel like a kitchen magician. I want you to know that feeling – that kitchen magician feeling. I promise that if you make this, you will be impressed.
An easy pantry recipe: Potatoes + Water + Spices
This is the ultimate pantry recipe. Aloo curry is the perfect dish to make when you’re running low on ingredients. No onions or garlic or tomatoes here. Just potatoes, water, and spices.
There’s also no need to chop anything. We’re leaving the potatoes whole and smashing them into the curry after we cook them. I usually peel the potatoes when making this curry, but if you’re using thin-skinned potatoes or are just feeling exhausted/tired/lazy (trust me, I get it), you can leave the peel on. I’ve even left the peel on when using thicker-skinned russets (gasp!), and it’s turned out great (just don’t tell my dad, lol).
What kind of potato should I use?
Wondering what kind of potato to use? It doesn’t matter. Use whatever you have at home. I’ve made this dish so many times over the years using Yukons, russets, and red potatoes. It always turns out great.
This is the kind of recipe we need in our lives right now: easy, comforting, flavorful, fuss-free.
Aloo curry is also very economical – I mean, the main ingredients are potatoes and water (have I said that enough?). And if you do any Indian cooking at home, hopefully, you already have the spices for this recipe in your spice cabinet. The only spice in this dish that might seem unusual (if you’re newer to Indian cooking) is amchur, dried green mango powder. It adds a tangy “chatpata” flavor to this curry; you don’t need it, but I think it makes the curry significantly better.
Serve this aloo curry with fried puris or, if you’re gluten-free, serve it with paleo naan or coconut flour naan or plain basmati rice. Or eat a bowl of this on its own.
I really think you’ll be surprised at how good this curry is considering how simple it is to make. Let me know if you give it a try! 🙂
Want More Potato Recipes?
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds potatoes leave whole, peeled
- 2 tablespoons ghee or oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 green chili minced
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon amchur green mango powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne to taste
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Press sauté, add ghee to the pot and once it melts, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and green chili. Once the cumin seeds brown, add the remaining ingredients to the pot.
- Secure the lid, close the pressure valve and cook at high pressure for 10 minutes.
- Naturally release pressure for 10 minutes.
- Use a fork to break the potatoes apart, smashing some of the potatoes into the curry to thicken the sauce.
- Add more water to adjust the curry to your desired consistency. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Stovetop Directions:
- Make deep slits in the potatoes and set aside for now.
- In a medium-sized pot, add ghee and once it melts, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and green chili. Once the cumin seeds brown, add the remaining ingredients (including the potatoes) to the pot.
- Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and flip the whole potatoes over onto the other side. Pour an additional 2 cups of water into the pot. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes.
- Remove the lid and break the potatoes apart with a fork, smashing some of them into the curry to help thicken the sauce.
- Add more water to adjust the curry to your desired consistency. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
How to Make this with Pre-Boiled Potatoes:
- To boil potatoes, place them into a large pot and cover with cold water so that the water is an inch above the potatoes. Cover the pot and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to medium. Test for doneness at 30 minutes. A sharp knife should easily go through the potato. Drain and set aside.
- In a medium-sized pot, heat ghee over medium heat. Once it melts, add cumin seeds and mustard seeds.
- When the cumin and mustard seeds begin to splutter, add the remaining spices.
- Add the cooked potatoes to the pot and mix well, breaking them apart as you mix. Add the water to the pot. Raise the heat to high to bring the potato curry to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add more water to adjust the curry to your desired consistency. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
Notes
- I think this dish tastes better with ghee but if you want to make this vegan, use oil.
Just for fun, here are some old photos of this recipe from March 2015:
cg says
this looks absolutely delicious!!! ashley does this have any onions or tomatoes? from pictures it looks like it does but i don’t see it referenced in the ingredient list
(sorry for the stupid question!)
Mala says
Just made this soup. My som has a cold so I thought this would be perfect without onions and tomatoes easily digestible. Came out delicious. I added tofu for a bit of protein. Thank you very much
Erika says
I made the stove-top version. It worked great! I used a potato masher and my curry ended up looking more like porridge, but that is fine! It tastes good and is very cost effective.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this recipe 🙂
Daelen says
How many does this feed?
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’d say it’ll serve 4. 🙂
Kirsten says
I would say 4 at the most, single servings.
Deepa says
OMG, comfort food at its finest!!!!!!
I added some rotisserie chicken to it that I needed to use up and it was a huge hit. Once again, Ashley exceeds expectations!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Deepa, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how much you liked this 🙂 And for sharing the tip about rotisserie chicken!
Jenny says
I made this last night and, LOVE LOVE LOVE! It is buttery and comforting, and theres no butter in it! I loved it and will def make it again! Thank u for this recipe!
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jenny, that’s so great to hear! Thank you for letting me know how the aloo curry turned out for you 🙂
Asha says
Hi Ashley & Happy New Year! Your potato soup/curry was the first dish I made with my instant pot. It was delicious and SO easy to prepare with very few ingredients. I especially love the cumin! I look forward to trying your other vegan recipes! Thank you 😀
My Heart Beets says
Happy New Year Asha! I’m so glad you made and liked this! Can’t wait to hear what you think of other recipes you try 🙂
Bala Cherla says
Just made this recipe and it’s come out tasty! My husband who makes THE best food in our home, even enjoyed this! I go for easy, simple and tasty and this hit all those! Thanks so much, Ashley!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Bala, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how this turned out 🙂
Michelle says
Love this. What could we make to go with it to add some protein (vegetarian or not?)
