Aloo Matar — Easy Vegan Pea & Potato Curry
Vegan Aloo Matar (an easy Pea Potato Curry) is a healthy veggie-based gluten-free recipe featuring convenient frozen peas that uses no oil in the intentionally healthier, super-savory, vegan gravy! And there’s more to this recipe than just being mindful about using healthy ingredients. You’re going to flip out over the list of basic ingredients for this exotic tasting dish. We’re guessing that frozen peas and hearty potatoes are something you may already have on hand.
If you haven’t experienced it for yourself, you need to know that Indian spices and veggie based dishes may very well be the secret to satisfying vegan cooking. In our experience, this dish of Indian potatoes and peas in well-seasoned tomato gravy makes for one of our easiest and tastiest homemade vegan dinners yet!
So, if you’re searching for something that’s downright impressive, yet incredibly hard to goof up – Aloo Matar is your dish!
Restaurant Style Aloo Matar Recipe Ingredients
As mentioned above, one thing you’re sure to appreciate about this classic Indian pea and potato dish is the simple, basic, list of ingredients. We bet that you may very well have everything you need on hand. Don’t you just love when that happens?
There’s nothing as budget friendly as a meal that comes together with what you already have on hand!
Here’s what you need to make vegan and naturally gluten-free Aloo Matar:
- potatoes – We often use a combo of regular and sweet potatoes.
- tomatoes – Handy canned tomatoes work really well in this dish.
- fresh onion, garlic, and ginger
- a few savory spices
- peas, fresh or frozen – We suggest using frozen to shave cooking and prep time.
- an optional but suggested tiny dash of sweet maple syrup or another sweetener
- and a finishing dusting of freshly chopped cilantro
How to Make Quick and Easy Vegan Aloo Matar
Great news: it couldn’t be any easier, or faster, to make our restaurant-style Aloo Matar curry recipe. One of the ways we shave time off of our prep in this – partially cook the potatoes in an air fryer while you get the rest of the dish going. (Bam – precious minutes are saved.)
We’ve tried other recipes and reduced the steps to make this vegan dish weeknight doable!
First, to speed things along, begin by prepping the potatoes. If you want to do this exactly as we do, cook the potatoes a bit in an air fryer to get this dish off to a super-fast start.
Prep the other veggies as needed and grind the cumin seeds a bit if using whole cumin seeds.
Next, blend the sauce ingredients for the vegan Aloo Matar gravy.
And finally, get all of the above cooking in your pan, oil-free, like we do, for extra healthiness. Finish this lovely vegan and gluten-free Indian potatoes and peas dish off conveniently using ready to enjoy protein-packed frozen peas!
The complete recipe, notes, and nutritional information for this Aloo Matar recipe are written below.
Our Aloo Matar Savory Spiced Tomato Curry (Sauce or Gravy) Recipe is Oil-Free!
The oil-free sauce is tomato-based, and how saucy it is or isn’t doesn’t depend on using oil or butter. And since there’s no added oil or other fat, you can trust that our version of this dish is intentionally super healthy!
Also, it’s the tomato, onion, garlic, and ginger in a curry that builds the base of the flavor, not fat.
And since there should always be some lovely spice in any Indian dish, we opt to use one fresh pepper and a little dry cayenne.
If you’re worried about this recipe being too spicy, don’t be. It’s easy to control the heat in your vegan Aloo Matar gravy. Use as much or as little cayenne pepper as you like, that’s the key! And as for the fresh pepper in this recipe, be sure to seed it to keep intense heat at bay.
Fresh Ways to Make This Easy Aloo Matar Curry Recipe Your Own
Vegan Aloo Matar gravy tastes delicious all on its own, but topping this pea and potato classic with fresh cilantro is a definite flavor enhancer.
We always make a pot of Creamy Cardamom Rice to eat with this dish. This top-rated rice recipe is something we make at least once a week at our house – or maybe more.
A cooling dollop of plant-based sour cream or dairy-free yogurt also tastes terrific with our oil-free Aloo Matar.
We haven’t created a recipe for a vegan and gluten-free flatbread yet, but Naan is a perfect extra side to serve with this Indian pea and potato curry. You can bet we’re working on our version of a delicious flatbread recipe, so do stay tuned. Until then, here’s a video link to a flatbread recipe that’s deliciously oil-free and healthy!
