Instant Pot Achari Aloo is a simple, flavorful and tangy potato dish. Potatoes are pressure cooked with dry Indian spices making them flavorful by evenly coating each piece. This is an easy to make recipe ready in just under 10 minutes!
Weekends are relaxing and as well busy for us. Saturday’s are a bit more relaxing for us. On Sunday’s I cook for the week ahead. This, as you know, needs better planning and execution. It sounds simple, but this activity always makes me anxious and tired. Why? As I always tend to hurry up on finishing my cooking with my eyes set on the kitchen clock.
This past weekend when daylight savings made us one hour ahead. Which as you may guess means, I get one hour less. I was in a rush to finish my weekly cooking and got my left hand badly burned. I was in immense pain, as well upset with myself for always trying to hurry up. So lesson learnt, stay calm and try not to compete with the clock. As in this race with time, I will always loose.
Now back to this recipe, since I had only one hand functional. I had to make easy and quick lunch. I usually make achari aloo on the stove top. This is an easy to cook, flavorful recipe but the only issue is after its cooked I am at my wits end scrubbing the pan. With so much pain I was sure I would not be able to make it on the stove top.
I tweaked my stove top version of the recipe into Instant Pot Achari Aloo. Making this recipe in Instant Pot was like a breeze. The overall cook time was less than 10 minutes if you have boiled potatoes at hand. The dish came out delicious, with potatoes evenly coated with spices. And the best of all I did not have any pot to scrub, as cleaning the pot was so easy!
My family loved my version of Instant Pot Achari Aloo. I served this with Spinach paratha. pickle and raita. Enjoy this easy lunch recipe.
I hope you enjoy this recipe. If you give this recipe a try, do let me know. Leave a comment, Pin it, or take a picture and tag it #cookingyoulove on Instagram. I would love to know how it turned out for you.
- Whole Spices
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, pounded
- 5 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- Dry Spices
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp red chili powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp dry pomegranate powder
- 2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves
- 1 tbsp mango pickle
- 2 tbsp + 2 tbsp oil
- 5 Potatoes - boiled and cubed
- Switch Instant Pot on Saute mode, when the pot is hot add 2 tbsp oil.
- Add whole spices and let them simmer. Now add the dry spices and mix them well.
- Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil and pickle. Mix this mixture well.
- Add the potatoes and coat them well with the spice mix.
- Now close the lid and cancel Saute mode.
- Select Manual mode and set it for 2 minutes.
- When time is done , serve the dish hot with paratha or poori.
1. Add oil in the pan, when warm add whole spices.
2. When spices splutter add the dry spices, mix well.
3. Add the pickle and remaining 2 tbsp oil and mix.
4. Add in potatoes and coat them with the prepared spice mix.
5. Cook for 5-8 minutes till potatoes are cooked.
Boiling Potatoes in Instant Pot:
1.Put potatoes in the main pot and cover them with water.
2. Set it at Manual mode for 12 minutes.
More Instant Pot Recipes:
I made these potatoes last night in the Instant Pot and LOVE them. Thank you so much for the great recipe. They turned out browned and so flavorful after just a few minutes, plus easy cleanup and didn’t make my already hot kitchen hotter. Thank you thank you thank you. Genius idea.
I used coconut oil for the oil and did not have pomegranate powder so substituted a little tamarind concentrate.
I am glad you liked it. This is my favorite potato recipe 🙂
Is it quick release or natural release?
Its natural release. If in a rush you can do quick release.
So, I am still making these yummy potatoes regularly. I’ve discovered a way to simplify and shorten the potato cooking in the IP (cooked whole with peels on) – this is from a recipe for potato salad, so the potatoes come out cooked through but not mushy:
Place potatoes in pressure cooker with water. Cook on high pressure 3 minutes. If potatoes are larger, cook for 4 minutes. Let steam release for 3 minutes. Then quickly release pressure and open cooker. Peel and cube potatoes when they are cool enough to handle.
Hi Laura, Thanks for sharing the tip, I will surely try it. We all are looking for ways to reduce the cooking time:)
Hi there!
I’m new to the insta pot cooking magic. Can you please clarify if you cooked the potatoes in the insta pot first and then added them to your spice mix or if you put them in raw?
The recipe sounds delicious!
Thank you!
Hi Christina, I have used boiled, cubed potatoes. Thanks, this is easy to make recipe if you have boiled potatoes at hand. Let me know if you have more questions.
I have made this recipe before when friends came. It was such a big hit! thank you! I am making this again tomorrow. I intend to replace the vegetable oil with mustard oil and use tamarind concentrate instead of pomegranate powder. Fingers crossed!
Hi, I am glad you liked it. Am sure your tweak of mustard oil and tamarind concentrate will surely be a hit!!
Hi! I’m hoping to try this recipe but I was surprised that you close the lid and pressure cook the potatoes without any added water. Is that right or am I misunderstanding? Thank you!!!
Hi, Yes that’s right its made without adding any water. The recipe cook time is not much, its just cover and cook concept. Do let me know how it turns out!