Dum Aloo is a North Indian curry with baby potatoes simmered in onion and tomato-based gravy, spiced with turmeric, red chili pepper, garam masala, and garnished with dried fenugreek leaves. This vegetarian Instant Pot recipe is ready in under 30 minutes with creamy kid-friendly flavors that can be easily spiced down or up. A perfect weeknight dinner and a sure-hit dish for potlucks and parties!
This Recipe originally published in April 2017 has been updated with new photos, a video, and tips.
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Mom's signature recipe
Dum aloo is my mom's signature recipe that I grew up eating. The baby potatoes are cooked to perfection in a smooth, aromatic, and creamy sauce with a hint of homemade garam masala , and dried fenugreek leaves that take the flavors and aromas to the next level. Just like my EASY Palak Paneer and Mushroom Masala, this creamy, restaurant-style Indian curry uses a swirl of cashew paste to round up the flavors.
Ingredient Spotlight
- Baby Potatoes - red or yellow baby potatoes in this recipe, traditionally the potatoes are peeled for this recipe but you may choose to keep the skin on for added nutrients.
- Spices - Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala add the perfect warmth and authetic flavors to this curry
- Ginger and Garlic - fresh homemade ginger and garlic paste
- Tomatoes - I like to add store-bought tomato puree to this dish which adds vibrant red color to the dish. You can use homemade tomato puree by simply pureeing 3 rough-chopped ripe tomatoes in a blender.
Tips and Substitutes
- Potatoes - You can buy red or yellow baby potatoes, available in most grocery stores. A mix of 2 also works well. Coring baby potatoes is an optional step. I know that is the most tedious step in this recipe, so go ahead and skip coring potatoes. It will be still delicious If you do not find baby potatoes, use Yukon gold or Russet potatoes, peel, and cut into big 2-inch pieces
- Tomatoes - 1 cup of store-bought tomato puree can be used in place of fresh tomato puree
- Gluten-Free - The curry itself is gluten-free. Serve with rice for a gluten-free meal
- Vegan Dum Aloo - Use cooking oil instead of ghee and soak cashews in water instead of milk.
- Kid-Friendly - Adjust the garam masala and Kashmiri red chili powder to make the dish less spicy
- Nut Allergies - Use heavy cream or unsweetened coconut cream instead of cashew cream
- Dried fenugreek leaves - These are not the same as fenugreek seeds. So simply skip it if you do not have them
How to make Dum Aloo
- Peel the potatoes and core about half an inch using a pairing knife. Reserve the cored potato bits as we will be adding them to the sauce. (photos 1 -4)
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté mode and heat ghee. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes with a glass lid on. Add ginger and garlic paste, tomato puree, turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, and salt. Cook on saute mode for a minute. Next, add the potatoes, the carved-out pieces, and water. Give a quick stir and close the Instant Pot. Pressure cook(Hi) for 8 minutes followed by Quick Release (photos 5 - 8)
- Open the Instant Pot and add 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 a gentle boil and then turn the Instant Pot off. (photos 9 - 12)
Serving
Serve with homemade whole wheat parathas and crunchy cucumber salad. You can also serve the dum aloo with roti, kale parathas, cabbage parathas, methi thepla, or naan. For a gluten-free meal serve with Basmati rice, Brown rice, or Yogurt-Rice
Storing
Refrigerate leftover Dum Aloo for up to 5 days. To reheat simply microwave or heat on the stovetop. This is also a perfect make-ahead dish.
Love Indian food? Here are some more delicious Indian Instant Pot Recipes:
- Aloo Rasedar
- Curried Baby Eggplant
- Curried Chickpeas
- Spicy potatoes
- Vegetable Kurma
- Pav Bhaji
- Misal Pav
★ Have you tried this recipe? We love your feedback, Please click on the stars in the recipe card below to rate.
Recipe
Instant Pot Dum Aloo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 10 baby potatoes peeled and cored from the top (save the carved out potato pieces)
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 2 teaspoons ginger grated
- 2 teaspoons garlic grated
- 2 tomatoes pureed
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri red chili powder or any other mild red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup water See Note 8
- 15 cashews
- ¼ cup warm milk or water for dairy free
- 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped for garnish
Instructions
- 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.
- 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. Press the cancel button to turn off the saute mode.
- Add the potatoes to the Instant Pot insert along with the water and give a quick stir. Close the Instant Pot, and 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.
Video
Notes
- Potatoes - You can buy red or yellow baby potatoes, available in most grocery stores. A mix of 2 also works well. Coring baby potatoes is an optional step. I know that is the most tedious step in this recipe, so go ahead and skip coring potatoes. It will be still delicious If you do not find baby potatoes, use Yukon gold or Russet potatoes, peel, and cut into big 2-inch pieces
- Tomatoes - 1 cup of store-bought tomato puree can be used in place of fresh tomato puree
- Gluten-Free - The curry itself is gluten-free. Serve with rice for a gluten-free meal
- Vegan Dum Aloo - Use cooking oil instead of ghee and soak cashews in water instead of milk.
