My husband loves Indian food. And while I am not one to turn down a good baingan bhartha, going out for traditional Indian food always leaves me feeling so weighed down and heavy. Perhaps it has something to do with my inability to step away from the naan. Who knows.
Either way, I love going out for Indian here and there, but making it at home is just as easy and just as tasty. This recipe is so simple, and yet so packed with flavor, that I have actually made it twice this week…
Coconut Curried Potatoes with Peas
Ingredients: (serves 4)
- 8 small potatoes
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 2.5 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt (or to taste)
- 2 cups frozen peas
Instructions: The first step in this recipe is the most important – dicing your potatoes. Take the time to cut your potatoes into small bite sized pieces – picture a die from a board game. No bigger than that.
Add the potatoes to a pan and sauté in coconut oil over medium high heat. You’ll want to cook them for about 15 minutes or so, so that they get a bit of color on the outside and begin to soften.
Once potatoes have begun to soften, add one whole can of light coconut milk.
Reduce heat to medium and allow the liquid to just slightly simmer so that the potatoes continue to cook.
Add your spices and stir to combine.
Allow sauce to simmer and thicken for 20-25 minutes over medium heat. The potatoes should naturally thicken the sauce as it condenses. Be careful not to turn up the heat too high – you don’t want your sauce to condense too much and leave you with too little.
Once the potatoes have softened entirely, add your peas and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning with salt, and continue to cook until peas are warmed.
Serve and enjoy your delicious meal.
Sit back and marvel that you were able to create such a creamy sauce with spicy flavor at home. This dish definitely rivals a night out at a restaurant!
And isn’t there just something really charming about combining potatoes and peas? The only thing missing is some freshly baked naan. I have made naan pizza dough before, but perhaps actual naan bread should be my next adventure…
Next time you are craving Indian food, consider making it at home! It costs about $5 to throw together, and you’ll feel full and happy at the end of your meal.
Enjoy!
93 Comments so far
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Have you ever tried Poori, the bread that puffs up in the middle? It’s even more addicting than Naan, if that’s possible! I know what you mean, I always leave Indian places feeling very full. I’ll definitely be trying this out next time the craving hits. :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 13th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
Yum YES! I love that bread!
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Cheryl Reply:
September 13th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
MMM I love Indian breads. Papadam is also very good though harder to find (at least around here).
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Janhavi Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 9:20 am
@ Emily, Gina : You usually feel full after having Indian restaurant breads as many of them might put in a pinch of Soda and they are made usually out all purpose flour. We Indians do not make these breads in our daily meals. We usually make whole wheat breads like tortilla’s called as Roti’s/Phulka’s. You can find a bunch of recipes online for them. Much healthier than the Naan. Indian restaurant don’t serve Roti/Phulka that often.
@ Cheryl : Papadam is not a bread but you can call it a starter. It is supposed to be hard :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
I love Roti! I usually order that when it’s available. YUM. I could eat Indian food every day – love the spices.
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Janhavi Reply:
September 15th, 2011 at 5:37 am
@Emily: Have you tried making curries the traditional Indian way starting with “tadka” which involves oil, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies, cumin and coriander powder, red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste(optional) and some garam masala. You will get all these spices in the Indian stores in Seattle. I bet there are many Indian stores around in Seattle and the prices of the spices would be much cheaper than what you get in US traditional grocery stores. The “tadka” combination tastes awesome than just using the Curry powder (me thinks).
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Yumm! I don’t like potatoes much but this recipe might change that! I have been slowly finding recipes with potatoes that I like and this one will be added to the list :)
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I’m making a samosa pie tonight but this is going to have to get in my queue for next week. I am an Indian food addict!
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Wow, Emily, this looks really good. My husband and I were just lamenting that we don’t know how to cook Indian food. Keep more of these types of recipes coming! :)
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I know I’m hungry right now, but regardless, this looks absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try.
Bonus- I just got back from TJ’s with all these ingredients :) Thanks for the recipe!
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I love Indian food by the thought of making it really intimidates me. Thank you for coming up with an easy sounding recipe! I’ll definitely be trying this one.
