Bombay Aloo (Potatoes)

Simple, flavorful, and crispy, this Instant Pot Bombay Aloo recipe comes together in 30 minutes for a one-pot titbit or side dish your whole family will love. With directions for Instant Pot and stovetop, you can hands make this vegan and gluten-free spiced potato recipe any night of the week.

A white trencher with Bombay Potatoes and a silver fork to the right.
Instant Pot Bombay Potatoes

What is Bombay Aloo?

Growing up in Bombay (now Mumbai), I had never heard of Bombay potatoes. That was until I came wideness a recipe for Bombay potatoes on Pinterest.

The recipe tabbed for roasting parboiled potatoes seasoned with oil, cumin, coriander, chili powder, and other spice powders.

I was intrigued and decided to dig up its history. I didn’t find any but considering most sites from the UK full-length this recipe; I am guessing that it is an anglicized and British version of jeera aloo.

There are many variations to this recipe, as you’ll learn below, but the most popular one is where the dish calls for no onions, ginger, or garlic, just roasting the boiled potatoes in spices. What you’ll love well-nigh my recipe is that you don’t have to swash the potatoes in advance, it cooks withal with the spices.

I have used onions withal with ginger and garlic in my recipe but finger self-ruling to skip it to make a simpler, quicker version of masala aloo.

Fun fact: The Hindi word for potato, aloo or alu, is often used as an volitional name for this dish. You may see this dish referred to as Bombay potatoes or Bombay Aloo, but they midpoint the same thing.

Reasons to love this recipe

  • Made one pot using Instant Pot – no need to swash potatoes separately.
  • This Indian side dish uses simple pantry ingredients you once have on hand.
  • It is vegan-friendly and gluten-free, making it perfect for any dietary restrictions.
  • You can serve this versatile dish as an titbit or a side dish.

What kind of potatoes are weightier for this recipe?

Baby potatoes or new potatoes – These waxy potatoes require no peeling and only minimal chopping and moreover hold their shape while cooking, making them perfect for this one-pot recipe.

If you can’t find victual potatoes, I suggest using diced russet, red potatoes, or Yukon gold potatoes instead. Note: Dice the potatoes into 1.5-inch cubes.

Here’s what you need for Bombay Potatoes

Ingredient notes/swaps

  • Baby potatoes– If you do not have victual potatoes try russet, red, or Yukon diced into 1.5-inch cubes instead.
  • Oil– I used olive oil in this recipe, but you can moreover use avocado oil instead.
  • Spices– A tousle of cumin seeds, coriander, cumin, garam masala, turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt season these haunting potatoes.
  • Onion, garlic, and ginger– You can skip these if you want to make a simpler version of masala aloo.
A silver tray on a undecorous counter with a side of instant pot roasted Bombay potatoes.
Instant Pot Roasted Potatoes

TIPS

  • Chop the potatoes into half unless you have bought the tiny bite-sized victual potatoes.
  • No need to peel the potatoes just scrub them clean.
  • If the spice powders start sticking to the base, add a tablespoon of water to prevent it from burning.
  • If using an Instant Pot, scrape the pot to remove any supplies particles stuck to the marrow surpassing pressure cooking to stave the shrivel signal.

Bombay Aloo Variations

  • Skip the onions, ginger, and garlic to make a simpler, quicker roast Bombay potatoes dish.
  • To make Bombay potato curry, add a cup of tomatoes withal with the spices without the onions turn soft and translucent. Protract to melt until tomatoes soften and oil starts to leave the sides. At this point, add the potatoes and melt till they are fork tender.
  • Don’t have an Instant Pot or a pressure cooker? Make it over the stovetop (instructions in the recipe vellum below).

Ingredient Substitutions

If you don’t have all of the ingredients in your pantry for this Bombay potato recipe or want to try a variegated flavor, here are some easy ingredient swaps:

  • Substitute dry mango powder with a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice.
  • Garnish with zestless fenugreek leaves instead of cilantro

Prep, storage, and reheating instructions

Bombay Aloo stores well in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Cooking it superiority of time is the weightier way to prep ahead.

To reheat quickly, simply microwave the cooked potatoes. For a crispy finish, pop the seasoned potatoes into a skillet and pan fry for a few minutes until heated through and crispy on the outside.

Serving Bombay Potatoes

Bombay Aloo makes an spanking-new titbit as well as a succulent side. Here are a few fun ways to serve your crispy, spiced potatoes.

