This easy Bombay Potatoes (Indian Style Spicy Potatoes) recipe is made using baby potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and a few basic Indian spices. Serve it with paratha or roti for a delicious meal (vegan, can be easily made gluten-free).

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About Bombay Potatoes
Bombay Potatoes (Bombay Aloo) is a dry Indian-style side dish made using baby potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and a few basic Indian spices.
It is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free.
Serve it with hot flaky lachha or tawa parathas with a side of raita or with a simple dal and phulka or dal rice for a comforting Indian-style meal.
This Bombay potatoes recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
Here are some more Indian potato recipes that you can try
- Aloo Methi
- Aloo Baingan
- Punjabi Style Aloo Gobhi
- Punjabi Jeera Aloo
- Sindhi Aloo Tuk
- Kashmiri Dum Aloo
- Aloo Matar Curry
- Aloo Palak Dry Sabji
- Aloo Matar Gobi
- Aloo Posto
Ingredients



Potatoes – This Indian potato recipe is mostly made using baby potatoes. If baby potatoes are not available, you can use regular potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes.
Yukon gold potatoes, Russet potatoes, etc. are some options. If you live in the UK, then Maris Piper or baking potatoes are some options.
Oil – I use vegetable oil to make this recipe, but you can also use canola oil, sunflower oil, light olive oil, mustard oil, or ghee.
Spice Powders – You will need a few basic Indian spice powders such as coriander powder, turmeric powder, and Kashmiri red chilli powder.
Green chillies – Adjust to suit your taste.
Lime Juice – It adds a nice tangy flavor to the sabji. Lime juice can be replaced with lemon juice. You can also use dry mango powder (amchur powder) for the tang.
Others – You will also need brown mustard seeds, asafetida (hing), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), cumin seeds (jeera), crushed fennel seeds (saunf), crushed coriander seeds (dhaniya beej), red onions, fresh ginger, curry leaves, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
To crush coriander seeds and fennel seeds, add whole seeds to a mortar and pestle and crush them roughly. You can also crush the seeds in a grinder. Add whole seeds to a grinder and grind for 2-3 seconds.
Skip adding asafetida to make gluten-free Bombay potatoes.
Although not traditional, you can add a little curry powder to the recipe for a taste change.
You can also add a little garam masala powder and cumin powder to make the curry even more flavorful.
Some people add a little tomato puree or tomato paste to this aloo curry. You can try it too.
How To Make Bombay Potatoes
Cook The Potatoes
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Wash the potatoes and add them to a pressure cooker along with 2 teaspoon of salt. Add water to cover the potatoes and cook for two whistles on high heat.
Note – If using regular potatoes, then wash and cut them into 1-inch cubes.

Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Open the cooker and run the potatoes under cold water. Peel them and keep them aside.
Note – You can choose to keep the skin of the potatoes if you wish to.
In An Instant Pot
Add the potatoes to the inner pot of the instant pot along with 2 teaspoon of salt. Add water to cover them.
Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 4 minutes at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, do a 10-minute NPR followed by QPR.
Open the lid and run the potatoes under cold water. Peel them and keep them aside.

Make The Sabji
Heat 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is hot, add
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds
and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.

Add 10-12 curry leaves and ½ cup of chopped red onions and saute until they turn light brown in color (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.

Add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 2 teaspoon of chopped green chilies and saute for another minute.

Now add
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
and cook for 10-15 seconds, stirring continuously.

Add ½ cup of water and cook for a minute.

Now add the cooked potatoes to the pan and toss them well in the masala.
Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times in between.

Now add 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice and mix well. Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve hot.

