Aloo Matar is a quick and easy Indian potatoes and peas curry made in the Instant Pot or stovetop. This vegan and gluten-free Aloo Matar Masala is perfect for a delicious warm weeknight dinner!

Aloo Matar made in instant pot served in a bowl
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This is a simple Indian homestyle recipe, which is made with very basic ingredients that you will always have in your pantry. I always have potatoes and frozen green peas, along with onions and tomatoes, which are a must for any Indian cooking. This is my go-to quick dinner when I don’t have anything specific in mind 🙂

Another popular homestyle dish is Matar Paneer, a green peas and paneer curry. Here is a tip: replace the potato with paneer in this recipe, and it will work perfectly. I have also shared a restaurant-style creamy Matar Paneer recipe for the instant pot. If you’re looking for more recipes, you can find all of my Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes.

What is Aloo Matar?

Aloo means potato, and Matar means green peas, hence the name Aloo Matar for this curry. This is a Punjabi Aloo Matar (or Aloo Mutter) recipe with gravy. The gravy is made with onion, tomatoes, ginger, and garlic and cooked with basic spices. Aloo Matar can also be made as a dry stir fry, which I will share later.

Aloo Matar goes well with Indian flatbreads such as roti, paratha, and naan, or it is perfect for serving over basmati rice.

Aloo Matar made in instant pot served in a bowl, with naan bread on the side

How to make Aloo Matar in Instant Pot?

Let’s start with making Aloo Matar in the instant pot. If you are new to the instant pot, check out this setup guide.

  1. Start the instant pot in sauté mode and add oil, cumin seeds, and green chili pepper. I typically use Thai, Birdeye, or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. To make this curry less spicy, you can always skip green chili.
  2. Then add the chopped onions, ginger, and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes.
  3. Then add chopped tomatoes and spices and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. I just chopped the tomatoes, but you can also puree them to get a smoother gravy.
  4. Now, just add the green peas, potatoes, and water. Stir and close the instant pot.
  5. Pressure cook for 2 minutes on high pressure and then release the pressure 5 minutes after the instant pot beeps (5-minute NPR)
  6. Add the garam masala and garnish with cilantro.
Aloo Matar in instant pot - Step 1 add oil, cumin, green chili
Aloo Matar in instant pot - Step 3 Add tomatoes
Aloo Matar in instant pot - Step 5 add potatoes
Aloo Matar in instant pot - Step 2 add onions ginger garlic
Aloo Matar in instant pot - Step 4 Add peas
Aloo Matar in instant pot - Step 6 Add water, stir and ready to cook

Aloo Matar is ready to be served. So delicious and yet so easy to make!

Aloo Matar in instant pot - perfectly cooked and shown in a ladle

How to make Aloo Matar on the stovetop?

You can make Aloo Matar on a stovetop in a pan or a stovetop pressure cooker.

  1.  Heat oil in the pan or pressure cooker. Add oil, cumin seeds, and green chili pepper.
  2. Add the chopped onions and sauté them for 3 minutes.
  3. Then add chopped tomatoes and spices and sauté for another 2-3 minutes. You can cover with a lid I just chopped the tomatoes, but you can also puree them to get a smoother gravy.
  4. Add green peas, potato, and water.
  5. For a pan, cover with a lid and cook for about 10-15 minutes on low heat, while stirring frequently. For a stovetop pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles on medium heat.
  6. After the cooking time is done, add Garam Masala and garnish with cilantro.

Can I make Aloo Matar without onions & garlic?

Yes! Just skip onions and garlic in this recipe. You can add an extra tomato to compensate for the onions, but it is not necessary.

Aloo Matar made in instant pot served in a bowl, with naan bread on the side

Can I use prepared Onion Tomato Masala to make this Aloo Matar?

Yes, here is my recipe to make Onion tomato masala for meal prepping. Use half cup of this masala to make this Aloo Matar recipe. Skip adding onion, tomato, ginger and garlic in this recipe and adjust the spices to your taste. If you have frozen masala, then you don’t have to thaw it.

Variations for Aloo Matar Curry

  • Creamy Aloo Matar: Add cream or coconut milk to make this curry creamy and milder in taste.
  • Matar Paneer: Skip potato and add paneer to make Matar Paneer curry. The same cooking time will work.
  • Aloo Matar Paneer: Add 1 potato and 1 cup paneer cubes in this recipe. The same cooking time will work.
  • Mushroom Matar: Skip potato and add 2 cups sliced mushroom to make Mushroom Matar. Again, the same cooking time will work.

You will love this Aloo Matar:

√ It is easy to make.

√ Uses simple ingredients that you will have in your pantry.

√ So quick, it takes just 20 minutes to make.

√ Vegan and Gluten free

You will love how easy it is to make this flavorful Aloo Matar curry. Serve it with roti, paratha, or rice.