- Kid-Friendly - Adjust the garam masala and Kashmiri red chili powder to make the dish less spicy
- Nut Allergies - Use heavy cream or unsweetened coconut cream instead of cashew cream
- Dried fenugreek leaves - These are not the same as fenugreek seeds. So simply skip it if you do not have them
- BURN Error - The newer Instant Pots are more sensitive to the BURN. You may need to add an extra ¼ cup of water.
Nutrition
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Anjali says
What is I only want to boil the baby potatoes by itself in the instant pot. WHat are the instructions for that? How many minutes to pressure cook it? Thank you so much!
Archana says
Add 1 cup water in the main pot. Then place the trivet and put potatoes over the trivet. Depending on the size 6 to 8 mins of pressure cooking with natural pressure release will work.
Sb says
It turned out awesome! I made a larger qty and I was careful to add the cashew paste later.Didnt burn thankfully and came out amazing..thank you so much!!!!
Archana says
Yes cashew paste always in the end. So glad you enjoyed the flavors
Alexandra T Hoover says
I made this with some garlic naan for dinner for my husband and I tonight. I am so skeptical eating out for Indian and was even more skeptical making Indian food at home as I have traveled to India many times and wanted an authentic recipe. I must say it tasted just like in India. I doubled the recipe and cooked in a normal pot until potatoes were nice and soft. My cashew puree was not very smooth, but it still blended in nicely, and the developed well with normal Chile powder and the absence of fenugreek. I will definitely add this to my cookbook. I was thoroughly impressed
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback! I am so glad you enjoyed it
Pratik says
Make Tasty Dum Aloos At Home Easily
Dum Aloo or Alu Dum is a potato-based dish, it is a part of the traditional Kashmiri Pandit cuisine, from the Kashmir Valley, in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Find the recipe in the link below:
https://wrytin.com/chefkunal/make-tasty-dum-aloos-at-home-vegan-recipes-jqm5nbzr
Fa says
Great recipe! Just made it and it’s delicious and so easy to make.
Thank you for posting.
LP says
I made Dum Aloo tonight and it's a keeper! I've tried other potato curry recipes previously and none were particularly flavourful but this was delicious and cooking the potatoes in the instant pot is great because the potatoes are perfectly cooked yet don't start to break down as they would if cooking conventionally. Thank you!
Archana says
You are most welcome! Thank you for the feedback
Shu Datla says
This has become my recipe anytime guests come !! And it’s a hit
Archana says
Thank you for your lovely feedback 🙂
Tristanne says
Should I use raw or roasted cashews? Thanks!
Archana says
raw cashwes preferably but roasted ones will work in a pinch. Just make sure to adjust the salt if used salted roasted.
Pallavi P says
Dear Archana,
My family loved this recipe..My husband who is not a fan of potatoes (other than typical maharashtrian batata bhaji) also loved it. In short of time, i could not make little holes but still turned awsum.
Thank you ,
Pallavi P
Archana says
Thank you Pallavi, this is a no-fail recipe and I agree if you do not have time to core them it will still work 🙂
Tamanna Kanoria says
Hi, what is IP? Will a pressure cooker work instead of an IP? Or can we use boiled potatoes instead of raw potatoes if we don't have an IP?
Archana says
Instant Pot is a pressure cooker. Instead of using boiled potatoes you can make this dish on stove top. Simply cook until potatoes are tender
Tamanna Kanoria says
Hi Archana, can i make this in a regular pressure cooker?
Archana says
yes you can 🙂
Krupa Patel says
I made this for the first time and served to my family! Was soooo delicious! Everyone really enjoyed it and I thoroughly loved the restaurant style curry! Thanks sooo much for sharing!
Archana says
Thank you for your lovely feedback!
Seema says
Can i substitute cashews with almonds?
Archana says
yes that will work.
Pari says
This is one of our family favorites, thanks for such an easy yet flavorful recipe Archana 🙂
Misty says
This is for real a no fail recipe.. didn't do the coring step (way too much work.. lol).. it was still the bomb.. and so simple. Thank you!! Young and old loved it. Feels like I've added cream and butter to it but its the cashew paste making it so creamy and yummy!
Archana says
Thank you for your lovely feedback!
Conrad Cham says
If I am using canned tomato puree, how many cups should I use for "two ripe red tomatoes pureed"? Thank you. PS. It turned out great the first time.
Archana says
Thank you for your feedback! Use 3/4 cup.
Sai says
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. I am planning to make a big batch of dum aloo ahead of time for a dinner party this Saturday. Should I add the cashew paste when I make it say on Friday or add it on Saturday before I serve.
Archana says
Stir in before you serve.
Amy says
Hi
If I’m doubling the gravy would I have to double the water to one cup vs the ½ cup?
Archana says
yes if you want more gravy.
Claire says
I've made this twice- so delicious I want to lick the bowl 🙂 The second time I made it I used Trader Joe's "teeny tiny" potatoes and a can of TJ's fire roasted diced tomatoes (just what I had in the pantry) I didn't even peel the potatoes (they are too small) and the dish was just as awesome. The fenugreek leaves really do make it special. This is a go to recipe for me. Thank you!!
Archana says
Thank you! That is why I call this a no-fail recipe 🙂
Mithushi says
Tried your recipe with regular potatoes cos I ran out of baby potatoes.. it took 12 minutes with NPR .. so delicious .. my family loved it .. thank you