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Aloo Matar Instant Pot is a classic Punjabi dish with potatoes and sweet peas in a spiced tomato gravy. It’s an easy weeknight meal that comes together quickly. My favorite way to enjoy this vegan curry is with hot parathas or roti.
This recipe was first published in July 2010 and has been updated with new photos, instructions for cooking it in the Instant Pot, and helpful tips.
Aloo Matar
Aloo means potato in Hindi, and matar means green peas. Growing up in a Punjabi household, we ate a lot of Punjabi food, and aloo matar was a staple. With a family of six to feed, my mom often turned to quick and easy recipes like this one – simple, flavorful, and always satisfying.
She sometimes made this dish on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker. Nowadays, though, most people use the Instant Pot due to its ease and convenience.
My mom would serve aloo matar with ajwain parathas (my favorite way to enjoy this dish) or rotis. A side of yogurt generally accompanied this dish. You can also serve this dish with Jeera Rice Instant Pot or puris for special occasions.
Variations of Aloo Matar
This potato and pea curry is also highly versatile – you can change it up by adding mushrooms, cubed paneer, cauliflower, green bell peppers, or spinach.
Looking for similar recipes?
Try my very popular Aloo Rasedar (Potatoes in a Tomato Ginger Gravy), Punjabi Aloo Gobi (Potatoes and Cauliflower Curry), and Matar Paneer (Punjabi-style).
Recipe Testing Instant Pot Aloo Matar
I’m not generally a fan of cooking Indian food in the Instant Pot because many Indian dishes require slow cooking and patience. Maybe I’m the oddball, haha.
1. Stovetop to Instant Pot
I originally had the stovetop version of this recipe on my blog, but now it’s been updated to the Instant Pot version due to its fantastic flavor, ease, and convenience. After testing both versions, I found the results to be the same. However, cooking Aloo Matar in the Instant Pot is much easier, quicker, and more convenient – you won’t find yourself babysitting the potatoes as they cook down.
2. Cook Down Onions & Tomatoes
The key to making delicious Aloo Matar in the Instant Pot is to cook the onions and tomatoes thoroughly – this is where the flavor is. Often, in Indian cooking, if you aren’t patient and don’t cook down the onion-tomato masala mixture properly, the results won’t be ideal.
3. Don’t Overcook Potatoes
When I first tested this recipe in the Instant Pot, I cooked the potatoes for 3 minutes and ended up overcooking them – they fell apart. Next time, I set the cooking time to 2 minutes, and the potatoes were perfectly cooked and fork-tender.
POTATO TIP: Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes – anything smaller and they will fall apart.
4. Water Amount
Lastly, I tested this recipe several times to ensure the correct water quantity. Once the aloo matar has cooked, the gravy may seem diluted, but wait 15 minutes before serving, and the sabzi will thicken up. It’s delicious!
Can I Make Aloo Matar without Garlic & Onions?
Yes, you absolutely can. Follow the recipe exactly as is, and omit the garlic and onions.
Alternatively, you can also try my Aloo Rasedar (Potatoes in a Tomato Ginger Gravy) – there’s no garlic and onions here. Feel free to add frozen peas if you wish.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Quick & Easy – A fast recipe that’s made in the Instant Pot, which is a time saver.
- One-Pot Meal – You only need one pot to make this dish in the Instant Pot or on the stovetop.
- Versatile – As suggested above, many variations of making Aloo Matar exist. Feel free to add your favorite veggies.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Potatoes: I recommend using russet or gold potatoes for Aloo Matar. Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into 1-inch cubes to help them hold their shape while cooking.
- Frozen Peas: Rinse frozen peas under warm water, drain, and set aside.
- Tomatoes: Puree the tomatoes using a mini chopper/blender.Potatoes: Use russet or gold potatoes.
- Onions: Use white, yellow, or red onions. Cook onions until golden brown.
*See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.*
How To Make Instant Pot Aloo Matar Recipe
Prepare Masala
Add Potatoes & Peas
Garnish
Serving Suggestions
→ Serve Aloo Matar with hot plain or ajwain paratha, puri, or roti. A side of kachumber salad, raita, and Jeera Basmati Rice would work, too.
