Instant Pot Aloo Baingan (Potato and Eggplant Curry)

This Instant Pot aloo baingan is packed with flavour and extra filling. It's also ready in just 30 minutes so you can have something nutritious and tasty to feed your family, even on the busiest weeknights.

Aloo baingan translates as potato eggplant curry and is a quick, budget-friendly naturally vegan recipe to try on a busy weeknight.

Since it's made in a pressure cooker, this eggplant curry is ready in half the time it would take you to make it on the stovetop.

The flavours are still rich, though, and you likely won't be able to tell this potato eggplant curry wasn't slow-cooked.

Why you'll love this aloo baingan recipe

• It's made with simple ingredients. You only need staple ingredients to make this delicious aubergine potato curry.
• It's ready in 30 minutes. Thanks to the magic of pressure cooking, you can have dinner on the table in under half an hour. That's less time than it would take to order takeout!
• Leftovers taste amazing. This aloo baingan masala tastes even better the next day, so that's lunch sorted.

Ingredients and substitutions

Oil - Any type of vegetable oil works in this curry. Canola, sunflower and avocado oil are all good options.

Cumin seeds - Frying some cumin seeds in a bit of oil sets out an excellent flavour base for this aloo curry recipe.

Onion - You can use either brown or red onion in this curry.

Garlic and ginger - Freshly chopped garlic and ginger are best in this curry. You can also crush them if you want.

Green chilli peppers - Feel free to skip this if you don't want your aloo baingan masala to have a bit of a kick.

Spices - I use a mix of ground cumin, coriander powder, red chili powder and turmeric powder in this recipe. You can adjust the spices to your liking and add a teaspoon of garam masala at the end if you want.

Fresh tomatoes - You can sub fresh tomatoes with one can of chopped tomatoes.

Eggplant (aubergine) - Cut the aubergines in large chunks because otherwise, they'll get mushy in the Instant Pot. You can also use baby eggplant for this curry. These are also called Indian eggplants into typically take a bit longer to cook, but that shouldn't be an issue in the Instant Pot.

Potatoes - Russet potatoes or Maris Piper are best for this aloo curry. You can use other types such as red potatoes, for example, but you may need to increase the cooking time.

How to make Instant Pot aloo baingan

Set the Instant Pot to "Saute" and add the oil. Allow it to heat until you see "Hot" on the Instant Pot display. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for 30 seconds.

Next, add the onion and saute it for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli pepper and continue to cook for another minute.

Stir in the ground cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, salt and pepper and cook for another minute.

Add the fresh tomatoes, stir them and turn off the "Saute" function.

Add the eggplant cubes, potatoes and water and stir to combine.

Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to "High Pressure" for 4 minutes. Perform a quick release after the Instant Pot beeps.

Remove the lid carefully once the pin drops and stir in the lime juice and fresh coriander.

Serve with roti, naan or over rice, topped with extra fresh coriander, if you like.

Leftovers and storage

• Potato and eggplant curry leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
• Reheat them in the microwave or on the stovetop. If you choose to reheat on the stovetop, you may need to add a dash of water.
• You can freeze this eggplant potato curry for up to 3 months.

Recipe notes and tips

• If you want to make this curry extra spicy, use a hot red chilli powder or increase the quantity of green chilli pepper.
• You may be tempted to add more water, but that's not necessary. The eggplant has a lot of water in it, which will be released during cooking.
• To increase the veggie content, you can add a sliced bell pepper to this curry.
• This recipe was tested in a 6-quart Instant Pot Duo.

If you liked this Instant Pot aloo baingan recipe, you might also like some of my other easy vegan Instant Pot recipes:

• Instant Pot Ratatouille
• Instant Pot Vegan Curry
• Vegan Instant Pot Creamy Pasta
• Zuppa di Farro (Instant Pot)
• Instant Pot Moroccan Lentil Soup

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