Indian Bombay Potatoes and Peas is a comforting, one-pot dish with flavorful spices. It’s the perfect sharing dish. Try making it at home!
Bombay Potatoes and Peas, or Bombay Aloo Matar, is a classic dish from India that’s easy to make with simple, hearty ingredients. The amazing potato curry makes the perfect comfort food Side Dish to classic Indian main dishes or you can serve it with a side of Roti for a quick vegetarian meal. Check out my entire Indian Recipes collection for more favorite Indian dishes like Vegetable Korma, Butter Chicken, or Chicken Tikka Masala.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Indian Bombay Potatoes and Peas Recipe
If you enjoy the robust flavors of Indian food but want an everyday recipe without any complicated steps, this curry potato dish is for you! It tastes so delicious you’d think that you spent all day on it, but it’s ready in under 30 minutes! It’s basically a simple boiled potatoes and peas that gets a quick punch of unbelievable flavor from classic Indian spices.
By adding the right spices you can get amazing depths of flavor that tastes like you ordered Indian takeout. My Indian Bombay Potatoes and Peas recipe uses fresh ginger, mustard seeds, cumin, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, cayenne pepper, and garlic. The basic spices are all common ingredients in Indian cuisine and make rich, spicy potatoes, with comforting warm yet slightly sweet flavors.
Chef’s Note: Garam Masala
Garam Masala is a special and complex blend of intense spices. I’d highly recommend getting a small jar from your local grocery store. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can try making your own with a mix of equal parts ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cardamom, ground cloves, and ground black pepper (1 teaspoon of each). You can also add ground mace, fennel, or bay leaf to taste. While it won’t taste exactly like authentic garam masala, it works in a pinch and might just be your own personal favorite spice blend!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes: Yukon potatoes strike a great texture balance between fluffy and waxy. By boiling them, they get soft, but not overly mushy. They have a mild sweet taste that goes great with all the warm spices in the recipe ingredients.
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter or Ghee: Ghee is preferred for its authentic taste, but is easily substituted with butter. Substitute with equal parts coconut oil to make it vegan.
- 2 teaspoons Yellow Mustard Seeds: These are a staple in curry bases and provide a slight tang and crunch. Substitute mustard powder if needed. If using mustard powder instead of yellow mustard seeds, use 1 teaspoon of mustard powder.
- 2 teaspoons Cumin Seeds: The warm earthiness from cumin seeds is found all over India. 1 teaspoon of ground cumin can be used instead for a bit less intense flavor.
- 2 teaspoons Ground Turmeric: Turmeric adds an incredibly vibrant yellow color. It is a bitter spice that adds a fresh earthy flavor when cooked.
- 1 tablespoon Ground Coriander: Coriander has a lemony flavor you can’t skip out on. It is a great herby spice to balance out warmer spices.
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala: Garam Masala is a traditional Indian spice blend of warm and sweet fragrant spices like nutmeg, cloves, cumin, mace, cardamon, and bay leaf. It varies depending on brands, so check the ingredients and grab a ground spice blend you like best.
- ½ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper: Cayenne pepper is spicy so only use a little bit. If you don’t like spicy food, reduce to an ⅛ teaspoon or leave it out entirely.
- 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt: Table salt can be used if you don’t have the flaky kosher kind, but only use 1 teaspoon. You can always add more later if needed.
- 4 cloves Garlic: Fresh garlic is needed for an authentic taste and adds a pungent, aromatic depth. Garlic powder can be used instead if needed. Substitute the fresh with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- 1 tablespoon Ginger: The spicy sweetness of ginger pairs with garlic and brightens the dish. Plus, freshly minced is more aromatic and fun to smell while cooking. A premade paste is easy and works great for flavor too.
- 16 ounces Green Peas: Peas are a vegetable commonly found in Indian cooking. They add a fresh taste to the dish, and by adding them into the dish later they keep their nice plump texture. Fresh peas can be used if available, but they should be blanched first.
How To Make
Time needed: 30 minutes
- Prepare Potatoes
Cut the potatoes in half with a sharp knife and add them to a pot of water on the stove top. Bring to a boil and cook for about 12 minutes until tender. Drain the water through a colander and set the potatoes aside.