Storage
Store the sabzi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to eat, reheat the leftovers in a microwave.
Tried this recipe? If so, please leave a comment & rate this recipe. That would mean so much to me. If you’re on Instagram, please tag me so I can see your creations. I’m happy to share and mention you. Thank you!
Aloo Matar Instant Pot (Potato Pea Curry)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1/8 tsp hing or asafoetida, for gluten-free, use gf hing
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 inch ginger, chopped
- 2 green chilies, slit in half
- 1 cup white onion, chopped
- 1 1/4 cups tomatoes, pureed
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/4 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- salt to taste
- 270 grams russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup frozen green peas, rinsed & drained
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Prepare Masala. Turn on the Instant Pot and click SAUTE mode. Once hot, add oil and let it heat up. Then add cumin seeds and saute for 40 seconds. Add ginger, garlic, and green chilies and saute for a minute. Then add onions and season with salt. Saute for 5 minutes or until golden brown. This is where the flavor lies, so be patient. Once the onions are slightly caramelized, add pureed fresh tomatoes and stir for a minute.
- Add Spices. Now add the powdered spices – turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, and salt. Stir. Cover the Instant Pot with the glass lid and cook for 5-6 minutes. Once done, the oil should separate from the tomatoes and you should have a paste-like consistency. Make sure you deglaze the pot to avoid any sticking.
- Add Potatoes & Peas. Add potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes and stir everything for a minute. Click CANCEL on the Instant Pot. Add water and frozen green peas that have been rinsed and drained. Stir well. Cover the Instant Pot with the knob set to SEALING mode. Click HIGH PRESSURE for 2 minutes. Once the cooking time has been completed, manually release the pressure after 7 minutes. Your Aloo Matar is cooked.
- Garnish. Garnish with garam masala and fresh cilantro. Stir. Wait 15 minutes before serving so the flavors can marry, and the gravy will thicken. Enjoy with hot roti or paratha.
NOTES
- For Gluten-free – Use gluten-free hing or skip.
- Potatoes: I recommend using russet or gold potatoes for Aloo Matar. Wash and peel the potatoes, then cut them into 1-inch cubes to help them hold their shape while cooking.
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@Neel – 2 things. If you want a dryer version, don't use water. Also, use a flat cooking pan so the potatoes cook more evenly if you are skipping water. If you want a little bit of gravy, add like a 1/4 cup of water for moistness, but it is really up to you.
Hope that helps.
Wow… Looks awesome.. I am definitely gonna try this on Sunday…. Do you have a dry version of aloo matar as this recipe seems to be gravier…. Neel.
Thanks for the recipe, i cooked it for my wife and daughter, they liked it.
@Brock – thanks for the feedback, so glad it worked out for you.
@Anonymous – sure, you can puree the onion and tomato, however make sure you cook it until all the water evaporates so you are left with a paste, then go ahead and add water as in step #14, or not. ๐
I m gonna try making a puree of onion and tomato,hope it helps. Fingers crossed
My wife followed this recipe and it turned out great! Thank you! Brock.
Where I live there are these food carts and my favorite one is the Indian cart. Punjabi Aloo is what I always order and I love it. So when I came upon this site I had to try to make it. It's not bad. I think next time I will adjust a couple of things to taste to my preference. More garlic, more cilantro, no peas. But it's fantastic! Thank you for sharing!! ๐
Nikki
@Anonymous – sorry about that. The key is to season every main ingredient, so when I mentioned add salt, what I mean is season it enough for just that particular ingredient. If you season with salt at the end of a dish, it won't be well seasoned. This is something I learned by watching The Food Network. Sorry your dish turned out so salty, adding water will probably correct that.
my only negative feedback while cooking it was that I ended up adding salt twice by mistake because you say to add it when cooking the onions, then with the tomatoes, and then again with the potatoes! Luckily I realized by the second time that I had already added too much salt, but maybe there's a way to clarify so that people don't get confused. Waiting for it to cook so that we can enjoy it. Smells great and great photos to accompany instructions on how long to cook.
@uzma – thank you for the feedback.. I'm glad you enjoyed it. ๐