Dum Aloo – A north Indian curry made with baby potatoes simmered in onion and tomato based gravy, spiced beautifully with turmeric, red chili pepper, garam masala and a hint of dried fenugreek leaves!
My mom’s signature recipe, that I grew up eating is a combination of perfectly cooked semi-stuffed potatoes, slow-cooked in smooth, aromatic and creamy sauce.
I make it frequently in my Instant Pot for a quick, delicious and authentic Indian meal. I truly believe it is the hint of homemade garam masala and dried fenugreek leaves that gives this dish that magic touch. Yes, another creamy, restaurant-style Indian curry with a swirl of cashew paste added in the end!
I have made this dum aloo so many times that I am declaring this a no-fail dum aloo recipe. Here are few tips, tricks and shortcuts:
- You can buy red or yellow baby potatoes, available in most grocery stores. Mix of 2 also works well.
- Coring baby potatoes is optional. I know that is the most tedious step in this recipe, so go ahead and skip coring potatoes. It will be still delicious I promise!
- If you do not find baby potatoes, use Yukon gold or Russet potates, peel and cut into big 2 inch pieces.
- To make Vegan Dum Aloo simply substitute ghee with cooking oil and soak cashews in water instead of milk.
- Adjust the garam masala and Kashmiri red chili powder to make the dish more or less spicy
- Use heavy cream instead of cashew cream if you are allergic to nuts
- Dried fenugreek leaves are not same as fenugreek seeds. So simply skip if you do not have them
Step by Step recipe for Dum Aloo in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker:
- Peel and core the potatoes. Reserve the cored bits of potatoes as it will be added to the sauce later.
- Soak cashews in warm milk for 10 minutes and set aside. Blend together to make smooth paste and reserve. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat add ghee. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes with a glass lid on, stirring few times. Add ginger and garlic paste, cook for 30 seconds (photos 1 – 2).
- Add the carved out pieces from the potatoes. Add tomato puree, turmeric, red chili powder, garam, masala and salt. Cook everything on saute mode for 2 minutes with glass lid on, stirring a couple of times. With a small spoon, very carefully, as the gravy will be hot, fill the potatoes with the cooked masala/gravy and line them all in the IP insert. Add ½ cup of water. Close the Instant Pot, set on manual/pressure cook(Hi) for 8 minutes followed by Quick Release (photos 3 – 4).
- Open the Instant Pot and stir in dried fenugreek leaves, cashew paste and chopped cilantro. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and mix everything together. Add salt to taste. Bring to gentle boil and then turn the Instant Pot off. Serve with hot parathas (photos 5 – 6).
As always, you can adjust the red chili powder and garam masala to make this dish more or less spicy.
Enjoy with homemade whole wheat parathas, kale parathas, cabbage parathas, methi thepla or naan. For a gluten-free meal serve with steamed rice, brown rice or veg biryani.
If you have enjoyed my palak paneer, butter chicken and aloo gobhi recipes, I would say make recipe today and you will be obsessed!
★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
- 10 baby potatoes peeled and cored from the top (save the carved out potato pieces)
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons garlic grated
- 2 ripe red tomatoes pureed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ -1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder or any other mild red chili powder
- ½ -1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 8-10 cashews
- ¼ cup warm milk
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- Cilantro leaves chopped for garnish
Soak cashews in warm milk for 10 mins and set aside. Blend together to make smooth paste and reserve.
Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat add ghee. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes with a glass lid on, stirring few times. Add ginger and garlic paste, cook for 30 seconds.
Add the carved out pieces from the potatoes. Add tomato puree, turmeric, red chili powder, garam, masala and salt. Cook everything on saute mode for 2 minutes with glass lid on, stirring a couple of times.
With a small spoon, very carefully, as the gravy will be hot, fill the potatoes with the cooked masala/gravy and line them all in the IP insert. Add ½ cup of water. Close the Instant Pot, set on manual/pressure cook(Hi) for 8 minutes followed by Quick Release.
Stir in dried fenugreek leaves, cashew paste and chopped cilantro. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and mix everything together. Add salt to taste. Bring to gentle boil and then turn the Instant Pot off. Serve with hot parathas.