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Yum! That looks delicious…especially for the weather we are having in Nebraska today. 90 degrees yesterday and 60 today. It feels like fall for sure! That would be great intro to fall meal! :-) I am new to the blogging world, as well as new to being vegan. Thanks for all of the great recipes and ideas!
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This looks wonderful! Peas and potatoes are one of my favorite Indian cuisine combos. You def need some naan though to soak up all of the delicious sauce. Or maybe some basmati (carbs rule!).
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I actually have all the ingredients to make this- score! Dinner tonight I think!!
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I love those ikea spice jars! I have them too :). Great looking dish!!
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I learned from my boyfriend (who is Indian) that all the Indian restaurants in Seattle are North Indian, who traditionally have heavier dishes. If you want lighter Indian fare you have to try South Indian food.
His favorite place to go out for Indian is Mirch Masala in Capitol Hill, just for future reference :)
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I am OBSESSED with curry
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Oh yum! My kids would like this and I’m thinking chickpeas might be a nice addition too. I SO wish I could buy coconut milk in bulk as it features in so many of my recipes these days. Can’t get enough :)
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Toasted pita bread w/ earth balance and herbs is a super fab naan substitute. This looks great! I usually warm the curry powder in a little olive oil before adding additional ingredients. The pictures are lovely :)
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I’ve made naan before! I know if I can, then nearly anyone can. I made peshwari naan it had a filling of coconut flakes, raisins, and cashews (another Indian restaurant in town calls it kashmiri naan). It wasn’t that much harder than pizza dough except it needed tons of butter to taste right :)
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I totally feel the same way about eating out for Indian food. I love it though, so I tend to make it at home more often than we eat it out. This recipe sounds so yummy!
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I miss Naan!! I made it before with great results. Love the looks of this recipe. I didn’t start eating Indian til about 3yrs ago when Chris proclaimed it to be his favorite food ever. :)
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Looks fabulous! I love Indian food. What protein would you recommend to go with this? You could toss in some chickpeas or have chickpeas on the side. Do you have any specific ideas?
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Wow looks lovely! I can’t wait to try it for myself :)
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Indian cuisine is one of my fav! I love it and re-create meals at home so often. I especially like a pea-tomato-potatoe-dish with cumin, so yummy.
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I swear that I bookmark nearly all of your recipes to make myself. This one was instantly filed under dinner in my Google reader. I so appreciate your simple ingredient lists and clear instructions. I think that your style of cooking just jives with mine; I love taking wonderful ingredients and allowing them to shine. Thank you for another beautiful post!
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When I get curries- my favorite part is the potatoes because all of the spicy goodness just soaks right inside of them! I am def getting the ingredients to make this- this week :) Although I really don’t like peas so I’m going to used broccoli instead.. My god I’m excited!
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this looks SO good to me right now!!! i’m making it tomorrow!
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I love this combination. I make mine in the crock-pot with a bit of sweet potato and let it cook while I’m at work.
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:58 pm
Good idea! Yum!
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I love homemade Indian food. :) I’m blessed to have a friend who is married to a man from India, so I’ve learned some tasty tricks. :)
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oooh I bet this smelled amazing too!
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Sounds fantastic and I can’t wait to try it! I have to know, where did you get those adorable spice holder?? I love them. Thanks.
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
IKEA!
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this looks delish! my bf is a vegetarian indian so i’m always making veggie indian dishes for him and this is one of them. he told me to use garam masala for spices though and i love it! i use it every time i make an indian dish (bindhi masala, chana masala). he also told me per his mom’s cooking, to saute’ onions garlic and ginger first in a bit of oil, then add the spices (garam masala, ginger powder, curry powder, cumin)… then add in the rest (potatoes, okra, garbanzo) so the flavor is infused in the onion-garlic-ginger mixture. :)
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Do you think the recipe would work the same for sweet potatoes, or half regular/half sweet? Can’t wait to try it!
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Katherina @ Zephyr Runs Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 6:35 am
That’s exactly what I did, because it’s what I had on hand – half sweet half regular. The only thing is that the recipe requires 8 SMALL potatoes, so I did 1 sweet and 2 regular and got as much as if not more than I needed!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Yes, just adjust the cooking time a bit!
