Aloo Matar is a classic Indian curry made with potatoes and green peas. Using basic Indian spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, this was a staple that I grew up eating. It’s vegan and best enjoyed with rotis or hot puris and is easy enough to make for a weeknight meal!

I share tons of creative, fun and fusion Indian recipes on the blog. But I often forget to share the classic Indian recipes here. These are the kind of recipes that are made in Indian households on a everyday basis and one that I grew up eating. Basic Indian food is very simple, straight forward and fuss free just like this easy Aloo Matar. Aloo=Potatoes and Matar=Green Peas so this is a potato and green peas curry and like most basic Indian curries, this is vegan too.

We cook potatoes with everything, like with cauliflower in aloo gobi, with spinach in aloo palak and so much more. My mom made aloo matar quite often during winters as fresh sweet peas are in abundance during winters in northern India. I have used frozen peas in this recipe because fresh peas are hard to find here and even when I do find them, they often don’t taste as sweet as the ones i

This recipe is for anyone who’s new to Indian cooking. It uses basic Indian spices and simple techniques. If you are intimidated by Indian cooking, give this recipe a try. It’s a good starting point.

Aloo Matar can me made dry (without adding any water) or with gravy (with water). I like both versions but I remember mom usually made the one with gravy for dinner so I am sharing the same here. I will share the dry version sometime as well. We usually had that for lunch with a side of dal.

Why We Love This Recipe

• is vegan and can be made gluten-free by skipping hing or using gluten-free hing.
• makes a comforting meal for any day of the week.
• pairs well with rice or roti.
• leftovers are even better the next day.
• made with basic Indian spices and pantry staples.

Ingredients

Potatoes: for this aloo matar recipe, I use either Russet potatoes or gold potatoes.

Green peas: this curry tastes best when made with fresh green peas. However if you live in a place like I do where it’s hard to find fresh sweet peas, then frozen peas work just fine. That is what I have used in this recipe.

Onion & Tomatoes: most basic Indian curries have a base made of onions and tomatoes and this one is no exception. I like pureeing the tomatoes in a blender for this recipe.

Spices: cumin seeds, hing (asafoetida), coriander powder, turmeric and red chili powder are some of the spices that are used here. Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) also add a nice aroma when added towards the end.

Step by Step Instructions

1- Cut 3 medium potato (around 350 grams) into cubes, the bigger you cut the cubes, more time it will take for them to cook. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the cubed potatoes to the pan.

2- Cook on medium to low heat for around 5 minutes, until they get that little coating on them. Then remove on a plate. This step is optional, you can skip and add potatoes directly later while cooking the curry but this adds flavor and makes the potatoes tastier.

3- To the same pan, now add 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds. You may need to add additional 1/2 to 1 teaspoon oil at this point. Once cumin seeds crackle, add 1/4 teaspoon hing.

4- Then add 1 large or 2 medium chopped onions (180 grams). Cook 5 to 6 minutes until they turn golden brown string often.

5- Then add 2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste and 1 chopped green chili. Cook for 1 minute until the raw ginger garlic smell goes away.

6- Add in pureed tomatoes (3 tomatoes, around 350 grams pureed in a blender). You can also add additional 1/2 tablespoon tomato paste at this point.

7- Cover and Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until the tomatoes completely cook. This step is important, make sure to cook the tomatoes really well.

8- Remove lid once the tomatoes are cooked and add all the spices-

• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt

Cook a minute until oil starts oozing out of masala.

9- Add the potatoes back with 1 cup peas (frozen peas which I added to hot water for 10 mins before using in the recipe).

10- Stir well and then add 1 & 1/2 to 2 cups water. Add 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, cover with a lid and cook 10 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are completely cooked.

11- It can take less time (like 10 mins) if potatoes are cut small into like 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubes and can take 15 minutes (or more) if you cut them big.

12- Once potatoes are done, finish with 1 teaspoon kasuri methi. You can adjust the consistency of gravy at this point, if it has become too thick, add some water (depends on personal preference). Garnish with more cilantro and serve hot.

Serving Suggestions

My mom would serve aloo matar usually with plain roti or boiled rice. You can also serve it with plain paratha but my absolute favorite pairing is with spinach puri, so good!

Instant Pot Method

I have a separate recipe for Instant Pot Aloo Matar so check that out in case you want to make this in your electric pressure cooker. You can also make this same recipe in the Instant Pot. Cook the onions and tomatoes on sauté “less” so that there’s no burn message when you pressure cook. Add 1 cup water and cook on high pressure for 2 minutes. Do a quick pressure release.

Remember to cut potatoes into big cubes (1 to 1.5 inches) when making this curry in an Instant Pot else potatoes will disintegrate into the curry when pressure cooked.

Tips & Notes

• I like this on the thicker side, if you prefer more watery version, just add more water.
• If you want to thicken the curry further- you can mash some of the potatoes, that will thicken up the curry.
• Sometimes, I also make this recipe by boiling the potatoes first. It cuts short the cooking time as the potatoes are already cooked.
• It’s really important to cook the tomatoes well before adding the spices. Cook for 6 to 7 minutes until moisture looks dried out and then add the spices. Fry the spices for 1 to 2 minutes until you see oil oozing from the sides of the masala.
• This actually tastes best when made with fresh peas. If you have access to fresh sweet peas, please use that in the recipe.
• Replace some of the Kashmiri red chili powder with regular chili powder for a spicier curry.

This post has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in August 2016.

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