Instant Pot Egg Curry with Potatoes and Peas

Name: Instant Pot Egg Curry with Potatoes and Peas
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 8 whole large eggs, room temperature; 1 cup (240 ml) water; 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil or ghee; 1 whole (150 g) medium yellow onion, finely diced; 1 tbsp (12 g) fresh ginger, minced; 3 clove (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 cup (240 ml) tomato puree (or tomato paste diluted with water); 1½ tsp (4 g) ground cumin; 1½ tsp (3 g) ground coriander; ¾ tsp (2 g) ground turmeric; ½ tsp (1 g) ground red chili powder or cayenne pepper; to taste kosher salt; 1 lb (450 g) medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes; 1 cup (150 g) frozen peas; ½ cup (120 ml) water; ½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk (full-fat canned) (optional); ¼ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional); 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A fragrant, creamy egg curry made in the Instant Pot with tender potatoes, peas, and aromatic spices. Hard-boiled eggs are simmered in a tomato-based curry sauce infused with ginger, garlic, and warm spices. Ready in under 30 minutes with minimal active work—perfect served over rice or with flatbread.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 20 min
Wait: 8 min
Total: 38 min
Makes: 4 servings (about 2 cups curry with 2–3 eggs per person)

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Ingredients

4 servings

8 whole large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (240 ml) water
2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil or ghee
1 whole (150 g) medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 tbsp (12 g) fresh ginger, minced
3 clove (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (240 ml) tomato puree (or tomato paste diluted with water)
1½ tsp (4 g) ground cumin
1½ tsp (3 g) ground coriander
¾ tsp (2 g) ground turmeric
½ tsp (1 g) ground red chili powder or cayenne pepper
to taste kosher salt
1 lb (450 g) medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¾-inch (2 cm) cubes
1 cup (150 g) frozen peas
½ cup (120 ml) water
½ cup (120 ml) coconut milk (full-fat canned) (optional)
¼ cup (15 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice (optional)

Equipment (4)

Instant Pot (6-quart or 8-quart)
Steamer basket (or trivet)
Medium bowl
Knife and cutting board

Steps

Before you start

Have all ingredients measured and prepped before starting.
Use room-temperature eggs for hard-boiling—they cook more evenly.
If using an electric pressure cooker other than Instant Pot, adapt timing as needed for your model.

1
Boil eggs in Instant Pot
- Place the trivet in the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water.
- Arrange the 8 room-temperature eggs on the trivet.
- Close the lid and set to high pressure for 5 minutes.
- When done, quick-release the pressure by carefully opening the valve.
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Ready when: Eggs are hard-boiled with fully set whites and cooked yolks
Tip: Quick-release prevents gray rings around the yolks. Immediately transfer eggs to an ice bath to stop cooking.
2
Cool and peel eggs
- Transfer the boiled eggs to a bowl of ice water and let sit for 2–3 minutes to cool.
- Gently tap and roll each egg to crack the shell, then peel under cool running water, starting from the wider end.
- Set peeled eggs aside.
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Ready when: Eggs are completely cooled and fully peeled with no shell fragments
Tip: Cooling in ice water stops the cooking process and makes peeling much easier.
3
Sauté onion, ginger, and garlic
- Remove the trivet from the Instant Pot.
- Set the pot to sauté mode on medium heat.
- Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds.
- Add the diced onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 3–4 minutes until softened and lightly golden.
- Add the minced ginger and garlic, stirring constantly for 1 minute until fragrant.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and light golden; ginger and garlic are fragrant
Tip: Stir frequently to avoid burning the ginger and garlic, which will make the curry bitter.
4
Add spices and bloom
- Add the ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, and chili powder.
- Stir constantly for 30 seconds to 1 minute until the spices are fragrant and coat the onions.
- This blooms the spices and deepens their flavor.
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Ready when: Spices are fragrant and aromatic; no raw powder visible
Tip: Blooming spices in hot oil releases their essential oils and prevents a raw, dusty flavor in the curry.
5
Add tomato puree and potatoes
- Pour in the tomato puree and stir well to combine with the spice mixture, scraping the bottom to deglaze any browned bits.
- Add the cubed potatoes and stir.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Stir in ½ cup of water.
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Ready when: Potatoes are evenly coated with the spiced tomato mixture
Tip: Scraping the bottom prevents stuck-on food and keeps the curry smooth.
6
Pressure-cook potatoes
- Turn off sauté mode.
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and lock it.
- Set to high pressure for 6 minutes.
- When the timer beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 3 minutes, then quick-release any remaining pressure.
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Ready when: Potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork but still hold their shape
Tip: Natural release for 3 minutes helps potatoes stay intact rather than falling apart.
7
Add eggs and peas
- Carefully open the lid.
- Add the peeled hard-boiled eggs and the frozen peas, stirring gently to combine.
- Stir in the coconut milk if using.
- Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode on medium and heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peas are heated through and the curry is warmed.
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Ready when: Peas are heated through and curry is steaming; eggs are warm throughout
Tip: Add eggs gently to avoid cracking them. The frozen peas will thaw quickly in the hot curry.
8
Finish and serve
- Turn off sauté mode.
- Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Stir in the lemon juice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
- Serve hot over steamed rice or with warm flatbread.
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Ready when: Curry is well-seasoned and fragrant; cilantro is evenly distributed
Tip: Lemon juice brightens the curry's deep flavors. Add cilantro just before serving to keep it fresh.

Good to know

Tips

For a saucier curry, add an extra ¼ cup water during step 5. For a thicker sauce, reduce the liquid by ¼ cup.
If you don't have an Instant Pot, make this on the stovetop: sauté the onion and spices as directed, add the tomato and potatoes with 1.5 cups water, bring to a boil, then simmer covered for 15–20 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add eggs and peas in the last 2 minutes.
Serve alongside white or brown basmati rice, cauliflower rice, or warm naan or roti for a complete meal.
For extra depth, add ¼ tsp garam masala in step 4, or toast the cumin and coriander seeds whole before grinding them fresh.

Make ahead

Boil and peel the eggs up to 2 days ahead; store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Prepare the onion, ginger, and garlic up to 4 hours ahead and refrigerate in a sealed container. Cube the potatoes up to 2 hours ahead and store in cold water to prevent browning.

Storage & reheating

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5–7 minutes or until warmed through. Freezer: Cool completely and transfer to a freezer-safe container; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat gently on the stovetop with an additional splash of water if the sauce thickens too much. Room temperature: Not recommended due to the eggs; always store cold.

Substitutions

medium Yukon Gold potatoes → Cauliflower florets or green beans. Use the same weight and reduce the pressure-cook time to 4 minutes for faster-cooking vegetables. Adjust for your preferred texture.
tomato puree (or tomato paste diluted with water) → Crushed canned tomatoes (blend or sieve to a puree). Use the same volume. Fresh crushed tomatoes add a brighter, slightly less sweet flavor than puree.
coconut milk (full-fat canned) → Plain Greek yogurt or heavy cream. Stir in 0.5 cup after cooking is complete. Yogurt adds tang; cream adds richness. Do not pressure-cook with yogurt.
ground red chili powder or cayenne pepper → Kashmiri chili powder or paprika. Kashmiri is milder and adds color; paprika is sweeter. Adjust to taste.