Recipe Video
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Author: Archana
Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
Cook with Smile.. says
Delicious ?
Archana says
Thank you Lathi!
Laura @ Feast Wisely says
Love this recipe Archana – gives me an excuse to buy some of those dried fenugreek leaves I’ve seen in my local wholefoods store!
Archana says
Hi Laura! Thank you. Yes I am also so happy that whole foods is carrying all these spices. There are few other recipes on my blog that use dried fenugreek leaves so they will def be useful. They give indian curries a restaurant-like taste.
Laura @ Feast Wisely says
Hi Archana I made this yesterday and wow! Amazing sauce and I’m so glad I made a big batch with some now in th freezer for my next Indian feast. My husband, whose mum is an amazing Gujarati cook, said it was fantastic too ??
Archana says
Hi Laura, SO glad that you and the family enjoyed this. It is a big compliment coming from your Gujarati mom in law!! Thank you. Comes out so delicious so such less efforts right? You can also stir in peas in the end if you like.
Louise Samson says
Absolutely amazing dish! Loved every bit of it (and unfortunately ate the whole pot all to myself). Easy, flavourful, and just wonderful. Next time, I feel like cutting the potatoes in half and put them in without peeling (I had really tiny potatoes); the skin is nutritious and tastes good in the IP. So does your Chicken Korma I made last night. Thank you for all these great recipes!!!
Archana says
Thank you Lousie! So glad that you are enjoying my recipes. I agree that the potato skin is nutritious, so cutting them in half will also work well.
Hetal says
This recipe is great, I have made a few times already! Will be following you for all your IP recipes! Thank you;)
Archana says
Thank you Hetal! Comments like these make the time I take to perfect these recipes so worth it. Thank you. Thank you.
Laura @ Feast Wisely says
Hi Archana – I loved your dum aloo so much I’ve dedicated my latest blog post to it – here’s the link, I hope you approve…… https://feastwisely.com/2017/06/07/dum-aloo-sauce-archanas-recipe/
Archana says
Hi Laura! It warms my heart to hear that you enjoyed this recipe. I feel honored that you dedicated your blog post to it, and I love that we share the same love for these recipes. Thank you! Thank you!!
Elaine @ foodbod says
I’ve just seen your sauce on Laura’s blog, and it does sound lovely. I take it it can be cooked in a saucepan, I don’t need to use an instant pot?
Archana says
Hi Elaine, yes do not need a instant pot. It can be cooked in a sauce pan. Let me know if you have any questions. I will be happy to help!
Noela Botelho says
Made this per your instructions, and loved it! Finally found THE dum aloo recipe! This one is definitely going into my list of faves for parties! Thanks so much for sharing, I’m a huge fan!
Archana says
Thank you Noela! I am SO glad you enjoyed this easy and authentic tasting recipe.
sai says
Hi Archana I love this recipe and have tried it tonnes of times . I am planning to make it for my girl’s birthday for about 25 guests. Should I just increase the proportions based on the servings or do you hve another suggestion? How much can I make in IP at a time.
Archana says
Hi Sai! I think you can easily increase all the ingredients by four times. Your initial sauté time will increase but the pressure cook time will still remain the same. This dish also tastes better the next day so you can also make this ahead of time and then reheat before serving. Hope this helps. And wishing a very happy birthday to your daughter!
sai says
Thanks a ton!
Priya says
Hi Archana. I had the same question as sai and im glad to see your reply. I’m planning to make for around 20 guests and I wonder if my IP duo plus 6QT can accommodate the sauce and around 35-40 baby potatoes? Also I don’t have an IP glass lid but have regualr kadai glass lid. Can i use this lid? Kindly reply.
Archana says
You can coon 35-49 Baby potatoes just make sure you scrape the pot well after sauteeing etc. nothing should stick to the bottom . And yes any lid works
Priya says
Thank you archana.. Will update you once I make this today.
Archana says
Can’t wait to hear how you like it.