More Recipes Featuring Fabulous Indian Spices
Since you’re reading about our Aloo Matar Curry recipe, we’re guessing you enjoy curry as much as we do. Here are a few more easy to make favorites for those who love Indian spices:
Coconut Curry Salad Wraps – The flavor fun of this easy to make ahead main dish begins with slightly crisp baked tofu. Once the tofu cooks, you toss it in our oil-free curried mayo blend along with raisins, coconut, and nuts. And that’s it – it’s so easy and so delicious!
Golden Curry Kale – Once you get a whiff of this curry while it’s cooking, you know that it’s going to taste fabulous! With its bright yellow color and tangled swirls of dark green kale, this lovely bowl of goodness is easy on the eyes, too.
No-Cook Tofu Curry in a Hurry Salad – This is a no-cook go-to at our house. You’ll appreciate the simplicity of mixing this up and serving it with a bowl of rice and thawed peas. Oh, and it’s budget-friendly and packed with body-building protein – can’t beat that!
Vegan Tofu Lobster Rolls – This last one might seem like an odd suggestion for an Indian inspired dish. But here’s the thing, you season this keeper with tandoori seasoning blend. So, get ready for an oil-free and gluten-free sandwich filling that gives you a meatless seafood meal in minutes.
Thank You for Sharing Your Time with Us!
As always, thank you for being here – you are why we do what we do. There’s nothing else that we love more than creating new plant-based recipes to share with you.
Well, in full disclosure, we may love eating what we create just as much as sharing our recipes with you, but who can blame us?
Happy Eating!
Aloo Matar — Easy Vegan Pea & Potato Curry
- 10Prep:
- 20Cook Time:
- Yield: 6 Servings
Using only a handful of super-basic ingredients that you may already have on hand, this recipe makes a lovely and easy-to-make plant-based vegan curry that’s ready to enjoy in about 30 quick minutes! It’s a satisfying go-to dish that you’ll find yourself counting on for busy days, and it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and deliciously oil-free without really trying! This recipe makes 4 to 6 hearty, generous servings when served with rice such as our favorite, Creamy Cardamom Rice.
Ingredients
- a splash of water or veggie broth to sauté the spices and veggies
- 3 to 4 regular organic white fleshed potatoes of choice, washed, dried, and chopped into bite-size chunks - We usually use a generous couple of cups or so.
- 1 cup of sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
- 1 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 tsp of coriander seeds or ground coriander
- up to about 1/2 cup of chopped onion, more or less - One small onion is usually plenty.
- one raw Jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped, or another pepper of choice - Leave the seeds if you prefer more heat!
- one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes or two medium-size tomatoes, chopped
- 1 can (14.5 oz) of water or vegetable broth
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped if not using a blender
- a generous 1-inch nob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped if not using a blender
- 1 tsp of ground turmeric or a 1-inch nob of fresh turmeric root, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp of salt - We almost always use pink Himalayan sea salt, but any salt will do.
- a tiny bit of pure maple syrup or unrefined coconut sugar for a hint sweetness or, if you have them, about 1/2 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves
- about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp or so of garam masala, more or less to preference
- up to about 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen green peas
- 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- optional red pepper flakes for extra heat when serving
- an optional dollop of vegan sour cream, or plain, dairy-free yogurt for topping
Instructions
- To speed things along, give this dish a jump start by chopping the potatoes into bite-size pieces, and cooking in an air fryer until slightly tender - about 10 minutes at a preheated 375º F temperature should do it. (We leave our regular potatoes unpeeled when they're organic but we always peel the sweet potato for this dish.)
- Then, if you are using whole spices rather than ground, coarsely crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a spice grinder or by hand using a mortar and pestle, like this one.
- Next, chop the onion and optional hot pepper, if using, and set aside.
- To a blender or food processor, add the tomatoes, can of water, garlic and ginger, blending into a purée.
- Then, to keep this meal oil-free, heat a splash of broth or water in a deep skillet or Dutch Oven type of pan over medium heat. Add the crushed cumin seeds and coriander and cook for a minute or so while stirring. Add another splash of water or vegetable broth if the toasty spices become too dry.