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This looks awesome! Quick question though…..could you substitute another oil for coconut oil? (or where could I find it? My regular grocery store didn’t have it….unless I was looking in the wrong place)
Thanks!!!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:57 pm
Yep, whatever oil you have will work. Might just affect the flavor a bit.
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Ohh I need to try this! The last time I went out to an all you can eat Indian buffet I was sick to my stomach all night (and I didn’t even eat that much!). I love Indian but so much of it is so heavy!
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You hit the nail on the head with the naan!
No matter how much I walk into an Indian restaurant with good intentions to only have one piece of naan and not go crazy with the rice, I always have to be wheeled out of the restaurant.
Thank you so much for this at home option!!!!
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That looks absolutely amazing. I love to try and replicate the complex flavors of Indian food at home so I’ll be adding this to my menu planning. Yum! Do you think it would taste good with cauliflower as a possible second choice instead of potato?
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:56 pm
Sure – just adjust the cooking time. Cauliflower will cook much more quickly.
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Indian food is by far my favorite kind of food! Coconut and curry=best combo ever. period.
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We ADORE Indian as well, but yes, the food out has SO much grease, it’s overwhelming. I was eating mostly raw until I ran into Anupy Singla’s “The Indian Slow Cooker” book which is mostly vegan and fat free. AND uses dried beans, no soaking, super cheap, super easy, throw everything in the pot and press a button. I have blogged about 20 of the dishes-it’s super authentic Indian food and it smells like an Indian grandmother has been cooking in your kitchen the entire day when you walk in the door!
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Yum- you’re so creative and I never know what I’m in for when I view your amazing recipes :) I’m sure these would be great served with some lentils or split peas, as well as roasted cauliflower or even a chickpea curry! :)
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Mmm. This will fit perfectly with our pledge to not eat out this month. I always give in to India Bistro in Ballard but this looks sooo much better. Thanks!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Oooh I haven’t been there. Will need to add it to the list.
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Do you think I could use butternut squash or sweet potatoes instead?
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
Sure! Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
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Oh I can’t wait to try it out
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This looks delicious! I’ll definitely be adding that to next week’s meals :)
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Looks good! I’m not a huge fan of indian food, but this looks delicious!
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YUM! I have an abundance of potatoes from my CSA right now and I have been looking for new things to make with them. This is definitely going on my list!
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This looks and is delicious. I’m so thankful you do what you do. :)
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Well thanks!
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I love Indian food too! And that looks delish. I will be adding that to my recipe collection!
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OMG – coconut, curry and potatoes. Three of my favorite things. Think I could also smother it in ketchup? :wink:
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:54 pm
Haha probably!
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Since my beau is from India, I’ve learned a lot of Indian cooking tricks lately… next time, try smashing the potatoes and peas together a little bit at the end of cooking… that will make it even more authentic and let the flavor get into all the nooks of the potato! And check out Indian Simmer, my favorite Indian food blog. Her naan recipe is great!
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I wish I had been able to try naan before I had to go gluten-free, it sounds so delicious! Other than that, I don’t think I’m a huge fan of Indian food. Mostly because I don’t like curry.
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What a delicious, affordable meal! :) Where did you get that bowl? I love it!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Crate and Barrel outlet!
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I can’t wait to try this!! Thanks! :)
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This recipe looks super interesting! Can’t wait to try it one night soon!
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There totally is something VERY charming about potatoes and peas… I’m with ya there!
This is a great inexpensive meal Idea! I wonder what a good protein addition would be?? One that would compliment the flavors….
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 14th, 2011 at 1:53 pm
Peas are actually pretty high in protein (1 cup has about 8g). But you can always throw in additional beans, or serve it over quinoa if you’re looking to add more.
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Ooooooooooooh, making this tonight! Looks like the perfect dinner for the thunderstorm rolling in… :)
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Oh, yum, thanks for this recipe! I love your recipe posts!
I love the comment suggestions of using sweet potatos and adding chickpeas or other legumes, that would boost the protein and lower the gi I imagine?
You’ve inspired me to try out my own recipe instead of always using recipe books or google!
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I am SO EXCITED about this recipe :)
It’s my birthday today and my fiance agreed to cook me whatever I want. I saw this and immediately knew it’s what we’d be having for dinner. He’s in the kitchen making it as we speak (type?! blog?!).
