If you like potatoes, this is going to be your new favorite - Bombay Potatoes or Masala Aloo. Baby Potatoes cooked with aromatic spices, as a one-pot dish, are perfect to serve as an appetizer or a side dish. These delicious and easy spicy Bombay Potatoes take just 20 minutes to make in the Instant Pot or on stovetop. Vegan & Gluten-free.
I am usually not a big fan of potatoes. However...with this masala aloo, I could not resist myself and kept eating them. I made about four servings, but clearly ate up two of them myself. It is so easy to keep popping them in your mouth, and they are so yummy with the sprinkle of lime juice, it is hard to stop eating!
They are the best Indian baby potato appetizer. If you don't like spicy, then I am definitely going to give some options to reduce the spice and still enjoy these amazing baby potatoes made in the instant pot.
To just steam baby potatoes, check out the post for Instant Pot Steamed Baby Potatoes.
If you like potatoes, do check out these Garlic Chili Potatoes and this Tandoori Aloo Tikka. A recent potato curry favorite for us has been Potato Curry in Yogurt Sauce (Dahi Aloo) which has such a unique taste and takes just 15 minutes to make!
Jump to:
What are Bombay Potatoes?
Bombay potatoes, also called Bombay aloo is an Indian dry dish prepared using boiled cubed potatoes, flavored with various spices such as cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, salt and raw mango powder.
Traditionally potatoes are first boiled, peeled and then sautéed in spices. However with my love for one-pot dishes, I have simplified this recipe to make in a single pot or in an instant pot.
These Spicy Bombay Potatoes can double up as a baby potato appetizer or as a side dish. Add toothpicks to serve it as an appetizer for a party. Or serve these spicy baby potatoes as a side with lentils and rice.
Ingredients
Let's start with gathering the ingredients, which are just a few for this easy Bombay Potatoes recipe. You need baby potatoes, spices, ghee/oil and some cilantro.
What makes these potatoes amazing are the spices. I like to use a variety of spices - Cumin seeds, Cumin powder, Coriander Powder, Turmeric, Red Chili Powder, and then end with some garam masala, and dry mango powder (aamchur) to get the wonderful tangy flavor. You can also use lime juice for the tangy flavor if you don't have aamchur powder.
What type of potatoes are best for Bombay Potatoes?
I used baby potatoes, which hold their shape well when cooked. You can also use Yukon Gold potatoes (also called baking potatoes), as these ones also dont fall apart when cooked.
How to make?
When making Bombay Potatoes on the stovetop, first boil the baby potatoes. You want them to be just tender, do not overcook.
Then in a pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Reduce heat and add the spices. Sauté them for 30 seconds, be careful to not burn them. Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and the potatoes.
Mix well so the spices coat over the potatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. The water will evaporate and the spices will coat the potatoes. Add dry mango powder (amchur), cilantro and lime juice. Bombay potatoes are ready to be served.
Instant Pot Method
To make these in the instant pot, we will make it as a one-pot recipe. Use raw baby potatoes, wash them well.
Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat ghee/oil in it. Add the baby potatoes and salt. Sauté for about 3 minutes to crisp them on the sides. This is optional, but you will love it.
Now add the spices and water (you can also use broth). Mix well and pressure cook for 4 minutes at high pressure. Then do a 10 minute NPR, which means release the pressure after 10 minutes of the beep.
The image on the left above is before pressure cooking and the right is after pressure cooking. You can see that the potatoes hold their shape well even after pressure cooking.
When you open the instant pot, there will be some liquid left. Change back to Saute mode and the water will dry up in just 2 minutes and the spices will perfectly coat the potatoes.
Add the dry mango powder, garam masala, cilantro and serve topped with lime juice. They are sooo good!
What to serve with Bombay Potatoes?
These Indian Spicy Baby Potatoes will pair perfectly with something which is mildly spiced. I like to serve these Bombay Potatoes as a side along with a protein such as chicken curry, baked chicken or a lentil soup (dal).
You can use them as a filling for tacos or wraps.
Don't forget they are also a great appetizer for a party!
Pro-tips
√ Saute them before pressure cooking, so they brown on the sides. This is optional, but recommended.
√ Add the water after just sautéing the spices for a few seconds, else they can burn.
√ Do not overcook the potatoes, otherwise they will break. Although baby potatoes can stay intact with up to 8-10 mins of pressure cooking.
√ I prefer to not peel the potatoes and get the nutrients in the skin. However you can choose to peel them.
√ Lime juice is a must, especially when serving as an appetizer. It adds a wonderful tanginess to the potatoes.
√ If you like less spice, then reduce/skip the red chili powder and add the garam masala at the end to taste.
How to store & reheat?
If any Bombay Potatoes are left (which typically does not happen in our house 😂), you can store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat, pop them in the microwave. You can also reheat in a skillet to crisp them.
Hope you enjoy these indian baby potato appetizer as much as we do.
