Aloo kurma is a popular South Indian side dish made with potatoes, onions, tomatoes simmered in coconut sauce. Potato kurma is made using potatoes, onions and coconut masala cooked together to create a curry. This goes well with chapati, appam, idiyappam even idli or dosa. Learn how to make the best aloo kurma with step by step pictures and video!
Aloo kurma
Korma or kurma is a popular dish made around south asian region. It can be made with variety of ingredients including mixed vegetables, chicken or lamb. Vegetables or meat is cooked with onions, tomatoes and whole spices and a final paste of coconut, or cashew is added to thicken.
Kurma is usually mild in taste so it can be paired with pulao, rice or hoppers.
Table of Contents
About Aloo Kurma | Potato Kurma
Potato Kurma is a popular South Indian dish which is famous in hotels in India. Potato curry or Potato kurma is a spicy coconut based curry made by sauteing onions, potatoes and tomatoes in oil. The curry is thickened with a coconut masala which is made by grinding coconut with fennel seeds, cashews or melon seeds. The curry taste great with appam, idiyappam and chapati.
In Indian potato is used to make different type of side dish or curries. Potato masala for dosa, Poori masala for puri, Aloo chana curry for bhatura, Dum aloo for pulao, roti or phulka
I had a bunch of potatoes, so decided to use that fast in the recipe so nothing gets wasted and bad. The taste for this kurma is achieved from the coconut masala which we add in the end. It gives an instant thickness to the dish. Some people add curd to the curry which I think is not required in this recipe.
Watch Aloo Kurma Video
Aloo Kurma Ingredients
Oil- kurma is cooked in coconut oil. But for more rich taste you can cook in ghee.
Whole spices - kurma gets its flavor from the whole spices. cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, fennel seeds is added in the oil.
Fresh ingredients - onions, tomatoes, green chillies, ginger and garlic form the base for kurma. ingredients like vegetables, potatoes, peas, chicken, lamb or any meat is used.
Fresh masala - paste made using coconut, cashews, fennel seeds or melon seeds is added.
Expert Tips for Aloo Kurma
- I used melon seeds along with cashews to grind. You can use cashews, almonds, pottu kadalai (roasted gram dal).
- This whole dish can be cooked in a regular pot with lid instead of pressure cooker.
- You can skip the turmeric powder and make this entire dish into a white colour kurma.
- Instead of potatoes, you can add mixed veggies like carrot, cauliflower, green beans.
Aloo Kurma in Instant Pot
- Set instant pot to saute mode. Heat oil, Add in fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Fry them for 30 seconds till fragrant. Add in sliced onions and saute for couple of minutes till onions turn translucent.
- Add in ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute for 1 more minute. Now add in turmeric powder, peeled chopped potatoes and salt. Stir fry everything for 2 mins.
- Add salt to taste and pour enough water to cover the potatoes. Set the instant pot to pressure cook mode, pressure cook for 8 minutes.
- Now let the pressure release naturally on the instant pot, add in the ground coconut melon paste and mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes or cook until the kurma thickens.
- Serve this with roti, appam, idiyappam.
Similar Recipes,
Paneer Cashew Curry
Gobi Kofta Curry
Paneer Jalfrezi
Paneer Tikka Masala
Dum Aloo
Paneer Butter Masala
How to Make Potato Kurma (Stepwise pictures)
1)Grind together fresh coconut, melon seeds or cashews and fennel seeds in a blender. If you don't have fresh coconut use frozen coconut or dry coconut.
2)Grind this mixture to a smooth paste by adding some water. If you are using frozen or dry coconut, grind the mixture using hot water.
3)Heat oil in a pot or pressure cooker. Add in fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Fry them for 30 seconds till fragrant.
4)Add in sliced onions and saute for couple of minutes till onions turn translucent.
5)Add in ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute for 1 more minute.
6)Now add in turmeric powder.
7)Add in chopped tomatoes.
7)Add in peeled cubed potatoes.
8)Season with salt.
9)pour enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring it to a boil and pressure cook for 4 whistle. If you are cooking this in a regular pot, then cover and cook on a low flame for 25 to 30 minutes.
10)Now let the pressure release naturally on the cooker.
11)Open the pressure cooker. Add in frozen green peas and mix well.
12)add in the ground coconut melon paste and mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes or cook until the kurma thickens.
13)Serve this with roti, appam, idiyappam.
More Curries
📖 Recipe Card
Aloo Kurma | Potato Kurma | Kurma
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 piece cinnamon
- 3 cardamom
- 3 cloves
- 1 large onion (sliced)
- 4 green chillies (slit)
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tomatoes (chopped)
- 2 potatoes (peeled and chopped)
- 1 cup frozen peas
- Salt to taste
To grind for kurma
- ¾ cup fresh coconut
- 2 tbsp cashews or melon seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
Instructions
- Grind together fresh coconut, melon seeds or cashews and fennel seeds in a blender. If you don't have fresh coconut use frozen coconut or dry coconut.
- Grind this mixture to a smooth paste by adding some water. If you are using frozen or dry coconut, grind the mixture using hot water.
- Heat oil in a pot or pressure cooker. Add in fennel seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Fry them for 30 seconds till fragrant.
- Add in sliced onions and saute for couple of minutes till onions turn translucent.
- Add in ginger garlic paste and green chillies and saute for 1 more minute.