  • As an appetizer – Set a large trencher of Bombay aloo out with a small trencher of toothpicks for people to enjoy without plates or forks.
  • In a wrap – Use leftover Bombay potatoes at the wiring of a wrap with rice, beans, and other toppings for an Indian-inspired taco.
  • Part of a full meal – Dish out these fluffy on the inside, crispy on the outside victual potatoes with Indian rice dishes and curries. Trammels out the examples below.

Serve it with

These crispy and succulent Bombay potatoes go well with rice, roti, and dal. Some of my favorites include:

Pink whirligig with light bulb

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take for potatoes to soften in the Instant Pot?

The value of cooking needed will vary depending on the type and size of the potatoes you use. Victual potatoes, like the ones used in this recipe, soften in 5 minutes of high-pressure cooking. Read this post: Instant Pot Potatoes for increasingly information on how to swash potatoes of variegated sizes.

Do you have to peel the potatoes surpassing cooking?

No, simply wash the skin of the potatoes well surpassing cooking. If you are using victual potatoes, keeping the skin on helps the potato maintain its shape while you fry them to a crispy finish.

Other potato recipes to try

Easy Bombay Potatoes Recipe

A white trencher with Bombay Potatoes and a silver fork to the right.
Print

Spiced Bombay Potatoes (Masala Aloo)

Fluffy on the inside and crispy and spiced on the outside, these roasted Bombay Potatoes are a vegan and gluten-free side dish you can hands whip up in your Instant Pot or stovetop in under 30 minutes.
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Indian
Keyword Indian side dish, Potatoes with cumin
Method Instant Pot, Stovetop
Diet Gluten-free, Vegan
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 137kcal

Ingredients

For garnishing

  • cilantro

Instructions

  • Rinse and scrub the victual potatoes to remove any dirt. Chop it into half. Set it aside.
  • Set the Instant Pot to ‘Saute’ mode and retread the setting to ‘More’. When the exhibit reads ‘Hot’, add oil.
  • When the oil heats up, add cumin seeds.
    Cumin seeds in the wiring of the instant pot.
  • Once the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add onions and fry till they are translucent.
    Onion widow to the cumin seeds in the instant pot.
  • Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, garlic cloves, and ginger paste withal with salt. Note: I have use frozen ginger and garlic cubes for this recipe.
    Spices widow to the instant pot.
  • Fry them for well-nigh 30 seconds. Add a tablespoon of water if you notice the spices sticking to the pot.
    Add water to the instant pot if the spices stick.
  • Add potatoes and mix well. Saute them for 2-3 minutes till they are well-done on the edges.
    Baby potatoes widow to the instant pot.
  • Add 3/4 cup water. Mix well and scrape the pot to remove any supplies particles stuck to the bottom.
    Add water to the instant pot.
  • Close the vent and set it to the sealing position. Pressure melt on upper for 5 minutes.
    Instant pot with a five minute timer.
  • Once the cooking trundling is complete, immediately release pressure by moving the vent to the venting position.
  • Set the Instant Pot to ‘Saute’ mode and retread the setting to ‘normal’. Saute for 3-4 minutes till the water is absorbed. The gravy will protract to thicken as it cools down.
    Instant pot without cooking potatoes in sauté mode to melt up the water.
  • Add amchur (dry mango) powder and mix well.
    Dry mango powder widow to the potatoes in the instant pot.
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro, if desired.
  • Serve hot with rice and dal or ghee laden rotis.

Notes

Stovetop method

Note: Use a non-stick wok for weightier results. Also, you don’t need water will cooking over the stovetop. 
  1. Rinse and scrub the victual potatoes to remove any dirt. Chop it into half. Set it aside.
  2. Heat oil in a wok/kadhai kept over medium heat. When hot, add cumin seeds. 
  3. Once the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add the onions and fry them till they turn soft and translucent. 
  4. Add turmeric powder, chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, garlic cloves, ginger paste, and salt. Fry them for well-nigh 30 seconds.
  5. Add the chopped potatoes and mix them well. 
  6. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover the wok and let the potatoes melt until they have softened and fully cooked. This step will take virtually 15-20 minutes. Note: Don’t forget to stir virtually the 10-minute mark to ensure the potatoes are not sticking to the marrow of the pan. 
  7. The potatoes are washed-up when a fork hands pierces them.
  8. Add the amchur (dry mango powder) and mix well.
  9. Garnish it with either coriander leaves or zestless fenugreek leaves. Mix well.
  10. Serve hot with rotis or rice and dal. 

Nutrition

Calories: 137kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 400mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 66IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg

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