This aloo curry recipe is a simple vegan potato curry that's made quickly with a few choice ingredients. It tastes terrific with freshly made puri, a crisp and puffy Indian bread. Eat aloo puri for a hearty Indian breakfast or brunch!
Looking for an easy potato curry to go with puri? Look no further, for here is the easiest, tastiest curry that pairs beautifully with those hot, freshly fried puris. What's more, it is vegan, so for all those looking for vegan curry recipes, this is the answer!
Ingredients used in this potato curry
- 2 medium potatoes
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon each mustard, cumin and nigella seeds
- 1 teaspoon each ginger and garlic pastes
- ½ teaspoon each red chilli and turmeric powders + 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon each sugar and salt
How to make aloo curry
1. Boil the potatoes and take off the skins. Cut them into quarters, then take each piece in your hand and smash it to get big, uneven chunks of potato. You can cut them into cubes also if you want.
2. Heat oil in a karahi or wok and add the mustard, cumin and nigella seeds.
3. When the seeds splutter, add the powdered spices followed by ginger and garlic pastes. Saute for 1 minute on medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of water if the mixture seems in danger of burning or sticking to the bottom of the wok.
4. Add potatoes and mix well so that the spices coat the potatoes.
5. Add 2 cups water, curry leaves, green chilli, tamarind paste, sugar and salt. Cook uncovered for 10-12 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
Some useful notes and substitutions
This is a very flavorful curry due to the unique combination of whole and powdered spices. Here are a few details.
Nigella seeds, also known as onion seeds or kalonji, are black coloured seeds that impart a lot of punch to the curry, and are usually added to Indian pickles. Still, the earth won't fall if you can't get your hands on these! The curry will taste really good even without nigella.
Similarly, curry leaves or karhi patta are very aromatic leaves and lend a distinctive flavor to anything they are added to. If you can't get your hands on curry leaves, use cilantro instead. Cilantro won't taste the same as curry leaves, of course, but it has its own extremely pleasing flavor.
Tamarind paste, which is used for its tangy taste, can be substituted with 1 teaspoon mango powder or amchur. It is a dry, sand colored powder that is sour in taste.
Ginger and garlic pastes are available in small jars in most supermarkets, but you can make your own too very easily. And you don't have to make them separately either for recipes that call for both. Just put equal quantities of peeled and chopped ginger and garlic along with a little water in a small blender and whizz to get a smooth puree. It's that easy to make at home. Store the paste in a glass bottle in the fridge and use as required.
All of the above ingredients should be available in any Indian grocery in your city, or online on Amazon.
Other Indian vegan curries you might like
- Lauki Chana Dal - Bottle gourd cooked with split chickpea lentils in a very tasty, thick tomato gravy.
- Rajma Masala - Red kidney beans cooked in a thick onion-tomato gravy.
- Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry with Spinach - A healthy and quick curry that tastes so good with brown rice and coriander chutney.
- Vegetable Korma - Potatoes, carrots, beans and tomatoes are pressure cooked in a sunshine yellow sauce made creamy with cashews and coconut milk.
📖 Recipe
Aloo Curry (Indian Potato Curry Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2 medium potatoes
- ¼ cup cooking oil
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 1 green chilli
- 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Boil the potatoes in an instant pot or stovetop pressure cooker until soft.
- Peel and quarter the potatoes. Take each quarter in your hand and press until it breaks into uneven chunks.
- Heat oil in a wok or karahi and add the mustard, cumin and nigella seeds.
- When the seeds splutter (30 seconds), add the powdered spices and ginger and garlic pastes. Saute for a minute. Add a few tablespoons of water if required.
- Add the potatoes and mix well.
- Add 2 cups water, curry leaves, green chilli, tamarind paste, sugar and salt. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Aloo curry is ready to be served with pooris.
Notes
- Nigella seeds are also known as onion seeds or kalonji. They are black in colour and have a distinctive smell and taste.
- Substitute tamarind paste with mango powder or amchur if you want.
- Substitute curry leaves with cilantro if you can't get hold of the former.
Cheryl L Cooke says
I am making this right now and the challenge wasn't the ingredients but the 3 cups of water called for. This makes it very watery, not thick and creamy looking like the image. Will it thicken in the 10 minutes of simmering the instructions indicate?
Saima says
Oh, yes Cheryl. It is watery initially but it thickens very quickly. Did it turn out okay?
Emily O. says
Thank you! I made this recipe and used several of the suggested substitutions since I did not have *ever* spice. 😉 I also added peas and chick peas, not sure if that makes it into a different dish. Either way, it was delicious!
Saima says
Emily, you're welcome! I know, getting hold of all the ingredients for this recipe can be tricky unless you go to an Indian store or buy them online. Anyhow, if you're happy with what you made, that's great:)
Ks says
I do not have mustard seeds, nigella seeds and coriander powder. What can i use to substitute them?
Saima says
Hi! There really is not substitute for these whole spices. The aloo curry will still taste nice without them but not the same as when you add them.
Diana says
Many of your recipes call for "green chilli". It seems to me there are an awful lot of chilis in this world, and many of them are green. Can you give a better clue as to what I should be shopping for?
Saima says
Try and get your hands on Indian green chillies or Thai chillies. They are smaller and hotter than other varieties.
Stormy says
Oh my goodness, this was amazing! I used my instant pot and the only modification I made was to blend a few of the potatoes to make a thicker sauce. I truly wanted to eat it all.
Thanks for sharing.
Saima says
Thanks a lot! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sara says
I made this without nigella seeds (did not have any), substituted pomegranate molasses for tamarind, and cilantro for curry leaves. It was delicious! I also added some tomato. Used some potatoes I had canned last summer. The dish came together very quickly and was very tasty, even with the adjustments. Will make again!
Tashy says
Taste was there but very watery - could have done with a bit more spice to make it an authentic Indian dish. Also, luckily I cooked the potatoes prior otherwise they 100% would not have been ready with the flow of the recipe.
Saima says
Hi Tashy,
I am sorry that the recipe did not turn out perfect for you. Here are some of my observations regarding this:
First, the amount of spice is an individual preference and you can always add less or more according to your taste. In this regard, as in the salt used, you should exercise your judgment. Even the type of chilli powders make a difference! When I'm using regular chilli, I add 1/2 tsp mostly, but with Kashmiri chilli, I go up to 1 tsp.
Second, this is supposed to be a slightly watery curry though of course it shouldn't be too watery. The potatoes continue to absorb more water if you allow them to sit on the hob for a bit before eating them, so do try that... or simply reduce the amount of water next time if you want a dry curry.
Third, you say that you 'luckily' cooked the potatoes prior to cooking otherwise they 100% would not have been ready with the flow of the recipe. The recipe specifically mentions boiling the potatoes before adding them to the pan. Maybe you overlooked this part. It is mentioned in the body of the post and in the recipe card.
Hope this helps and you meet with more success next time you make aloo curry.