Aloo Matar Recipe

This Aloo Matar curry tastes slow-simmered, yet lands on the table in half an hour for a weeknight meal. my simple Aloo matar recipe is made with potatoes, green peas and few basic indian spices from pantry. In this classic Indian curry the cubes of potato soak up a tomato-spice base while sweet green peas add bright pops of freshness.

Aloo Matar is naturally vegan and gluten-free, meal-prep friendly. An easy, simple and delicious potato and peas recipe you can make in Instant pot or pressure cooker. I am sharing here step-by-step process below plus storage, freezing, and serving ideas to fit a variety of dietary goals.

Why You'll Love It

• Weeknight-fast: From prep to plate in ~30 minutes.
• Pantry-friendly: Uses everyday potatoes, frozen peas, and common spices.
• Naturally vegan & gluten-free.
• Meal-prep champ: Freezes well for up to 2 months.
• Kid-approved flavour: Mild heat with tomato sweetness.

Aloo matar, Alu matar or Aloo mutter, call it by any name this peas and potato curry is divine. This dish gets this name because , Aloo means potato and Matar/ mutter means green peas. 

How to Make Aloo Matar

Potatoes and peas are cooked in spicy onion tomato masala gravy and spices. You can make it in a traditional pressure cooker or instant pot. Traditionally my mom has always made this in a pressure cooker but ever since I got an instant pot I use mostly that. 

Either way, it is very simple and easy curry recipe to make. This is Indian homestyle recipe made with basic ingredients from pantry.

Ingredients For Aloo Matar Curry

You need very basic ingredients to make this. When I say basic I really mean it. You can easily get them in your local supermarkets.

Pantry Staples

• Ghee : 1 ½ tablespoons (22 ml) you can substitute with cooking butter or vegetable oil
• Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon (3 g)
• Onion, finely chopped: 1 cup (150 g)
• Grated ginger-garlic: 1 tablespoon (15 g)
• Kashmiri red chilli powder (mild): 1 teaspoon (2 g)
• Turmeric powder: ½ teaspoon (1 g)
• Coriander powder: 2 teaspoons (4 g)
• Garam masala: ½ teaspoon (1 g)
• Fine sea salt: 1 teaspoon (6 g)

Fresh or Frozen

• Tomatoes, puréed: 2 medium (about 240 g)
• Waxy potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes: 300 g (about 3 cups)
• Frozen green peas: 200 g (about 1 cup)
• Water or low-sodium vegetable stock: 300 ml (1 ¼ cups)
• Cilantro, chopped (garnish): 2 tablespoons

Winter peas and potatoes are the best for any peas and potato recipe. Packed with flavours and sweetness I make this with fresh peas. But in summers when we are craving this curry, frozen peas work great too.

Step by Step: Aloo Matar Curry in Instant Pot

• Start the Instant pot in sauté mode and add ghee. [photo 1]. When ghee starts to melt add cumin and grated ginger garlic. [photo 2,3]. Then add in finely chopped onions and sauté them for 2 minutes. Keep it stirring because heat is quite high. [photo 4,5]

Now add green peas and cut potatoes and coat them with this masala nicely. [photo 1,2]Add water and mix well.

• Put lid of the Instant pot back on and pressure cook on low for 4 Minutes. [photo 3,4]. Once the instant pot beeps keep it as it is for 5 Minutes (5 minutes NPR) then release the pressure first and open the Instant pot lid after pressure is released completely. [photo 3,4] Mix the curry add cilantro leaves/coriander leaves and Enjoy! [photo 5,6]

Stovetop Variation

Follow steps 1-2 in a heavy pot, add water, cover and simmer 12-15 min until potatoes are fork-tender, then finish with cilantro.

Expert Tips & Substitutions

• No onion-garlic: Skip both; add ¼ teaspoon asafoetida with the dry spices.
• Heat control: Kashmiri chilli is mild; use cayenne for extra kick or omit for zero heat.
• Oil-free: Replace ghee with ¼ cup broth and dry-toast cumin first.
• Baby potatoes: Halve skin-on minis for rustic texture.

Serving Ideas

• Ladle over fluffy jeera rice or scoop with warm whole-wheat naan.
• Spoon atop cauliflower rice for a lower-carb plate.
• Stuff a baked potato for a hearty single-dish meal.
• Enjoy this potatoes and pea curry into your Breakfast Oats or Weight-Loss Recipes meal plans for balanced macros.

Storage & Reheating

• Fridge: Keeps well for up to 4 days in an airtight glass container.
• Freezer: Stays fresh for about 2 months. Leave roughly 2 cm (1 inch) of head-space in the container to allow the curry to expand as it freezes.
• Reheating:
  • Stovetop: Warm the curry in a saucepan over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the gravy, stirring occasionally until hot.
  • Microwave: Heat on high for 2 minutes, stir, then heat for 1 minute more or until steaming.

Tip: The flavours deepen overnight, so leftovers taste even better, perfect for make-ahead lunches.

Batch Cooking & Meal Prep Aloo Matar

Aloo matar is one of the easiest Indian curries to batch-cook and stash for later.
Here's a straightforward meal-prep game plan:

1. Cook a Big Batch

• Follow the recipe exactly, but undercook the potatoes by about 2 minutes (they'll finish softening when you reheat).
• Let the curry cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes).

2. Portion Smart

Goal	How to Portion
Fridge lunches (4 days)	Divide into 4–5 single-serve glass containers. Add ½ cup cooked rice or quinoa on the side if you’d like a complete meal.
Freezer dinners (up to 2 months)	Ladle 1–2 servings into zip-top freezer bags or sturdy containers; squeeze out extra air so ice crystals don’t form. Leave 2 cm (1 inch) head-space. Flatten bags for quicker thawing.

3. Label & Date

Write "Aloo Matar - [date] - mild" (or "spicy") so you remember spice level and freshness.

4. Reheat Without Mushiness

• Fridge portions: Microwave 2 min, stir, then 1 min more-or warm on the stove with 2 tablespoon water.
• Frozen portions: Thaw overnight in the fridge or use your microwave's defrost setting, then reheat as above.

5. Freshen It Up

• Stir in a splash of hot water or coconut milk to loosen the gravy.
• Finish with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro just before serving.

6. Pair-and-Go Ideas

• Meal box: Aloo matar + cauliflower rice/quinoa + cucumber slices.
• Classic comfort: Aloo matar + jeera rice + whole-wheat roti kept separately.
• Protein-boost: Add a handful of cooked chickpeas or tofu cubes before reheating.

7. Safety Check

Keep fridge portions below 4 °C (40 °F) and always reheat to a rolling boil or ≥ 74 °C (165 °F).

Cook once, portion, cool quickly, and you'll have flavour-packed, ready-to-reheat meals for days (or weeks) with no quality loss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Other Easy Recipes You May like to Try

• Instant Pot Lentil and Potato curry
• Greek Peas and Potato - Arakas
• No Onion No garlic Matar Paneer
• Aloo Tamatar
• Instant Pot Brown Chickpeas curry
• Instant Pot Veg Pulao
• Matar Paneer

Watch Instant Pot Aloo Matar Recipe Video

For more clarity on texture and exact recipe looks at various stages of making this Peas and potato curry in Instant pot I strongly recommend watching video below.

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