Bombay Potatoes and Peas

Welcome! I’m so excited to share a recipe that feels like a warm hug in a bowl. This is my absolute favorite way to make Bombay Potatoes and Peas.

This dish takes me right back to the cozy kitchens of Mumbai, where it’s a staple known as Bombay Aloo. It’s simple, comforting, and packed with so much flavor it’s hard to believe it starts with just humble potatoes and peas.

What’s the secret? There are no shortcuts here. We use fresh, honest ingredients and a beautiful paste of tomato, garlic, and ginger that makes all the difference. The best part? It’s naturally vegan and proves just how hearty and satisfying plant-based food can be.

So, let’s get in the kitchen and make some magic together!

Recipe at a Glance

Before we jump in, here’s a quick rundown. This is a pretty straightforward recipe. It’s easy enough for a Tuesday night but definitely special enough to serve when you have friends over.

Metric	Details
Prep Time	10 minutes
Cook Time	35 minutes
Total Time	45 minutes
Servings	4 people
Difficulty	Easy to Medium

Cooking for a Crowd (or Just for You!)

Need to make more or less? No problem. This recipe is super easy to scale. Just keep the ratios the same. Here’s a quick guide to help you out:

Servings	Potatoes	Water	Onion	Tomato
For 2	1-2 medium	½ cup	½ small	½ large
For 4 (This Recipe)	3 medium	1 cup	1 small	1 large
For 8	6 medium	2 cups	2 small	2 large

Remember to adjust the spices, salt, and everything else to match.

What You’ll Need in Your Kitchen

You don’t need any fancy gadgets for this. The most important thing is a large skillet, preferably one with a heavy bottom and a lid. A heavy pan helps spread the heat out, so your spices toast perfectly instead of burning.

For the fresh paste, a small blender or food processor works great. But don’t worry if you don’t have one! You can just mince the garlic and ginger really, really fine and grate the tomato on a box grater. It’ll be a bit more rustic, but just as delicious.

A Lifesaver for Meal Prep

This dish is a dream for meal preppers. You can get a head start by chopping your onion and potatoes. Quick tip: store the chopped potatoes in a bowl of water so they don’t turn brown.

Even better? Make the tomato-garlic-ginger paste ahead of time. It’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. When it’s time to cook, you’re already halfway there!

Let’s Talk Ingredients

Great Indian food is all about the ingredients. We’re using a mix of fresh stuff and amazing spices to build up layers of flavor.

First, the stars of the show: potatoes and peas. I’ve found that a waxy potato like Yukon Gold is perfect for this. They hold their shape and get this beautiful, creamy texture without turning to mush. For the peas, fresh or frozen are both fine. If you’re using frozen, you don’t even need to thaw them. Just throw them right in.

Next up is the real flavor bomb: our fresh paste. We’re blending a whole large tomato, seven cloves of garlic, and a one-inch piece of ginger. Making this from scratch gives you a bright, lively flavor that you just can’t get from a jar. This is the key to that authentic taste.

And now, the spices! We start with a cool technique called tadka, which is just a fancy word for toasting whole spices in oil. We’ll bloom whole cumin and mustard seeds to unlock their flavor. Then we add our ground spices:

• Turmeric for that gorgeous color and earthy flavor.
• Cayenne for a little bit of a kick.
• Ground coriander and cumin for warmth.
• Garam masala as our finishing touch. Think of it like a perfume—you add it at the end to keep its amazing aroma.

Let’s Get Cooking: Step-by-Step

Alright, let’s do this. I’ll walk you through it.

Step 1: Wake Up the Spices

Get your skillet on the stove over medium heat and add the oil. Let it warm up for a minute. Not sure if it’s ready? Drop in a single mustard seed. If it sizzles gently, you’re good to go.

Add the cumin and mustard seeds. In about a minute, you’ll hear the mustard seeds start to pop and dance around. This is what you want! It means they’re releasing all their flavor. As soon as that happens, add your chopped onion. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onion is soft and sweet. Don’t rush this part. Well-cooked onions are the foundation of everything.

Step 2: Make the Flavor Paste

While the onions are doing their thing, let’s make the paste. Toss the chopped tomato, garlic, and ginger into your blender. Blend until it’s a coarse puree. A little texture is a good thing here.

Pour this beautiful mixture into the skillet with the onions. Stir in all your ground spices—turmeric, cayenne, coriander, cumin, and garam masala. Your kitchen is about to smell incredible. Cook this for another 5-6 minutes, stirring often. You’ll know it’s ready when the paste thickens, gets a bit darker, and you can see the oil start to pull away from the edges.

Step 3: Add the Potatoes

Okay, in go the potatoes! Add your potato cubes, salt, and one cup of water. Give it all a good, gentle stir so every piece of potato is coated in that amazing sauce.

Bring it to a soft bubble, pop the lid on, and let it cook for about 10-11 minutes. This steams the potatoes and lets them soak up all those spices as they cook.

Step 4: The Finishing Touches

Take the lid off and add the peas. Now for the most important part: taste it. Does it need more salt? A little more warmth from the garam masala? You are in charge!

Turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer without the lid for another 10-12 minutes. This is when the potatoes get perfectly tender and the sauce thickens up. If it looks a little too dry, just add a splash of water.

Finally, turn off the heat. Stir in the fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice. This last hit of freshness just wakes everything up and makes the dish sing.

Make It Your Own

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can easily tweak it.

• Spice it up (or down): This recipe has a mild-to-medium kick. If you love heat, add more cayenne or throw a chopped green chili in with the onions. If you prefer it mild, just leave the cayenne out.
• Make it fancy: Want to really impress someone? Here’s a restaurant-style trick. Boil the potatoes first until they’re almost cooked. Then, pan-fry them in a little oil until they get golden and crispy on the edges before adding them to the sauce in Step 3. The texture is amazing!
• Add more veggies: This recipe is a great base. In the fall, you could add cubed butternut squash. In the summer, toss in a handful of fresh spinach at the end. Cauliflower or chickpeas would also be delicious and make it even heartier.

How to Serve and Store It

You did it! Time to eat.

I love serving this straight from the pan with a little extra cilantro on top. It’s so versatile. It’s perfect with fluffy basmati rice, warm naan bread, or roti to mop up all that delicious sauce. To make it a full meal, add a side of cool cucumber raita (you can use coconut yogurt for a vegan version) and a simple green salad.

Leftovers are honestly fantastic—the flavors get even better overnight. Just store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

To reheat, warm it up gently in a saucepan on the stove. You might need a splash of water to loosen the sauce. I find this works much better than the microwave for keeping the potatoes’ texture just right.

A quick heads-up about freezing: I generally don’t recommend it. Potatoes can get a weird, grainy texture when they’re thawed. But you could make a big batch of the sauce (everything up to the end of Step 2) and freeze that. Then you just have to thaw it and cook it with fresh potatoes and peas for a super fast meal!

I really hope you love making this recipe. Happy cooking!

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