- Cook Spices
Melt the ghee or butter in a skillet on medium heat and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, cayenne, and salt to the melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon and let it cook until darkened and fragrant – about 5 minutes.
- Add Aromatics
Add in the garlic and ginger and continue to cook and stir until they are fragrant – about 3 minutes.
- Combine Ingredients
Now add the potatoes and peas to the pan and stir well to coat everything nicely. Cook for a couple of more minutes until everything is evenly heated.
- Garnish and Serve
Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot and ready. Enjoy!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes , halved
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , or ghee
- 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger , minced (or paste)
- 16 ounces green peas , thawed
Instructions
- Add halved potatoes to a large pot of water.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 12 minutes or until fork-tender.
- Drain water, set potatoes aside.
- Add butter, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, cayenne, and salt, stirring well, over medium heat until spices have slightly darkened in color (but not burnt).
- Add in the garlic and ginger and stir well.
- Stir in cooked potatoes and thawed peas.
- Garnish with cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
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Can This Be Made in Advance?
Yes, you can make this ahead. Prepare as directed and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove top or in the microwave when ready to serve.
Nutritional Facts
How to Serve Indian Bombay Aloo
Traditionally Indian cuisine is served family style with a main curry along with sides like Bombay Potatoes and Peas and basmati rice. You also want to have Naan Bread or fresh roti, which is like an Indian tortilla, to soak up the delicious curry sauces and seasonings. My Lamb Curry or Chicken Korma would taste amazing with these potatoes. Oh, and since this is a spicier dish, serve it with some cool Indian Raita, which is a creamy cucumber sauce perfect for balancing out the heat.
How to Store
- Store: You can leave Indian Bombay Potatoes and Peas at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Let the dish cool down before you cover it or transfer it to an airtight container for storage. It will stay good in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- Reheating Tips: You can reheat on the stove top in a pan on medium heat. Add a tablespoon of water to make sure it doesn’t dry out. You can also microwave it on high for 2-3 minutes and string halfway through.
- Freeze: For a more long-term storage option, you can tightly seal the dish in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequent Questions
Sure! Just cut them down to baby-sized potatoes so they cook thoroughly.
Yes, you can add frozen peas directly to the dish. Just make sure to cook them a bit longer until they are fully heated through as nobody likes cold peas in a hot dish!
This recipe uses cow butter or ghee making it vegetarian. However, you can easily make it vegan by simply substituting the ghee with equal parts coconut oil and cooking as directed! Did you know that in India to ask for something to be vegan you ask for it to be pure veg? Interesting, huh?
Variations
- Tomato Bombay Potatoes: For additional flavor, try making the dish with a spicy tomato sauce. Stir together one freshly diced tomato and 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce. Then mix the tomato mixture with the spices, peas, and potatoes. Cook until warmed through.
- Veggies: There are plenty of other vegetables that you could add to the dish. Green onions, carrots, green chili peppers, or bell peppers would all taste wonderful with the spiced potatoes.
- Flavor Additions: To give the dish a bolder flavor, you can mix in additional spices. Try adding authentic curry powder, red pepper flakes, onion salt, or caraway seeds. You can also garnish the dish with a sprinkling of cilantro, and a squeeze of fresh lemon for a refreshing finish.
Related Recipes
More Flavorful Vegetarian Indian Recipes
Photos used in a previous version of this post.
5 stars! Amazing!!! Better than any Indian restaurant dish I’ve ever had! Wow! ?
Awww…made my day Kate! Thanks and thank you for the 5 star review 🙂
Fantastic recipe! I used Miyokos plant based butter instead of ghee bc I don’t eat dairy, but followed the recipe exactly as written otherwise. Made this with cauliflower tikka masala for a holiday feast and we loved it so much I knew I had to bookmark it! Here I am making it again!! Thank you so much!
Loved your feedback. Thank you for taking the time and thank you for the 5 stars!
Absolutely delicious and easy recipe! Soooooo gooood! Thank you!
Delighted you enjoyed it Courtney!
Easy and tasty Indian dish. I steamed my diced potatoes to make it even easier, then added them to the pan with the spices. Thanks for posting.
Sooo good. Made exactly as written except 1/2 garam masala-1/2 curry powder I had this with Kerala fried chicken and your Raita. Also delicious. Thank you Sabrina!