Go Back
+ servings
one hand holding the bowl of Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes while the other hand is digging into the bowl with a spoon
Print

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes | Vegan Aloo Bharta

Instant Pot garlic-flavored mashed potatoes or Aloo Bharta is an easy side dish that's gluten and dairy-free. This recipe includes all tips and tricks to make the most perfect and creamiest mashed potatoes in just 20 minutes! 
Course accompaniment, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Asian, Indian, Pakistani
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 97.88kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

To make the onion mixture

Instructions

  • Wash and peel the potatoes. Chop them into medium-sized chunks. Transfer them to a bowl with cold/ice water with no salt ( so that they don't turn black) till you add them to the Instant Pot. Doing this is also one way to get fluffy mashed potatoes. If you use hot or warm water, it will start cooking the potatoes and that would result in uneven cooking of the potatoes.
  • Place them in the Instant Pot and add ¾ cup water. Add salt and turmeric powder.
  • Close the lid and cook in manual/pressure mode for 10 minutes. Release pressure naturally.
  • Meanwhile, add oil or vegan butter to a pan, and once it's hot, saute garlic and cilantro till it browns a bit.
  • Then add chopped onions, paprika, and salt. Continue to saute till the onions turn translucent.
  • Now add the vegan creamer. Mix and bring to a boil. Once it thickens, take it off the flame. This could take 5-7 minutes on medium flame. Keep this mixture aside for now.
  • Open the Instant Pot lid and using a potato masher, mash the potatoes while they are still inside the pot.
  • Pour the prepared onion mixture over it and give it all a good mix.
  • Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper accordingly.
  • Keep it warm in the Instant Pot using the ‘warm’ setting until ready to serve.

Notes

Add vegetable stock instead of water when cooking the potatoes for more flavor and nutrition. While mashing them, you can leave some small lumps or mash them creamy. 
Preparing the mixture in vegan butter will make it more creamy and give it a nice flavor. But you can also use any cooking oil instead.
Feel free to leave the peels on. You will save on prep time. Just ensure you scrub the potatoes really well before cooking them. 
Use a pressure cooker or boil the potatoes any other way if you don't have an Instant Pot.
Ensure that the dairy-free creamer you choose is unsweetened, and not flavored. You can also use vegan sour cream, cream cheese, yogurt, or milk instead of creamer.
If adding yogurt, mix it in quickly to prevent it from curdling. Not vegan? Simply swap dairy-free creamer with regular creamer. 
Besides cilantro, you can also add other herbs like parsley, thyme, or rosemary to flavor these seasoned garlic mashed potatoes. 
To make it a complete one-pot meal, prepare the onion mixture in the Instant Pot using the saute mode. Take it out and then cook the potatoes. 
In order to give it a more robust and earthy flavor, roast/grill the potatoes first and then mash them.
In fact, if you are using store-bought mashed potatoes, you can easily spice them up with this onion-garlic mixture. 
How to store them?
It stays well in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze it for up to two months. To defrost, leave it in the fridge overnight to thaw completely.
You can definitely make them ahead of time and store them. Just add some butter at the last minute to make them taste freshly mashed.
In fact, you can also cook the potatoes ahead of time and store them in the fridge for up to 3-4 days or freeze them. 
Then when you want to make Aloo Bharta or seasoned mashed potatoes, simply prepare the onion mixture and add it to your mash. 

Nutrition

Calories: 97.88kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.67g | Protein: 0.91g | Fat: 2.6g | Saturated Fat: 0.66g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 28.71mg | Potassium: 119.91mg | Fiber: 1.33g | Sugar: 6.68g | Vitamin A: 1086.54IU | Vitamin C: 3.96mg | Calcium: 21.71mg | Iron: 0.76mg