This homemade vegan potato curry is an easy and quick dish that can be made with pantry staples. No cream, no milk, and only a few spices. Yet this is a delicious Indian potato curry for lunch or dinner.
If you are craving some easy yet yummy curries, then try this spicy potato curry in Indian style. In this simple curry, potatoes are simmered in a curry base of onions and tomatoes along with aromatic ground spices. Cover and simmer on low flame till the potatoes are cooked tender. You can adjust the consistency of the curry gravy as preference.
You can make this curry mildly spicy to really spicy depending on your taste preference. To balance the heat, you can add some coconut milk or cream to the curry. This curry is vegan, gluten-free, and takes much less than 30 minutes. If you are looking for some lazy vegan recipes, this vegan potato curry is a must-try.
However, you can adjust the spice as per taste. I love spicy food. And trust me this is one of the best comfort food that takes hardly 15 - 20 minutes. And, this vegan potato curry is a one-pot curry recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
Potatoes - Peel off skin. Wash and dice them into desired shapes and sizes.
Onions and tomatoes - dice them finely
Ginger, garlic, and green chili (optional)
Spices - bay leaf, cumin seeds, ground coriander, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, and salt
Chopped cilantro leaves
Lemon (optional)
How to Make Vegan Potato Curry?
Here I have mentioned making this potato curry in 3 ways,- on the stovetop, in an instant pot, and with curry paste.
Stove Top Method
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Then add ginger garlic paste and chopped green chilies. Add hing or asafoetida.
Now add finely chopped onion and saute till translucent. Then add chopped tomatoes and saute for 2 - 3 minutes on low to medium flame. Add all ground spices and give it a nice stir.
Now add chopped potatoes and mix with the spices. Saute for 2 minutes before adding water. Add 1 ยฝ cup water. Season with salt as per taste. For the pot/ pan, cover the lid of the pot/pan and cook for 10 minutes.
For the pressure cooker, close the lid and cook for 3 whistles. Wait till the pressure releases naturally. Now open the lid and then mash some potatoes lightly with the help of a spoon or laddle. This will make the gravy thicker.
Add chopped cilantro leaves. Add a dash of lemon juice also. Now serve this Indian vegan potato curry with steamed rice or flatbreads or breads.
Instant Pot Method
Heat the pot in saute mode. Repeat all methods similar to those mentioned above in the stovetop method till you saute onion, tomato, and spices, and add potatoes and water to the pot. Close the pot and keep the pressure cooker mode on. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes. Now let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes. Release rest pressure.
Then mash some potatoes lightly. This will make the gravy thicker.
Garnish with cilantro leaves. Add a dash of fresh lemon juice.
Indian Potato Curry Using Basic Curry Paste
Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add cumin seeds and let it crackle. Add 4 - 5 tbsp curry paste. Stir & saute for a minute. Then add ยผ cup water and chopped potatoes. Add garam masala (ground whole spices). Cover the lid and cook as per the cooking method (stovetop or instant pot).
Basic curry paste is a pre-prepared mixture of cooked onion, tomatoes, and ground spices. The paste is cooked and refrigerated or frozen for future use. This saves cooking time. Let's see the difference in time taken in both ways.
Which are the essential spices for this vegan potato curry recipe?
The spices you can use are cumin seeds, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, and asafoetida. Curry powder and whole spices are optional and add a strong flavor to the curry. However, you can skip if you don't have these available in the kitchen.
Recipe Card For Vegan Potato Curry
Vegan Spicy Potato Curry
Ingredients
- 6 medium Potatoes diced
- 1 med onion finely chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste or 1 inch ginger + 3 garlic pods minced
- 3 tbsp olive oil or any vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- ยพ tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder (or 1 tsp paprika + ยผ tsp cayenne pepper)
- ยฝ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 ยฝ tsp salt or as per taste
- 2 - 4 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala (all spices)
Instructions
Method I: Stove Top Method
- Wash and peel potatoes.
- Prep potatoes into medium thick wedges or any size you want to.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Add cumin seeds and let it splutter.
- Add ginger garlic paste and chopped green chillies
- Add hing or asafoetida.
- Now add fine chopped onion and saute till translucent.
- Then add chopped tomatoes and saute for 2 - 3 minutes on low to medium flame.
- Tomatoes will start to soften.
- Now add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, turmeric powder, all spices and give it a nice stir.
- Then add ยผ cup water and let it simmer for a minute.
- It will start releasing oil on sides.
- Now add chopped potatoes and mix with the spices.
- Saute for 2 minutes before adding water.
- Now add 1 ยฝ cup water.
- Season with salt as per taste.
- Option 1 : If cooking on open pan/ pot, once it starts to boil, reduce the flame to low.
- Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Keep on checking in between with a fork if potato is cooked.
- Turn off heat once potatoes are cooked.
- Option 2: If you are using pressure cooker, close the lid of cooker.
- Keep it on high flame for 2 whistles.
- Turn off heat after that.
- Now let the pressure release naturally.
- After that open the lid and add chopped coriander leaves
Method II: Instant pot method
- Heat the pot on saute mode.
- Repeat all methods similar mentioned above in stove top method till point no. 16
- Close the pot and keep pressure cooker mode on.
- Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes.
- Now let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes.
- Release rest pressure.
- This will make the gravy thicker.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves.
Notes
- In stovetop, you can cook on any heavy bottom pot or in the pressure cooker. Both procedures will be the same till close lid of cooker or pan. Simmer time will be different only.
- To fasten the process, use my ready to use basic curry paste.
- Normally people add ground whole spices after curry is completely cooked. But I add it while adding other spices. It helps the gravy to absorb the flavors and aroma in a better way. However, you can totally ski adding garam masala in this curry. This will be delicious even then.
- If you are using whole spices like bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, then you may also skip adding ground garam masala. It's optional now. The whole spices will add a mild flavor to the gravy.ย
- In case adding whole spices, Add before you add cumin seeds. Saute for 10 - 15 seconds till fragrant.
- In the end, when potatoes are cooked, mash some potatoes using a spoon or spatula. This will make the gravy a little thicker.
- Otherwise, you can also add ยผ cup coconut milk to the gravy after it's cooked. Then simmer for the next 2 minutes. And then garnish.
- You can also add some powdered roasted Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves).
Nutrition
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