Vegan Instant Pot Potato Curry! Super quick, easy, nutritious, delicious and no fancy spices needed, plus it's really budget-friendly!
This Vegan Instant Pot Curry is an Instant Pot friendly spin-off of my Simple Green Bean Potato Curry and it is quick, easy and budget-friendly. It has only 8 ingredients (plus water, salt & pepper) and it is super easy to make. This is cooking for lazy people who like their food!
In this post:
A lot of people are a little daunted at the thought of making curries. Lots of spices are usually involved and they often take a little bit of time. If you aren't familiar with mixing and matching spices, aren't confident in trying, or you don't like a lot of spices or just can't be bothered to spend ages cooking, then this is the curry for you! It's so quick and easy.
I can't stress enough how happy I am to be back in comfort food season and this Instant Pot Curry ticks all the cozy food boxes.
As nice as it is to have a pot of something delicious bubbling on the stove, it's also pretty nice to throw it all in an Instant Pot, walk away and put your feet up. No babysitting it or having to stir it.
No Instant Pot?
If you don't have an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, don't worry because you can still make this recipe. Just follow the stove-top instructions here instead.
How to serve
Cook it up and serve it with rice, naan bread, or if you want a super quick homemade side, my super quick no yeast flatbreads. You'll have an amazing, tasty dinner in no time at all!
Variations
This Vegan Instant Pot Potato Curry is pretty flexible. If you don't have green beans, frozen peas make a great alternative and feel free to throw in any other veggies you have lurking about.
If you try this recipe, let me know how you like it by leaving a comment and rating below! And be sure to join my mailing list for more deliciousness!
Recipe
Vegan Instant Pot Potato Curry
Author:Ingredients
- 1 medium yellow onion , chopped - I like to cut mine in half moons slices but if you prefer you can chop it finely
- 4 large cloves of garlic , chopped finely
- 900g / about 5 heaping cups baby potatoes , regular potatoes are ok too but the waxier varieties are best because they remain firmer. Floury potatoes might fall apart a bit. Cut any larger ones into chunky bite sized pieces. No need to peel them unless you prefer to.
- 2 tablespoons curry powder or curry paste , be sure to use a good flavorful brand
- 500mls / around 2 cups water
- 400g / 2 heaping cups fresh green beans , chopped into bite sized pieces. You can also use frozen beans, no need to defrost first. Frozen peas also work well as a sub.
- 1 400ml can coconut milk , full fat or light
- 1 tablespoon sugar (optional but recommended)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes or a small fresh chili chopped (optional but recommended)
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot powder , or corn starch
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS (My Instant Pot is a 6 quart. If yours is a different size you will need to scale the recipe up or down accordingly).
- Set your instant pot to saute. Once hot, add a few drops of water (or oil) and cook the onions until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for one minute longer. Press the KEEP WARM/CANCEL button.(This sautéing step adds a little more flavour but you can skip it if you are short on time.)
- Add everything else to the Instant Pot except the green beans and arrowroot/cornstarch.
- Set the Instant Pot to 20 minutes on MANUAL high pressure and allow the pressure to release naturally after this time.
- Press KEEP WARM/CANCEL, remove the lid and press SAUTE. Put the arrowroot/cornstarch into a small bowl or cup and mix into it a few tablespoons of water to make a thickish but pourable slurry. Pour it into the Instant Pot stirring as you go.
- Add salt and pepper to taste then add the green beans and cook for about 5 minutes until they are tender and the gravy has thickened.
- Serve immediately.
STOVE TOP INSTRUCTIONS
- See here
Nicole says
This is delicious every time I make it! Unfortunately I've been the only one who can enjoy it since my hubby can't do the coconut. Can you suggest an alternative to the coconut milk? Maybe cashew cream?
Melanie McDonald says
So pleased you're enjoying it Nicole! A thinnish cashew cream (canned coconut milk kind of texture) would be a great alternative. Or if you can get it something like the Earth's Own culinary cream which is oat based.