Here are some more indian appetizer recipes you will enjoy:
Spicy Bombay Potatoes
Ingredients
- 1 lb Baby Potatoes rinsed
- 2 tablespoon Ghee or Oil use oil for vegan
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- ½ teaspoon Salt adjust to taste
- ⅓ cup Water (3 tbsp for stovetop)
To finish
- 1 teaspoon Dry Mango powder (Amchur) or use extra lime juice
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ Lime
- Cilantro leaves to garnish (optional)
Spices
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhaniya powder)
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cumin (Jeera powder)
- ½ teaspoon Ground Turmeric (Haldi powder)
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder mild, adjust to taste
Instructions
For Instant Pot
- Start the instant pot in Saute mode and heat ghee/oil in it. Add cumin seeds.
- Add potatoes and salt. Saute for 3-4 mins so they slightly brown on the sides.
- Add the spices and mix well with the potatoes. Then add water and stir it all up. (Don't wait much before adding water, else the spices can burn)
- 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 for 4 mins.
- After the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes then release the pressure manually.
- Add dry mango powder and garam masala. Change to sauté mode to dry any remaining water. It will just take 1-2 minutes. (Note: Turn off saute after 1-2 minutes and take the steel insert out of the instant pot, so it does not burn the bottom)
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and sprinkle lime juice while serving.
For Stovetop
- Boil the potatoes in water until almost tender. You want them to be just tender, do not overcook. Drain and put aside.
- In a pan, heat ghee/oil and add cumin seeds. Reduce heat and add the spices. Sauté for 30 seconds, be careful to not burn them.
- Add water and boiled potatoes. Mix well so the spices coat over the potatoes. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. The water will evaporate and the spices will coat the potatoes.
- Add dry mango powder (amchur), garam masala, cilantro and lime juice just before serving.
Notes
Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Julie Hensley says
Hi Meeta,
I found this recipe in today’s newsletter and made them for a quick snack. I’ve been itching to use the Amchoor powder my mother in law bought from Skordo in Maine ( they have become my favorite spice shop!) and this recipe fit the bill perfectly! I substituted small red potatoes, cut in half , and they turned out super delicious!
Thanks so much!
Julie H.
Piping Pot Curry says
Hello - So glad to hear that. Thank you very much for sharing:)
Jennifer says
I just made these potatoes. They are scrumptious! They remind me a lot of a dish my mom used to make. She used baby potatoes as well and McCormick curry powder. She called them curried potatoes. (I don’t know where she got the recipe, being that we are Caucasian from the midwestern USA, and she didn’t know any other Indian recipes.) Thanks so much for posting this.
Piping Pot Curry says
Hi - So happy to hear that. Thank you so much for sharing 🙂
Rajinder Nagi says
Hi Meeta, how are you?
Today made spicy Bombay potatoes and they came out yum.
Thanks you 😊
Meeta Arora says
Hi Rajinder - I am doing well. So glad to hear you enjoyed the potatoes. Thank you!
Parul Grinold says
So yummy! My potatoes never come out so this was a great, dummy proof recipe!
Meeta Arora says
Hi Parul - So glad to hear you enjoyed the potatoes 🙂
Jo Duffy says
Delicious. Fab recipe. If I doubled amount of potatoes, presumably I would double everything apart from the time? Still 4 minutes. Thanas you
Meeta Arora says
Hi Jo - Glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. You are right, double the ingredients, the pressure cooking time remains the same.
Tanya says
Can I use any type of potatoes and not just those small ones ?
Meeta Arora says
Hi Tanya - Sure, you can use other potatoes. Cut them into large pieces (about the size of the baby potatoes), so they can cook in the same amount of time. Hope you enjoy it!
Bhargavi Kashyap says
This was so so so so good! So flavorful and chatpata!
It was supposed to be my snack but ended up polishing it off - which made it my dinner!
Piping Pot Curry says
Hi Bhargavi - So happy to hear that. thank you for sharing your experience 🙂
Kelli Singh says
These are addicting!!!! (As is every single recipe of hers that we’ve tried!).
VIdya says
I made this in the instant pot and it was SUPER tasty!!!! That amchur powder makes it lip smacking!!!! I was wondering if you’ve ever baked them in an oven? If so, would you add all the spices and water right away or wait to add the “finishing” spices at the end?
Steve S says
I am fairly new to Indian Cooking and have added an enormous amount of spices to my cabinets. This during the pandemic where I limit my grocery store runs to once every 3 weeks but I have two questions about this. First, I had seen Asafoetida (Hing) called for in many recipes and did buy some (and have seen none of those recipes since). Since I have seen lime juice subbed for hing in previous (unbookmarked and now lost) recipes, can that be used and if so how much. Secondly I have ground cumin and not cumin seeds, How may additional (if any) ground cumin can be used for this and other recipes?
Meeta Arora says
Hi Steve - I hope you are doing very well. Asafoetida is mainly used in tempering. For eg. when making a lentil or curry, after adding oil and cumin seeds or mustard seeds, asafoetida is added. Here is a website that lists the substitutes for it - https://www.spiceography.com/asafoetida-substitute/. I have heard many people use garlic powder, so you can try that. Typically cumin powder is not a direct substitute for cumin seeds. It is okay to skip cumin seeds if you don't have them. I hope that helps!
Joanna says
Made these today, Delicious,!