Whole baby potatoes cooked in a lusciously creamy and fresh cashew sauce is a family-friendly weeknight dinner. This vegan and gluten-free recipe is super tasty, and make a great leftovers lunches. Pair it with cumin rice and Instant Pot Spinach dal and enjoy all the rave reviews.
Potatoes are a staple food in many households. Most people love potatoes because it is incredibly versatile and can be cooked in countless ways from baked to boiled, steamed, mashed, or fried. Among all the varieties, my favorite way to eat a potato is when it’s cooked in a curry and not just any curry, it has to be Dum Aloo curry.
In India, there are many varieties of this famous vegetarian delicacy (Dum aloo), and some popular ones are listed below. All the variations are equally delectable and taste amazing!
- Kashmiri Dum aloo: This dish hails from the Kashmir region and is cooked just in yogurt and spices without onion, garlic, and tomatoes.
- Bengali Aloor/Alur Dum: A spicy Bengali delicacy that is cooked in mustard oil along with onion, garlic, and tomatoes.
- South Indian Dum aloo: Another spicy dum aloo creation from the south that uses coconut and curry leaves in the sauce along with onions and tomatoes.
- Mughlai Dum aloo: Mughlai style dum aloo uses poppy seeds for a rich and creamy texture along with onion- tomato sauce.
- Bharwan Dum aloo: Paneer stuffed potatoes in an onion-tomato based sauce. Recipe link – https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/bharwan-dum-aloo-recipe/
But the one that I am sharing with you today is a Punjabi Dum aloo recipe made in the Instant Pot. This Punjabi Dum aloo recipe is a hearty and wholesome curry that is a bit subtle but has a smooth yet creamy texture all because of cashew nut-based sauce. The addition of cashews truly elevates the dish to another level.
What does Dum Aloo mean?
The word ‘Dum‘ means ‘air-cooked or baked under pressure’ and ‘Aloo‘ means Potatoes. The term belongs to the cooking technique Dum Pukht where dum means ‘air-cooked or baked’ and Pukht means ‘cook’. This method of cooking dates back hundreds of years. In this method, veggies or meats secret their juices into the dish resulting in a rich and fragrant dish.
What makes up Instant Pot Dum aloo Recipe?
- Baby Potatoes
- Whole spices – Please do not skip the whole spices. The use of whole spices is highly recommended because they impart a wonderful flavor to the sauce.
- Onion-garlic-ginger and tomato gravy
- Cashew paste – The cashews make the gravy amazingly smooth, velvety, and creamy. It also lends a slightly nutty flavor to the gravy.
- Aromatic Spices like turmeric, red chili powder, dried fenugreek leaves, cumin seeds, coriander powder, fennel seeds, and garam masala powder.
This vegan Instant Pot Dum aloo will fill your kitchen with a mouth-watering aroma that will make everyone come running to the kitchen for food.
How to make Instant Pot Dum Aloo Recipe?
This recipe is pretty straightforward where baby potatoes are first pan-sauteed until light brown and later simmered in a cashew-tomato infused based gravy, allowing the potatoes to soak up all the goodness from the sauce.
- 1. Cook the potatoes on HIGH until light brown.
- 2. Remove from oil and set it aside.
- 3. Add black cardamom, whole red chilies, and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds.
- 4. When the cumin seeds start to crackle, stir in the minced garlic, ginger paste, and pureed onion.
- 5. Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pureed tomatoes to the cooked onion paste.
- 6. Stir in the spices and cashew paste. Mix it well. Let it sauté for 2 minutes, and now it’s time to add dried fenugreek leaves. My version of sauce uses cashew nut paste to provide a creamy texture to the sauce. However, if you prefer a nut-free sauce/gravy then add yogurt or cream to the sauce. After the cashew paste is added, the sauce needed to be cooked well.