Nicole says
Melanie, Belatedly thank you for the reply! I wanted to post an update as I have finally had a chance to try and tweak this recipe without the coconut milk. I created a cashew cream and added a few extra things - these all go in before cooking. I also found that I prefer adding the green beans (I used frozen) before cooking. Hubby likes it!!
Here is what I substituted for the 1 can of coconut milk:
- 3/4 cup raw cashews, soaked at least 4 hours then blended with 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 extra cup water (3 cups water total, original recipe calls for 2 cups)
- 5 tsp sugar (this is total, orignal recipe calls for 1 tbsp)
- 1.5 tsp salt (original recipe calls for 1/2 tsp)
- arrowroot powder not needed to thicken as the cashew cream works in its place
I hope this is useful for anyone looking to make this without the coconut milk!
Kirstin says
Really good! I did add a little ginger, red curry paste, and dried red chiles because I am obsessed with spice, but those were the only modifications. 😊
B says
Love the convenience but the flavor is severely lacking.
Janice says
Loved this recipe! Made it last night for my family and went in the kitchen to put our leftovers in a container, there wasn't any leftovers! haha. I thought the recipe was easy to make and hearty, I had most of the ingredients already. Substitutions, red onion in place of yellow, Idaho Potatoes, and extra curry for more flavor.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm glad I'm not the only one who struggles with mysteriously disappearing leftovers! So pleased you all enjoyed it though and thanks for stopping by to leave a review!
Lene says
I rarely write reviews but unfortunately this was one of the worst recipes I ever cooked. It’s so bland you really cannot call it a curry. I know a lot of work goes into these recipes, but I’m afraid this one needs some editing.
Krisstina says
I love this recipe because it is so quick and easy. However, it does lack flavour and spices.
I did adjust it based on others comments. I used 2 fresh red Thai chillis and a dash of chilli flakes as we love spice. I used vegetable broth instead of water, cut the sugar to 2 tsp and used two table spoons of cornstarch instead of 3. I used regular yellow potatoes so it naturally became thicker.
Cristy says
Added ginger, 4 Thai chilies ( I like heat ), Thai green curry paste ( from Thailand I used to live there ), vegetable stock instead of water....broccoli instead of green beans as that’s all I had. Delicious!!
Krisstina Davis says
Did you add red Thai chilis whole?
Sara Mah says
Great recipe. My only modification: next time I'm going to skip the thickener at the end. The dish doesn't need it, the potatoes give enough starch to the sauce. Killer flavours, thanks!
Thom says
I froze some portions of this. Two days ago I put one in the fridge to thaw and today I microwaved it—it really held up!
Maureen says
Delicious!! This was my first recipe with my new Instant Pot, and my husband and I really enjoyed it!!
Melanie McDonald says
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Enjoy your new Instant Pot! I can highly recommend this IP recipe too. It's my favourite! https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-instant-pot-portobello-pot-roast/
Taylor Cole says
About to try your recipe! I just wanted to give you a tip though about having the issue of wanting to cook rice in the pot but can’t! If I’m doing something with rice and then steaming things after or making curry or Bolognese, I cook my rice first in the pressure cooker, pop into a microwaveable container, and then just microwave it as I’m dishing up when the rest of my food is cooked! Means it’s hot and ready to go all cooked, saves dishes!
Melanie McDonald says
Great tip. Thanks!
Lottie says
We tried this recipe tonight and it just felt so bland. Not quite sure exactly what it was that was missing but it was lacking in flavour and just needed a wider variety of spices I think.
Nicole says
I agree. This was the first thing I made in my instant pot. I was so excited as I LOVE curry. Followed the recipe but it was just bland. Not a lot of spice or flavor I’m general. I’ll probably try to make it again and see if I can fix it.
Joyce says
OMG! This was so good! Was just looking for a green bean and potato recipe for my instant pot and found this recipe. Thank you for sharing. I did adjust the seasoning. I added a tablespoon of fish sauce and tablespoon of coconut aminos. Going to make this again!
Gypsygirl1962 says
Was very good and easy to make. My boyfriend who doesn't care for Indian food or green beans liked it too
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great. I'm so pleased you both enjoyed it!
