Indian pea and potato curry (Aloo Matar). An Indian recipe for beginners - like me! Repin to save.

I don’t know a lot about Indian food, but I know that I love it.

For a budget cook like myself, Indian food is the jackpot. Especially the vegetarian dishes, like this one.

Many of these recipes feature, potatoes, peas, chickpeas, lentils, tofu, and other budget-friendly ingredients. These are unapologetic vegetarian recipes that are main-course worthy.

The Total Cost For This Recipe

Less than $4.00 for four servings! Much less than what you’d pay at an Indian restaurant. And this makes a huge batch.

Buying Indian Spices

The other day, I picked up a jar of Rogan Josh seasoning from Penzey’s Spices. You can find Indian spice blends at most grocery stores (garam masala is another good one).

I played this dish by ear, loosely adapting this recipe. If you can’t find an Indian spice blend, feel free to follow these recipe directions instead.

Whenever I eat Indian food, I have to have naan bread. Although I must commit to making my own one of these days, I enjoy the frozen naan bread from Trader Joe’s.

If I’m in a hurry, I just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds. But it’s best when baked in the oven.

Indian spiced bar mix recipe, from Cheap Recipe BlogHere’s another Indian-inspired recipe for you: Indian-spiced bar mix

If you’re looking to learn more Indian recipes to cook at home, check out this chicken korma recipe or this butter chicken. Both go great over basmati rice with naan bread on the side.

Indian pea and potato curry (Aloo Matar) recipe

Aloo Matar: Indian Pea And Potato Curry

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

This dish tastes great the next day. If you have leftovers, heat them up for tomorrow's lunch.

Ingredients

  • Olive oil, for frying
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 large cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 knob ginger, peeled and minced (about 2 teaspoons minced)
  • 4 small potatoes, boiled until tender but not mushy
  • 14.5 ounce can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 to 2 teapoons rogan josh reasoning (or other Indian spice blend: see notes above)
  • 1 teaspoon hot chili flakes
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • Salt, to taste
  • 2 cups frozen peas

Instructions

  1. Cut boiled potatoes into small chunks. Set aside.
  2. In a large frying pan, heat one to two tablespoons of olive oil. Add onion and cook until onions begin to soften. Add garlic and ginger and cook for another 30 seconds. Add potato chunks and cook for 3 more minutes, until lightly browned. Add tomatoes, spices, sugar and salt. Simmer for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to come together. Add peas and cook for a few more minutes until heated. Remove from heat.
  3. Serve with plain yogurt and naan bread or rice.

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