- 7. Keep stirring occasionally and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the oil starts to float on top. Before adding potatoes, make sure the oil floats to the top of the sauce/gravy. If rushed, you will end up with an uncooked taste of tomatoes in the sauce/gravy.
- 8. Return the baby potatoes to this thick sauce/masala and coat it thoroughly in the sauce. Pour in the water and mix to combine. Close the lid and cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 7 minutes. After the Instant Pot beeps, allow the steam to release naturally (NPR). Adjust consistency and enjoy with some cumin rice!
Make-Ahead Dinner!
Hosting a dinner party? No issues, this recipe can be made a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. The gravy will thicken up, adjust the consistency with 1/4 cup of lukewarm water. Allow it to simmer for 10 minutes on a medium-low flame and you are all set. Serve hot and enjoy the best tasting Dum aloo recipe with your friends.
Can I make Dum Aloo recipe on a cook-top?
Of course, you can! Here is a link to the cooktop, no onion no garlic version – https://www.ruchiskitchen.com/dum-aloo-recipe/
So, if you’re looking to spice up your dinner tonite then my dear friend this Instant Pot Dum aloo will instantly satisfy your cravings and provide you with the healthy nutrients (vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, and manganese) that your body requires. I encourage you to give this recipe a try and share your feedback! If you have questions, send me an email, and I would be happy to answer them. 🙂
CRAVING FOR MORE, TRY THESE OTHER OPTIONS!
- Instant Pot Spinach Dal
- Instant Pot White Bean Soup
- Instant Pot Coconut Quinoa with White Bean
- Instant Pot 3 Cheese Mac & Cheese
Watch the Instant Pot Dum Aloo recipe Video below 👇
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Instant Pot Dum Aloo
Tools And Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- 10 – Baby Potatoes peeled and washed
- 2 – Black Cardamom
- 2 – Dried Whole Chilies
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 large Onion pureed
- 2 cloves of Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste
- 2 large Tomatoes pureed
- 1/4 cup Cashew Paste (15 cashews soaked in water and grind to paste)
- 1 cup Water
SPICES
- 3/4 teaspoon Red chili powder (or paprika)
- 1.5 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 3/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
- 1 tablespoon Dried Fenugreek leaves
GARNISH
- – – Cilantro Leaves
Instructions
- Press the saute button on the instant pot. Once it displays hot, add oil and add peeled baby potatoes to the oil.
- Cook the potatoes on HIGH for 7-8 minutes until light brown. Remove from oil and set it aside.
- To the insert add black cardamom, whole red chilies, and cumin seeds. Saute for 30 seconds. (Step by step pics above in the main post)
- When the cumin seeds start to crackle, stir in the minced garlic, ginger paste, and pureed onion.
- Cook for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pureed tomatoes to the cooked onion paste.
- Stir in the spices and cashew paste. Mix it well. Let it sauté for 2 minutes, and now it’s time to add dried fenugreek leaves. Crush the dried leaves with your hand and add it to the cooking sauce/masala.
- Keep stirring occasionally and cook for another 5-6 minutes or until the oil starts to float on top – meaning: all the liquid will evaporate by now, spices are cooked well, and bubbles will begin to form over the masala/sauce. Soon you will start to see a thin layer of oil floating on top of the masala/sauce.
- Return the baby potatoes to this thick sauce/masala and coat it thoroughly in the sauce.
- Pour in the water and mix to combine. (Step by step pics above in the main post)
- Close the lid and seal the pot. Cancel the ‘Saute‘ mode and press the ‘Manual or Pressure Cook‘ button. Cook on HIGH PRESSURE for 7 minutes. Make sure that the pressure release valve is in place, and it is set to the Sealing position.
- After the Instant Pot beeps, allow the steam to release naturally (NPR). After the pin drops, carefully open the lid.
- Instant Pot Dum aloo is ready. Feel free to adjust the consistency to your liking.
- Serve the Instant Pot dum aloo hot with rice, roti or naan.
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