One-Pan Potato Curry — Cheap, Filling, and Done in 40 Minutes
Cheap, filling, and done in one pan — this potato curry is dinner decided.
It's late, you're tired, and the fridge is mostly potatoes and onions. Good news: that's basically all you need for a genuinely satisfying potato curry. This one-pan aloo curry leans on pantry spices and canned tomatoes to build real flavor without any fuss. It's warming, a little saucy, and costs almost nothing to make. Expect soft, spiced potatoes in a thick tomato-onion gravy — humble food that actually hits the spot. Ready in about 35 minutes, mostly hands-off after the first few steps.
Ingredients
- 2 lb russet or Yukon Gold potatoes — peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 2 tbsp neutral oil — vegetable or canola oil
- 1 unit medium yellow onion — diced
- 4 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 1 unit 1-inch piece fresh ginger — grated or minced; or 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper — adjust to taste
- 1 tsp kosher salt — plus more to taste
- 1 unit 14 oz can diced tomatoes — with juices
- 0.75 cup water
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro — chopped, for serving; optional
Method
- 1 Heat the oil in a large skillet or wide saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
- 2 Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- 3 Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala, cayenne, and salt. Stir everything together and cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- 4 Pour in the canned tomatoes with their juices. Stir to combine and cook for 2 minutes, letting the tomatoes break down slightly into the spiced base.
- 5 Add the cubed potatoes and water. Stir well so the potatoes are coated in the sauce.
- 6 Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and cook for 18–22 minutes, stirring every 5–6 minutes, until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
- 7 Uncover and cook for 2–3 more minutes to thicken the sauce slightly if needed. Taste and adjust salt.
- 8 Serve topped with fresh cilantro. Goes great with rice, flatbread, or just on its own.
Variations
- Add chickpeas — Drain and rinse one 15 oz can of chickpeas and stir them in with the potatoes. Adds protein and stretches the meal further for almost no extra cost.
- Faster version with smaller cuts — Cut the potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes instead of 3/4-inch and they'll be tender in 12–14 minutes instead of 20+.
- No fresh ginger — Swap the fresh ginger for 1 tsp ground ginger — it's already listed as an option and works perfectly fine here.
- Add spinach — Stir in 2–3 large handfuls of fresh spinach in the last 2 minutes of cooking. It wilts down fast and adds color and nutrition for pennies.
Notes
Yukon Golds hold their shape a little better; russets get softer and mash into the sauce slightly — both are great. If the curry looks dry before the potatoes are cooked through, splash in a couple more tablespoons of water and re-cover. Leftovers thicken overnight; add a splash of water when reheating on the stovetop.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet or wide saucepan with a lid — A lid traps steam so the potatoes cook through evenly without drying out the sauce.
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