Priya says
Hi Archana. I had used around 45 baby potatoes and IP couldnt generate pressure at all. the gravy was sticking to the base even though after deglazing pot. I even moved entire content 3 times to different kadai and washed the inner pot after scraping all brown bits but even then the IP could not generate pressure. I did add sufficient amount of water but still gravy was getting stuck at the bottom each time. Finally I had to move the sabzi to a normal pressure cooker and it turned out to be good.
Thank you.
Archana says
Hi Priya, Sorry this didn’t work out. I guess with starchy potatoes and the fact that the Instant Pot insert does not have too much width, it must stick to the bottom. I have only doubled it in the pastor 20 potatoes. But we know now for the future.
Anjum says
Hi Archana, this looks like a fantastic recipe. One question – do you have a recommendation on a substitue for the cashews? We have treenut allergy in the family.
Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Anjum! Unsweetened coconut cream or low fat cream makes a good substitute for cashew cream. Hope this helps.
stuti says
Archana – how much of the coconut cream would you recommend?
Thanks
Stuti
Archana says
2-4 tablespoon (depending on the creaminess you desire) of unsweetened coconut cream will work. Hope this helps. Can’t wait to hear how you liked this dish!
stuti says
Hi Archana
I plan to make this for our Diwali spread tomorrow. Quick question. My daughter doesn’t have dairy so I want to replace milk with almond milk (or another substitute). What is your recommendation?
Thanks!
Stuti
Archana says
Hi Stuti, you can soak the cashews in warm water instead of milk to make the cashew paste and use it.
Mara says
How do u carve out the baby potatoes?
Archana says
Hi Mara,
I have a small ‘curved pairing knife’ that makes the coring easier. But I sometimes also just cube large potatoes and use them in this dish. It is equally delicious. Let me know if you have any questions.
Smitha says
I just made this and it was WOWWWWW
Archana says
Double all ingredients! Just sauté time will increase but same pressure cook time! So glad you enjoyed this. I will have to keep telling my mom how much everyone is loving her recipe! Let me know how the doubling works out!!
Pat says
I got home late after a busy day, wondered what I was going to eat. I found some potatoes that needed cooking. Searched on aloo instant pot to see what I could find. Found this recipe, saw I had most all the ingredients, so I tried it. I made it vegan by substituting water for the milk and the ghee. It still came out so delicious! Thank you so much for this recipe. You say it’s even better the next day so I am restraining myself from eating it all right now! Thanks Archana and Archana’s mom too!!
Archana says
Hi Pat! I am SO happy to see this note from you. It truly makes my day when I see my followers enjoying the recipes I work on. I will surely pass on your message to my mom. AndI hope you have some leftovers for today. If not, double the recipe next time!
Puneeta says
Hi Archana…I have aloo dum following the recipe couple of times and it has always turned out very nice..but this it became very spicy…any tips on how can I reduce the spiciness?
Archana says
Hi Puneeta! Make some more cashew paste and add it to the curry and may be a tablespoon of ghee to reduce spiciness
Rajani says
hi archana, i have made your recipe twice now..it turned sooo delicious .. everybody just loved it.. thanks a lot for the recipe:) 🙂
Archana says
You are welcome!
Rahul K says
Archana, I’ve used your recipe to make Dum Aloo on a couple of occasions. I must say… it came out AWESOME! The combination of ghee and fenugreek leaves does the trick I feel. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and taking the time and pain to post detailed, easy-for-dummies-like-me friendly recipes. Keep’em going.
Archana says
Hi Rahul, Thank you so much for your lovely note. I am so glad you are trying out all my recipes. I hope you will try more recipes and enjoy them!
Renuka Singh says
Tried this today and came out perfect. thanks for the post 🙂
Kruti says
Hello
I tried the recipe today and it was easy and yummy . Thank you so much for the great , yummy and easy recipe .one more new dish when there is a party. Yay! Thank you
Archana says
You are welcome Kruti! Thank you for your lovely feedback.
Punam Paul says
Liked this creamy greavy. We usually prepare this recipe in light greavy. The taste of the recipe greavy shared by you is fabulous.
Archana says
Thank you Punam. So glad you enjoyed it. Do rate the recipe on the recipe card