Pro Tips By Neha
Don’t overcook the potatoes. They should hold their shape and not get mushy.
Adjust the chilies as per your heat tolerance. My recipe makes medium spiced potatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Bombay potatoes and jeera aloo are similar dishes, both featuring potatoes cooked with cumin seeds and spices. However, there are slight variations in the ingredients and preparation method. Jeera aloo is a milder dish whereas Bombay potatoes are spicy and robust.
You can add green peas, sweet corn kernels, chopped spinach, fenugreek leaves etc to this sabji.
Serving Suggestions
Bombay Potatoes taste the best with tawa paratha or lachha paratha with a side of raita for a comforting weekday meal.
You can also serve it with a humble dal and Indian bread such as phulka, missi roti, tandoori roti, or naan.
It also makes a perfect side dish with rice dal, sambar rice, or rasam rice.
I also enjoy it for breakfast sometimes with a crisp ghee dosa and coconut chutney.
Leftover Bombay aloo can be used as a dosa, wrap, or sandwich filling. You can also fill it inside puff pastry sheets.
Storage Suggestions
Bombay potatoes will last for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, stored in a clean and dry airtight container. Reheat in a pan or microwave, until nice and hot before serving.
If it becomes a little dry after refrigeration, sprinkle some water to add moisture while reheating.
While you can freeze Bombay potatoes for up to 2 months, the texture of the potatoes may change slightly upon thawing, as they can become a bit mushy.
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Recipe Card

Easy Bombay Potatoes Recipe (Indian Style Spicy Potatoes)
Ingredients
To Cook The Potatoes
- 1 pound baby potatoes (500 g, or regular potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- water (as needed)
For The Sabji
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds (sarson)
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for gluten-free)
- 1 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds (dhaniya beej)
- 10-12 curry leaves
- ½ cup chopped red onions
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoons Kashmiri red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro (fresh coriander leaves)
Instructions
Cook The Potatoes
In A Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Wash the potatoes and add them to a pressure cooker along with salt. Add water to cover the potatoes and cook for two whistles on high heat.
- Remove the pressure cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
- Open the cooker and run the potatoes under cold water. Peel them and keep them aside.
In An Instant Pot
- Add the potatoes to the inner pot of the instant pot along with salt. Add water to cover them.
- Press PRESSURE COOK and set the timer to 4 minutes at high pressure. Once the timer goes off, do a 10-minute NPR followed by QPR.
- Open the lid and run the potatoes under cold water. Peel them and keep them aside.
- Note – You can choose to keep the skin of the potatoes if you wish to.
Make The Sabji
- Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, fennel seeds, and coriander seeds, and let them crackle for 5-6 seconds.
- Add curry leaves and onions and saute until they turn light brown in color (5-6 minutes), stirring frequently.
- Add ginger and green chilies and saute for another minute.
- Now add coriander powder, turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt, and cook for 10-15 seconds, stirring continuously.
- Add ½ cup of water and cook for a minute.
- Now add the cooked potatoes to the pan and toss them well in the masala.
- Cook uncovered for 3-4 minutes, stirring a few times in between.
- Now add lime juice and mix well. Garnish the Bombay potatoes with cilantro and serve hot.
Anna
This was extremely delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Ewa
It’s delicious, I am also adding green bling beans. It gives extra colour, nutrition and taste. Thanks for sharing this recipe:)
Lisa
Awesome! Thank you…
Neha Mathur
🙂
Vijay
Great
Neha Mathur
Thanks
PRANITA DESHPANDE
Same like this recipe i have eaten in Poona, they have added tomato juice & more masala to it. After all your recipe is very nice.
Neha Mathur
Thnx 🙂
Anushree
Turned out amazing ???? thanks for sharing!
Neha Mathur
Thnx for trying and leaving your feedback 🙂
Deepa
I like all ur recipes a lot
msnehamathur
Thnx 🙂
Deepa
I like all ur recipes a lot.
Tarang sinha
Looks yummy. For me, it’s different from those aloo curry that we cook often. Most importantly, It’s quick and easy! Will try this for sure. Thanks for sharing ?
msnehamathur
Thnx Tarang.Do try, I am sure you will love it.
Jayasri
Beautiful clicks, I make it the same way, as you said tomatoes do give their own taste when added and my hubby doesn’t prefer that, kids love the taste with flavours only with the potatoes , they just eat it as it is, but I usually make it with Rasam or pulka. Your baby potatoes is reminding of back home
msnehamathur
Thnx Jayasri. Don’t you get these baby potatoes in Uk?