- Next, stir in the chopped onion and cook for three or four minutes or until the onion looks translucent. Then, sprinkle in the ground turmeric and cayenne, stirring and cooking for another minute or two.
- Now, stir in the blended tomato puree and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and cover and cook for 10 minutes or so. Next, add the pre-cooked potatoes, stir and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes over medium-high heat. (When using raw potatoes, go ahead and add them when you add the tomato puree, adding additional cooking minutes as needed to achieve tenderness.)
- Finally, stir in the Garam Masala and frozen peas, cover and cook barely a minute or so - or just enough to thaw and warm the peas.
- Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Stir in about half of the chopped cilantro and serve with additional cilantro and optional red pepper flakes on the side for more heat. We enjoy this dish spooned over a batch of our top-rated Creamy Cardamom Rice. And an optional dollop of vegan sour cream, or plain, dairy-free yogurt for topping your Aloo Matar tastes wonderful with the potatoes and acts as a coolant if you opt to go spicier with the seasonings.
Notes
- We used a combo of organic, peeled, sweet potatoes and washed and unpeeled, organic russet potatoes. Feel free to make this dish using only regular potatoes if you prefer as it will still be delicious. However, once we included sweet potatoes in our Aloo Matar, we've never looked back. This dish simply tastes fantastic with a mix of sweet and regular potatoes, even when the sweet potato to regular potato ratio is kept to a few chunks or so.
- No air fryer - no problem! You can just as easily use raw or even previously boiled or roasted potatoes in this recipe. When using raw potatoes, allow a few additional minutes of simmering.
- If your gravy (sauce) seems thin as this dish is cooking, be aware that the sauce will thicken slightly as the potatoes absorb some of the liquid. Plus, the starch from the potatoes will likely work their natural thickening magic. So do not let a thin sauce be of concern - no extra thickeners are needed here.
- And speaking of the sauce, if you like to save money by stocking up on pantry staples - these organic fire roasted tomatoes are sure to please.
- A bit of dried fenugreek leaves on top add another gorgeous layer of flavor to this dish if you happen to have some on hand. If not, don't worry as the sweet potatoes and that tiny bit of pure maple syrup or other sweetener add a similar earthy-sweet note, which is why we include those ingredients in our recipe.
Nutrition
% DV
- Total Fat 0.5 g 1 %
- Saturated Fat 0.1 g 0 %
- Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
- Sodium 231.4 mg 10 %
- Carbohydrates 42 g 14 %
- Fiber 6.8 g 27 %
- Sugar 7.7 g ---
- Protein 5.3 g 11 %
- Vitamin A 155 %
- Vitamin C 46 %
- Iron 23 %
- Calcium 9 %
Aloo Matar — Easy Vegan Pea & Potato Curry
BY VEEG.CO
Ingredients
- a splash of water or veggie broth to sauté the spices and veggies
- 3 to 4 regular organic white fleshed potatoes of choice, washed, dried, and chopped into bite-size chunks - We usually use a generous couple of cups or so.
- 1 cup of sweet potato, peeled and chopped into bite-size chunks
- 1 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds or ground cumin
- 1 tsp of coriander seeds or ground coriander
- up to about 1/2 cup of chopped onion, more or less - One small onion is usually plenty.
- one raw Jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped, or another pepper of choice - Leave the seeds if you prefer more heat!
- one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes or two medium-size tomatoes, chopped
- 1 can (14.5 oz) of water or vegetable broth
- 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped if not using a blender
- a generous 1-inch nob of ginger, peeled and finely chopped if not using a blender
- 1 tsp of ground turmeric or a 1-inch nob of fresh turmeric root, finely chopped
- 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp of salt - We almost always use pink Himalayan sea salt, but any salt will do.
- a tiny bit of pure maple syrup or unrefined coconut sugar for a hint sweetness or, if you have them, about 1/2 tsp of dried fenugreek leaves
- about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp or so of garam masala, more or less to preference
- up to about 1/2 to 1 cup of frozen green peas
- 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
- optional red pepper flakes for extra heat when serving
- an optional dollop of vegan sour cream, or plain, dairy-free yogurt for topping
Instructions
- To speed things along, give this dish a jump start by chopping the potatoes into bite-size pieces, and cooking in an air fryer until slightly tender - about 10 minutes at a preheated 375º F temperature should do it. (We leave our regular potatoes unpeeled when they're organic but we always peel the sweet potato for this dish.)