I was thinking of adding some chickpeas directly to the potato curry but I know that isn’t traditional…
My Heart Beets says
Chickpeas would be great! Paneer would work well too 🙂
Neena says
Delicious as it is. I added 3 to 4 tablespoons of buttermilk at the end, gives a nice tang and consistency.
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Neena 🙂 I love the buttermilk idea – trying that soon!
Jeff Neuwirth says
Could this recipe be doubled in the instant pot? Would pressure time need to be adjusted? Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Jeff, I’m sure you can double this – my suggestion would be to double all the ingredients but leave the cook time the same. The pot will just take longer to come to pressure since there’ll be more liquid in the pot.
Irene says
Thanks for this recipe, Ashley! I used coconut oil instead of ghee, and also added fresh curry leaves along with cumin and mustard seeds… Came out very yummy and satisfying!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Irene, I’m so glad you liked it! Love those subs – sounds delish!
Holly says
This is fast, satisfying, and CHEAP!!! I have a large family, and appreciate that fast food doesn’t have to mean unhealthy food when I follow Ashley’s recipes. It tastes like a gourmet cuisine, yet is on the table in under 20 minutes.
My Heart Beets says
Hi Holly! Thanks for the kind words 🙂 I’m so glad you liked this curry – and that you’re enjoying my recipes 🙂
Jasmine says
This was quite good, especially for how simple it was. My ghee was quite old and had gone off so I wish I hadn’t used it. I’ll try with oil next time. I also added cilantro for garnish (of course), a few boiled eggs and ate with naan. I had a mix of yukon golds and russets (though the yukons are my favorite) and it worked out well. Nice, simple recipe to use up extra potatoes.
My Heart Beets says
Glad you liked it, Jasmine! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you.
Tracy says
Hi,
I am really enjoying your IP recipes! Butter chickpeas and pork and potato vindaloo are my current favorites. The print recipe button for the aloo curry is bringing up a different version of the recipe than is on the website and it is a stovetop recipe. I’d like to be able to print the IP recipe that’s on your site. Thanks!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Tracy, I’m glad to hear that you’re enjoying my recipes! That is so strange – I just tried and see my recipe – if you have a few minutes, would you mind emailing me a screenshot of what you see? Thank you!
Sadaf says
Comforting soup recipe! It was really quick and easy to make. I made mine a bit spicier by adding more cayenne and chili pepper.
My Heart Beets says
Sadaf, I’m glad you liked it 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you!
Xanthe says
I really want to make this today but the Amchur powder I ordered still hasn’t arrived. Is there something I can used as a substitute?
Jess says
Quick question – what type of chili do you use here for the green chili? I can’t wait to try this!
My Heart Beets says
Hi Jess, I typically use bird’s eye chilies (the green chilies typically ground in Indian grocery stores) or serrano peppers. Let me know what you think!
Mai Gandhi says
Ashley, thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Quick question though, can I try it with black mustard seed instead of mustard seed? Thank you, Mai
My Heart Beets says
Yes, I always use black or brown mustard seeds in Indian recipes – either work 🙂 Let me know what you think!
Mai Gandhi says
The aloo curry tasted amazing. My husband, who is a Punjabi, loves it so much he had it the next day and the day after too. I used black mustard seeds. Thank you so much
My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for letting me know how it turned out 🙂
Maneesha says
Great recipe, Ashley! I love experimenting with different ways of cooking sabzis, and this potato curry was great! i like the addition of the amchur, and like that we could place the potatoes whole into the instant pot! Yummy!
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Maneesha! I’m so glad you liked this 🙂 I hope you’re doing well and staying safe!
Sandy says
Can you use amla powder in place of green mango powder?
Dianne says
Will sweet potatoes work in this one Ashley? Thanks.
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Hi Dianne, you know, that’s a good question. I’m actually surprised that I haven’t tried that yet lol. I’m sure it’ll work but I’m not sure about the flavor. It may be delicious, I just don’t know. If you try, please let us know how it goes!
kim says
Potatoes are not fattening. It’s the junk most people put on them (butter, cream, sour cream, cheese, etc) that’s fattening. With a whole foods plant-based way of eating, potatoes in their whole form are very healthy and can be eaten ad libitum.
Thanks for the recipe!
Deanna says
This is super easy and has good flavor. The first time I made it I made two separate batches, one with water and one with chicken broth. Turns out the one with water was the best. Great soup to feed a crowd and for cold winter nights. Leftovers taste even better as the flavors meld together. Thank you for a quick, easy, low-cost recipe for my fall and winter repertoire.
My Heart Beets says
Deanna, thank you 🙂 Happy to hear that you like this recipe!
Simon says
this sounds good. Something new to try as well. thanks for sharing this recipe.
Simon
My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Simon!