Alexa says
I just got anew instant pot and this is the first recipe I have tried. We loved it. Easy to follow and it made a really delicous curry.
Mark Singer says
I'm using this recipe as the basis for tonight's curry. My changes are to use "vegan protein broth" (essentially a packaged soymilk/lentil/vegetable cooking stock) instead of the water and coconut milk, to add carrots and eliminate the green beans at the end, and to add about 14 oz. of tempeh cut into bite-sized pieces half-way through sautéing the onion, potatoes, and carrots. I also sautéd those ingredients in about 1 1/2 tbsp. of 50/50 mustard oil/vegetable oil--more fat, but water alone was not going to work with that much in the pot.
I used russet potatoes because I want them to break up and thicken the sauce, which is a good trick if you're not wanting to use flour/oil or cornstarch as thickeners. I also cheated and used commercially prepared Madras curry paste because it was hanging around in the refrigerator. The results will likely be spicier, but the great thing about curries is that they're infinitely variable once you have the proportions and techniques down, which this recipe certainly provides. Thanks for posting it.
Sheila Hoffman says
I may've waited too long to ask. I'm fixing this for our community dinner tomorrow night (20 people). I'm planning to add tofu and peas in addition to the potatoes and green beans. I'm wondering if you have any idea if I should cut back on the potatoes and green beans to make room and if you foresee any issues adding the tofu? I wasn't sure how much tofu to add. I'm using two InstaPots and fixing for 10 in each. Then I'm making basmati rice as a go-with as well as naan. Any last minute input greatly appreciated. Thanks.
A Virtual Vegan says
How awesome that you are doing this for your community! I think tofu would be a great addition. It's a pretty saucy curry so I don't think you would need to cut back on anything to make room and because of everything else in it, you probably won't need to allow much tofu for each person. Maybe only 1 block diced in each Instant Pot? At the most 2 if you want to be generous. I wouldn't add the tofu at the beginning of cooking because it will end up overcooked or dissolve completely. I'd be tempted to add it when you add the green beans at the end so it just has enough time to heat through. I personally am not keen on tofu added as it is to curry. I prefer to crisp it up a bit first so it gets a bit of colour on it. You could maybe press it first to get the moisture out of it, then sauté it, maybe with some curry spices or a little curry paste if you have it, until it's nice and golden, then set it aside and add it again at the end with the green beans.
It's a pretty filling curry so with naans too, you wont need a massive amount of rice.
Have fun and good luck!
Sheila Hoffman says
Thanks so much. I'll report back. I really appreciate the quick and helpful response.
Sheila Hoffman says
It went very well. Everyone liked it. I made 2 pots for 10 each and could've done with just one pot (12 adults plus kids). But by having 2 pots one was very spicy and one was intentionally bland. Adding the tofu and peas and serving over rice worked great. Thanks so much....easy to make and a crowd-pleaser.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased it went well. It actually tastes better when it's reheated so hopefully you can make good use of the leftovers!
Rachel says
Just like Jacqui, this was my first time using my new instant pot. I was a little confused about how to wait for the natural release, but I figured it out. I used red potatoes and they were perfect. I also added much more garlic, about a teaspoon of turmeric, I used veggie broth instead of water, and I stirred in a handful of spinach when it was all done. It needed salt but aside from that, the flavors were wonderful. I might reduce the sugar a bit, because the coconut milk was sweet enough, but really it was good as it is. We had it with basmati rice and loved it. Also the flavors continued to develop so the leftovers were spectacular the next day! I think it would be good with big pieces of mushrooms added, too. Thanks for a great recipe that my family loved!
(Posting a second time because I forgot to give it stars the first time!)
A Virtual Vegan says
So glad you enjoyed it Jacqui and thank you for coming back to leave feedback. Before you know it you will be using your IP like a pro. I wouldn't be without mine!
Jacqui says
I just got anew instant pot and this is the first recipe I have tried. We loved it. Easy to follow and it made a really delicous curry.
lisa says
potatoes complete did not stay together and it was just potato curry soup. what went wrong