- Then, if you are using whole spices rather than ground, coarsely crush the cumin and coriander seeds in a spice grinder or by hand using a mortar and pestle, like this one.
- Next, chop the onion and optional hot pepper, if using, and set aside.
- To a blender or food processor, add the tomatoes, can of water, garlic and ginger, blending into a purée.
- Then, to keep this meal oil-free, heat a splash of broth or water in a deep skillet or Dutch Oven type of pan over medium heat. Add the crushed cumin seeds and coriander and cook for a minute or so while stirring. Add another splash of water or vegetable broth if the toasty spices become too dry.
- Next, stir in the chopped onion and cook for three or four minutes or until the onion looks translucent. Then, sprinkle in the ground turmeric and cayenne, stirring and cooking for another minute or two.
- Now, stir in the blended tomato puree and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt and cover and cook for 10 minutes or so. Next, add the pre-cooked potatoes, stir and simmer, covered, for another 10 minutes over medium-high heat. (When using raw potatoes, go ahead and add them when you add the tomato puree, adding additional cooking minutes as needed to achieve tenderness.)
- Finally, stir in the Garam Masala and frozen peas, cover and cook barely a minute or so - or just enough to thaw and warm the peas.
- Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Stir in about half of the chopped cilantro and serve with additional cilantro and optional red pepper flakes on the side for more heat. We enjoy this dish spooned over a batch of our top-rated Creamy Cardamom Rice. And an optional dollop of vegan sour cream, or plain, dairy-free yogurt for topping your Aloo Matar tastes wonderful with the potatoes and acts as a coolant if you opt to go spicier with the seasonings.
Notes
- We used a combo of organic, peeled, sweet potatoes and washed and unpeeled, organic russet potatoes. Feel free to make this dish using only regular potatoes if you prefer as it will still be delicious. However, once we included sweet potatoes in our Aloo Matar, we've never looked back. This dish simply tastes fantastic with a mix of sweet and regular potatoes, even when the sweet potato to regular potato ratio is kept to a few chunks or so.
- No air fryer - no problem! You can just as easily use raw or even previously boiled or roasted potatoes in this recipe. When using raw potatoes, allow a few additional minutes of simmering.
- If your gravy (sauce) seems thin as this dish is cooking, be aware that the sauce will thicken slightly as the potatoes absorb some of the liquid. Plus, the starch from the potatoes will likely work their natural thickening magic. So do not let a thin sauce be of concern - no extra thickeners are needed here.
- And speaking of the sauce, if you like to save money by stocking up on pantry staples - these organic fire roasted tomatoes are sure to please.
- A bit of dried fenugreek leaves on top add another gorgeous layer of flavor to this dish if you happen to have some on hand. If not, don't worry as the sweet potatoes and that tiny bit of pure maple syrup or other sweetener add a similar earthy-sweet note, which is why we include those ingredients in our recipe.
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[…] Aloo Matar — Easy Pea & Potato Curry, Renee DeLeon, Veeg (shown above) […]
[…] Aloo Matar — Easy Pea & Potato Curry, Renee DeLeon, Veeg (proven above) […]
[…] Aloo Matar — Easy Pea & Potato Curry, Renee DeLeon, Veeg (proven above) […]
[…] going to flip out over the list of basic ingredients for this exotic tasting dish. Vegan Aloo Matar (an easy Pea Potato Curry) is a healthy veggie-based gluten-free recipe featuring convenient frozen peas without a drop of […]
[…] Get the recipe here. […]
[…] Get the recipe here. […]
Just so you know, toasting spices should be oil-less in the first place. You can’t toast things unless they’re dry. Don’t use water or broth, that steams the spices and defeats the purpose of toasting.
Thank you, Bryn, for sharing your helpful experience and knowledge regarding the toasting of spices. I appreciate the opportunity of learning through the exploration of unfamiliar cuisines.
[…] 8. Pea And Potato Curry […]