Aloo Matar-Indian potato peas curry

Today, warm and rich Instant Pot Aloo matar-Indian potato peas curry belongs to one of my most loved all-time favorites. This spicy vegan potato peas curry is made with tomato, and onion gravy and has more options for variations and personalizations.

Another special benefit of this Punjabi-style aloo matar recipe is that it is made exclusively with Instant Pot. From sauteing to pressure cooking, the entire cooking is done with an Instant Pot. So it is one pot dish without the hassle of cleaning the multiple pans and dishes.

Like most Indian curry recipes, this is vegan and made with common Indian ingredients. Nowadays, most of these authentic spices are available here in the United States as well.

To sum up, this aloo matar curry is vegan, clean eating, real food that everything is made from scratch. As you might already know, PepperBowl has most healthy recipes from scratch.

This Instant Pot aloo matar is a flavorful, delicious side dish, perfect for serving over a bed of rice or with Indian flat bread like roti and paratha. The good thing is that you can use the same procedure using a pressure cooker or stovetop method.

You may look into other famous Indian curry recipes like Instant pot potato curry, Indian cabbage curry, Salmon curry, Aloo palak,

Do I think I share too much of Indian curry? Well, you might be right, I love these and this is what I regularly make for my family. This is one of the famous Indian recipes with potatoes and peas.

Interestingly, I have come across a question: ‘How often do Indians eat curry’?  Indian food and curry are inseparable.

Where curry is the generic term, the curry you eat in restaurants is the specialized dish we occasionally make. We eat these simple and humble dishes daily, as I made today aloo matar vegan side dish.

What is Aloo Matar?

Aloo matar is typically translated to potato and peas. This Punjabi-style side dish is usually served with Indian bread like roti, chapati, paratha, or rice.

Punjab is a western state known for its impeccable cuisine, locally called ‘aloo matar ki subzi,’ which can be translated as a side dish with potato and peas.

How does this aloo matar taste like?

This tastes wonderful and satisfying and is way beyond your expectations. Every bite is spicy, a bouquet of aroma with a hint of masala and tomato.

A delicious caution here: the curry smells great(like this curry aioli) and could invite even the stubborn neighbors to your doorsteps. Am I exaggerating too much? Yes, I think I am; it is all because of the appreciation I received so far.

How to serve?

This aloo matar recipe dhaba style(Punjabi roadside style potato curry) is semi-gravy like a thick gravy, which makes it perfect to serve with rice or Indian flatbread.

Traditionally, this vegan curry is served with paratha and roti. Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves just before serving. This increases the aroma of the dish and makes it more appetizing.

Make ahead ideas?

Though the cooking time is minimal in this aloo matar dhaba style recipe, you could still save time by preparing the base in advance.

The main time-consuming part of this dish is sauteing the onion and tomato to make the gravy. It costs time and needs your focus and attention to cook it perfectly.

You can reduce the stress by making the base gravy in advance. The good part is that you can use this gravy for multiple dishes. So, the point taken from here is to make the aloo matar gravy bulk in advance and store it in the freezer.

Thaw a portion of gravy and make your dream curry easily within no time.

To cook Indian food faster, the Instant Pot and the pressure cooker are the most reliable sources you can depend on. I trust them and believe that this modern equipment made my life easier.

How to store?

This Instant Pot Indian potato peas curry is good to keep on the kitchen counter for a day, up to 4 days in the refrigerator, and up to 4 months in the freezer. This a freezer-friendly recipe; you can make it well in advance and store it. Reheat with a microwave or by stove top method.

As discussed in the above paragraph, you can freeze the gravy. Thaw the gravy for the crowd and parties and combine and cook with the vegetables whenever needed. On the other hand, brings down half of the work and effort you put into the kitchen.

Adjusting Spice Level.

When talking about curry, you always talk about spiciness. Curry and spicy(the heat) are inseparable terms in Indian cooking. You can bring Indian to your kitchen by making this spicy vegan aloo matar curry with less effort.

Before Cooking. If you worry about the spice level, you are the queen and you decide what to go in there. Reduce the red chili powder substantially to your spice level, or you may even substitute one teaspoon of red chili powder with half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and 1 teaspoonful of paprika.

These are some of my suggestions, which you can opt for before cooking.

After cooking. If you feel it is too spicy after completing the dish, add a blog of butter or a couple of tablespoons of heavy cream. This makes the curry rich and tastes like a restaurant-style(adding heavy cream is one the top secrets of Indian restaurants).

Variations for Indian Potato peas curry

• Add chopped carrot or cauliflower florets to the curry. This makes this curry look more vibrant.
• You may add coconut milk to make it creamy and Rich.
• Add fresh mint leaves, and just a few leaves give the recipe a new look, which makes it old-fashioned, refreshing gravy.
• you may also substitute potato with sweet potato.
• I have peeled the skin of the potatoes here. But if you're using golden potatoes and love to eat the potatoes with the skin, please go ahead and make this dish with the potato skin on.
• Swap fresh tomato with store-bought tomato puree or diced tomato. This will drastically reduce the cooking time.
• Add garam masala for a spicy variation. This unique ingredient makes this smell and taste more authentic.
• Substitute cumin seeds with fennel seeds. Though they look similar in size and shape, they have a different aroma.
• Want to make this aloo matar ki sabzi in a pressure cooker? use the same recipe and cook for 3 whistles on the medium flame.

How to make Aloo Matar

Preparing the gravy. This is the only important step, where you need to put your focus on. And the rest is easy to process. In a pan, add cooking oil, with roughly chopped onion, tomato, ginger, and garlic. Saute them until they are half-cooked. Allow them to become cool and grind to a smooth paste with the help of a blender.

Seasoning. Add cumin seeds to the cooking oil and allow it to crack.

Make Gravy. Add a ground mixture of tomato-onion puree. And cook them in medium heat until it becomes thick and fragrant.

Add Spices. Add red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Allow it to cook for 10 seconds. Make sure it does not get burnt anywhere during cooking.

Add vegetables. Add peeled potatoes and washed green peas.

Cook. Close the lid of the Instant Pot. Manually set the cooking time as 7 minutes.

Open. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid, sprinkle some chopped cilantro, and serve hot.

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