Check out vegetarian recipes I have posted in the past:

4.86 from 71 votes

Instant Pot Aloo Matar Recipe (Potato & Peas Curry)

Aloo Matar is a quick and easy potatoes and peas curry, made in the Instant Pot or stovetop. This vegan and gluten free Aloo Matar Masala is perfect for a delicious warm weeknight dinner!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
  • 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit into two pieces (optional)
  • 1 cup Onions , diced
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger, grated
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
  • 1 cup Tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cup Water
  • 2 Potatoes , medium, cut into 3/4 inch cubes, I used russett potatoes
  • 1 cup Green peas
  • 1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala , adjust to taste
  • Cilantro, to garnish

Spices

Instructions 

  • Start the pressure cooker in sauté mode and let it heat. Add oil and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds.
  • When the cumin seeds change color, add green chili, onions, ginger and garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes until the onions become golden brown while stirring frequently.
  • Add tomato and spices. Stir and let them cook for 2 minutes until the tomatoes are softened. You can optionally cover with a lid. 
  • Add potatoes, peas and water. Stir and scrape off anything stuck to the bottom of the pot. Press Cancel and close lid with vent in sealing position.
  • Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode at high pressure for 2 mins. After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then quick release the pressure manually. 
  • Open the pot. Sprinkle Garam Masala and mix with the curry.  
  • Garnish with cilantro. Serve aloo matar with roti, naan or rice. 

For stovetop:

  • Follow the same steps as above. For cooking in a pan on stovetop, cover with a lid and cook for about 10-15 minutes on low heat, while stirring frequently. For a stovetop pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles on medium heat.

Video

Notes

Make it less spicy: Skip the green chili and reduce red chili powder. 
Which Green chili to use? I typically use Thai, Birdeye or Serrano Chili Pepper in my recipes. Don’t forget to adjust to your taste. 
Green peas: I used frozen green peas in this recipe. Fresh green peas will work well too.  
Use tomato puree:  I just chopped the tomatoes, but you can also puree them to get a smoother gravy.
Kasoori Methi: For added flavor, you can also add kasoori methi when adding other spices.
Make this curry with the onion tomato masala: Use 1/2 cup of the onion tomato masala. Skip adding onion, tomato, ginger and garlic in this recipe and adjust the spices to your taste.
Created: This recipe was created in a 6qt Instant Pot DUO60 Multi-use Programmable Pressure Cooker.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 5gFat: 4gSodium: 644mgPotassium: 695mgFiber: 6gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 690IUVitamin C: 36.3mgCalcium: 65mgIron: 4.8mg

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten-free, Nut-free, Vegan
Tried this recipe?Mention @pipingpotcurry or tag #pipingpotcurry!

About Meeta

I strongly believe that each one of us has a chef inside us, we just need to explore the ingredients and create great food. My passion is to share easy, healthy, and wholesome recipes made using Instant Pot & Air Fryer, that are well tested, so you can cook with confidence.

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53 Comments

  1. Loved this recipe, just like all recipes on this site. Made this for dinner, served with some Malabar Paratha and Jeera rice. Will add Kasoori Methi next time.

  2. I made this for dinner last night and it was a BIG hit. My husband (who is the real cook in the family) said it might be his favorite of all the curries I’ve made!

    One change I made was to leave the peas out until the potatoes were cooked, then I just stirred them into the curry and allowed them to come to temperature. And I did add some kasoori methi as suggested.

    I didn’t have any garam masala, so I just used a little Madras curry powder at the end of cooking.

    We will definitely try this one again!!

    1. Hi Mindy – Glad to hear you both enjoyed the curry. Thanks for sharing the changes you made!

    1. Hello – Sorry, I have not tried this aloo matar in the slow cook mode, so cannot say for sure how long it will take to cook them. Please do share if you try!

  3. I subscribed after making this recipe and I have NEVER subscribed to any of the many food blogs I follow. I am an American who was just introduced to the wonders of Indian food a few months ago and I just can’t get enough! I have never tasted something so flavorful… This was my first attempt at making Indian food in my own kitchen and I am blown away by how delicious and EASY this was. I roasted some cauliflower in the oven and added it in after it was all done cooking in the pot! As a mom to three littles, I VERY much appreciate these Instant Pot recipes and how quickly it all comes together! I love vegetarian meals and you have so many on your blog. I do eat meat ad well and I am so excited to try your chicken Tikka masala next! I am a fan for life! Thank you so much! ❤️

    Kendra H.

    1. Hi Kendra – So happy to hear that. Thank you so much for sharing back your experience. 🥰

  4. This was easy to make and delicious! Perhaps the one person who thought it wasn’t spicy enough had old spices. It was quite well balanced, made it exactly as written and will definitely make again. Thanks!