Saucy potatoes are highly addictive. Take it from someone who always looked forward to my mother-in-law's Sunday brunch. She would make a huge batch and serve it with puris (fried Indian bread) and a grated daikon salad. In this version, I had the pleasure of my father visiting and taste testing. He helped me tweak it just so, and per his suggestion, I added raisins. It's pretty insane what that does. It gave the dish an even more elevated flavor profile with a tiny bits of sweet nuggets. Subtle and yet something to look forward to with every single bite. Other Instant Pot recipes cooked this dish for 1 minute. I added a little cook time to be sure the broth is really cooked well. Three minutes was perfect for us.
Rase Wale Aloo, Saucy Punjabi Potatoes
Pressure Cooker Size: 3 quart or larger
Warm Up: 19 minutes
Cook: 3 minutes
Cool Down: Manual release time
TOTAL: 22 minutes + manual release time
Makes: 8 cups
1 tablespoon oil or ghee
1 pinch hing (asafoetida) (optional)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
1 (1-inch) cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom pod
1 cassia leaf or 2 bay leaves
1 small yellow or red onion, pureed
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, pureed
2 cloves garlic, pureed
1-4 fresh Thai or serrano chiles, stems removed and thinly sliced
2 medium tomatoes, pureed
2 tablespoons unsalted tomato paste
¼ cup raisins (green or yellow), soaked in water until ready to use
2 teaspoons garam masala
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons amchur (dried mango powder)
2 teaspoons red chile powder or cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves, hand crushed to release flavor)
1 tablespoon salt
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups) *
5 cups water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
1. Place the inner cooking pot in your Instant Pot. Select the SAUTE setting and adjust to MORE. When the indicator flashes HOT, add the oil.
2. Once the oil is hot, add the hing and cumin. Stir and cook for 1 minute until the seeds are reddish brown. Because the oil pools to the sides, push the spices into the oil along the border of the inner pot so they can cook fully.
3. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.
4. Carefully add the onion. The moisture can cause the oil to splatter. Stir and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the ginger, garlic, and fresh chiles. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the tomato and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, and stir, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen anything stuck.
7. Press CANCEL. Add the raisins along with the soaking water, garam masala, coriander, amchur, red chile, kasoori methi, salt, potatoes, and water. Stir. The raisin water is slightly sweet and adds flavor.
8. Lock the lid into place and make sure the pressure release valve is set to the sealing position (upwards). Press the PRESSURE COOK button and then press the PRESSURE LEVEL button until the panel reads HIGH. Adjust the cook time to 3 minutes.
9. Once the cooking is complete, release the pressure manually.
10. Remove and discard the cinnamon, cardamom, and bay leaves or leave them in for flavor and eat around them. All other spices are edible. Garnish with cilantro and serve with Indian bread like puri, roti, or naan or with basmati rice. I often add chopped kale, some quinoa, and cooked chickpeas for a filling stew.
* You can also use Yukon Gold, red potatoes, or a combination if it totals the amount indicated above.
Try this! Stir in 2 tablespoons of plain, unsweetened yogurt (dairy or alternative) before serving for a tart finish.
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