YUM!!
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I am of Indian descent, but am still very intimidated by cooking Indian food! When my mom cooks Indian food, it just looks so complicated, especially because she doesn’t use recipes– just a pinch of this and a pinch of that! Your recipe looks simple and delicious which is just what I need!
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Ooh this looks yum! I’m not a fan of potatoes but I imagin this dish would be just as yummy if I subbed them for sweet potatoes! I live off of dishes like this as it gets colder! :)
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Mmmmmm! Anything coconut + curry + potatoes = WIN. Can’t wait to try this!
P.S. Your baby belly is so darn cute. Congrats!
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I tried this recipe. My 10 yr old loved it but was unhappy because some of the potatoes were not fully cooked. We loved this dish (and I HATE potatoes, but anything cooked in coconut and with curry has GOT to be good). Thanks for the great recipe. We’ll make it often during the winter to keep my hockey playing son healthy, fit and with some good calories.
Thanks.
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Mmmm. I made this recipe this weekend and it was so good. I used a little less potatoes and used white beans because that is what I had on hand. Then I add some steamed spinach and fresh basil to add something green. It was so good. Thanks for the recipe.
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 3:01 pm
Sounds like some delicious substitutions!
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So if a person was to substitute broccoli for peas, as they are not so fond of peas and happen to have two huge bags of frozen broccoli in their freezer would you recommend trying to chop it, or just toss in as is?
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 19th, 2011 at 3:00 pm
I love the way this question is phrased. :) So if you are using frozen broccoli, that I assume is pre-cooked, you can just throw it in like the peas. If you want smaller pieces, you can chop, but I think it would be fine whole. If for some reason it’s uncooked broccoli though, you’ll want to throw it in sooner.
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Hi Emily! Just made this tonight… omg, it was so delicious!! I used red potatoes, which helped make sure they would be cooked all the way. Thanks for an awesome recipe!!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 20th, 2011 at 3:54 pm
Good call on the red potatoes!
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So I just made your recipe (but used brussel sprouts instead of peas because that is what we had) and it is delicious!! We love Indian food but try to limit it because of how rich it is. This satisfied our craving without leaving us weighed down. Thank you so much for the recipe!
I also have to say that you are totally giving me baby fever. I never thought I wanted kids, but seeing how well it just suits you and how happy you are even just being pregnant makes me think I could be too.
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Emily! I just made this real quick for dinner and we loved it!! So easy and I love the contrast of the sweet peas with the spices. This will be a staple for sure. Thank you for your recipes!
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 23rd, 2011 at 7:45 pm
Glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know. :)
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I’m new to your blog and made this for dinner this week. In-cre-dible. Wow! Even the hubby was impressed.
You may be interested to know that I came across your blog while looking for vegan recipes because my EBF 12-week-old baby seems to have a dairy intolerance. Good luck with the upcoming birth of your baby! Twelve weeks in, and I don’t remember being pregnant, nor do I remember the “discomfort” of labor, despite having no interventions. You’ll do great!
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Yum!! My boyfriend doesn’t like peas. Wonder if it would be good with edamame or Lima beans..
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Emily Malone Reply:
September 25th, 2011 at 9:53 pm
Edamame would be great!
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Emily,
I’m a new fan and have to thank you for your great recipes. I’ve been experimenting on my own but you really made the entire process easy for me including finding the various ingredients. Just finishing up the coconut curried potatoes and am starting on the tofu in peanut sauce. Love it!!! Lunch tomorrow is going to be awesome. Thank you very much.
With Gratitude,
Michael
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I made this over the weekend and my husband nearly died of joyed. He couldn’t stop raving! Thanks for an easy and delicious recipe! (And good luck with your upcoming delivery and new little one)
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Delicious, Emily! I made this last week, following your recipe and then adding a can of chickpeas. It has been added to the permanent rotation.
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this looks delicious, we’re going to try it tonight.
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hi emily! i love your recipes and your blog. i’ve wanted to try this one for a while! i was wondering if you have any instructions about how i could make it in a slow cooker? thanks!!
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Just did this last week, I couldn’t believe I got to get this delicious ‘restaurant-like’ taste at home!
Thanks a LOT!
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