- Now add in turmeric powder, peeled chopped potatoes and salt. Stir fry everything for 2 mins.
- Add salt to taste and pour enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring it to a boil and pressure cook for 4 whistle. If you are cooking this in a regular pot, then cover and cook on a low flame for 25 to 30 minutes.
- Now let the pressure release naturally on the cooker, add in the ground coconut melon paste and mix well. Simmer for 5 more minutes or cook until the kurma thickens.
- Serve this with roti, appam, idiyappam.
Video
Notes
- I used melon seeds along with cashews to grind. You can use cashews, almonds, pottu kadalai (roasted gram dal).
- This whole dish can be cooked in a regular pot with lid instead of pressure cooker.
- You can skip the turmeric powder and make this entire dish into a white colour kurma.
- Instead of potatoes, you can add mixed veggies like carrot, cauliflower, green beans.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Dottie
THis looks delicious!! Did you put the chili pods into the blender whole, seeds, stems and all? Is this very spicy?
Aarthi
Dottie..Thanks for your comment..Yes I added every part of the chillies in..If you wish you could deseed it and add..you can reduce the amount of chilli as per your taste.I
I made it little spicy for me..And also the spiciness depends upon the chilli which you use..Some are spicier and some are milder.You can adjust as per your taste.
faseela
luks delicious
Chitra
Aarthi ur posts make me want to go back home....it reminds me of my mom's dishes...this is exactly how we make it too...
Deeksha
Gravy looks really very tasty. Thanks for sharing your Mom's recipe. Love to try this soon. Bookmarked.
Zainab
Hey Aarthi!!!! Thank u for dropping by. Its my first time here as well . Following you!!!
Mrs K
Thanks so much Arthi for following me,I am so glad to have found your blog,you have such excitingly yummy recipes,I have had a quick look through all the pictures and I am coming back to make some dishes from here.this recipe with roasted gram and potatoes is a killer,and appam with this is my absolute hot favorite:) I am following you back and look forward to more recipes from you!!!
An Open Book
they would be absolutely perfect with appam..im drooling already
Tina
Soooo spicy and flavourful curry..Perfect side with appam..Yummm.
Nayana
Aarthi...great recipie.thanks for stopping by..following you too.
Aarthi
StephenC..yes the coconut is unsweetened..
Raji
Superb korma...wonderful flavours, your kadhai and pan looks rustic and beautiful.
Prathibha
very delicious curry..looks perfect
Ushnish Ghosh
Dear Arthi
I feel good reading your comment at my blog and delighted that you are following my blog.
I cant access blog from Sahara desert. I can open some times , but the pictures dont open..very sad. I shall make it up when I am back, I can see the headings and you have very nice recipes.
Have a great week
Christy
This looks very spicy to me!:p
Pushpa
Delicious recipe..
kitchen queen
Hi thanks for visiting my blog and giving a lovely comment.you too have a nice blog with good recipes.
Treat and Trick
What a fabulous gravy! Thanks so much for stopping by and joining in my blog, look forward to reading your yummy post...
Chandrani
Potato curry looks so creamy and delicious.
Reva
Potato kuzhambhu looks super yum... perfect with anything..:) Loved it..
Reva
Kaveri
I too love cooking traditional age old recipes...This one sounds so flavorful and aromatic
Priya
Wat a flavourful kurma,seriously i can have it with anything.
Nicole Gamble
Great recipe ! I made it! It`s delicious!!! Thanks for sharing!
Inside a British Mum's Kitchen
I can just smell these potatoes cooking!! Delicious - love the photos and the recipe sounds divine 🙂
Mary x
Kristen
Such a tasty combination. YUM!!
Now Serving
Yummy recipe; super cute pot and love the super cute dog on your profile 🙂
Becky
Thank you for stopping by my blog, and leaving your kind words. I love all of the wonderful spices in this dish.
Jenn "Rook No. 17"
Aarthi, this dish looks absolutely incredible!
Manju
I am pretty sure that this is a kind of kurma that my neighbor used to make for us sometime and I used to love it! Thanks for the recipe..im gonna try making this soon!
anthony stemke
This looks fabulous, love the sauce.
Kurmafan
Hi arthi... tried this last night... it was awesome...added fresh green peas too and had it with chapatis. It was yummmmmo... Thanks for this super simple and tantalizingly tasty curry... This is gonna take place frequently in our menu...
bincy
your cooking pots are so lovely. i want them.. where do u buy that from?
Aarthi
@bincyI got it from my super market called lynns here in nagercoil.
susi
hi aarthi akka..2day mrng i tried this kurma...it really taste so good..thanQ for this recipe ... 🙂
SEEMA SHARMA
Hi aarthi...cn we use decicated coconut instead of fresh cocont
Aarthi
@SEEMA SHARMAyes u can use desicated coconut
Meenakshi P
hi aarthy i am regular viewer of ur blog .i tried this kurma .it really came out nice.all my family members liked it.keep posting new recepies.
thank you.
Archana Swaminathan
I tried this today.. It is actually a Superb hit in my family.. And from now onwards I will be a regular visitor to your blog..
Raji
looks yum. Plz tell me doesnt it need any tempering?
Aarthi
no need for tempering. but if you wish you can add
Elakya Arul
Hi Aarthi, Tried this recipe today.. It was tasty.. Thanks for the recipe
reshma
nice