Instant Pot tofu and potato curry
Tender potatoes and tofu in a gently spiced tomato curry that the Instant Pot turns out in about half an hour, cheap, filling and even better the next day.
- 55 min total
- 20 min hands-on
- Follow-a-recipe easy
- Serves 4
- About $2.45 a serving
- 690 calories
- Good the next day
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 4 servings.
- 2 packages extra-firm tofu, drained
- 1½ cups long-grain white rice
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (optional)
From your pantry
- 3¼ cups water, divided
- 1½ tsp salt, divided
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
Each serving has about 690 calories, 34 g protein, 94 g carbs and 20 g fat, and costs about $2.45 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No extra-firm tofu? Firm tofu works.
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No yellow onions? White onions or red onions work.
- No russet potatoes? Yukon Gold potatoes work.
- No frozen peas? Frozen mixed vegetables work.
- No cilantro? Fresh parsley works.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
Wrap both blocks of tofu in a clean towel, side by side, and press them under something heavy for 15 minutes.
Timer: 15 min
Meanwhile, the rice and bring it in a with 2¼ cups water and ½ teaspoon salt over high heat.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Bring to a boil. It means heating a liquid on high until it’s fully boiling before you move on. A lid on the pot gets it there faster, which makes it a good moment to chop something.
How you’ll know: Big bubbles break all over the surface, and they keep coming when you lift the lid.
Saucepan. A saucepan is a pot with tall, straight sides and one long handle. It’s for things that need depth, like rice, sauces or a few boiled eggs.
How you’ll know: The food fills it about halfway, leaving room to bubble without spilling over.
High heat
Stir once, cover, and cook on low for 18 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave the lid on until you serve.
Low heatTimer: 18 min
Set the Instant Pot to , add the oil and onion, and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes, until soft.
Sauté. Sautéing means cooking cut-up food in a little oil or butter over medium to medium-high heat, stirring now and then. It cooks things quickly and browns them lightly without burning.
How you’ll know: You hear a steady, lively sizzle, not a hiss and spit, and the edges start to soften and color.
Timer: 5 min
Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, garam masala and turmeric for 1 minute, . Press Cancel.
Fragrant. Fragrant means cooking until you can clearly smell it, usually garlic or spices, often in about 30 seconds. That’s the moment the flavor is ready, just before it can burn.
How you’ll know: You can smell it from a step back, and garlic is pale gold, not brown.
Timer: 1 min
Add the potatoes, 1 cup water and 1 teaspoon salt and scrape the bottom well. Scatter the tomatoes over the top without stirring.
Dolly’s tip: Tomatoes on the bottom can scorch under pressure, so leave them sitting on top.Lock the lid, set the valve to Sealing and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes. Let the pressure come down on its own for 5 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting.
Timer: 9 min
Cut the tofu into 1-inch and stir them in with the peas. Set the pot to Sauté and 4 to 5 minutes, stirring gently, until the tofu is hot and the sauce a little.
Cube. Cubing means cutting food into chunky, even squares, usually three quarters of an inch to an inch. Same-size cubes cook at the same speed and brown on every side.
How you’ll know: Your pieces look like a handful of sugar cubes, a little bigger than diced, all close to the same size.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Thicken. Thickening means cooking a sauce or soup until it’s less runny, by simmering it down or adding something like cornstarch. A thicker sauce clings to food instead of pooling on the plate.
How you’ll know: It coats the back of a spoon, and a line drawn through it with your finger holds its shape.
Timer: 4 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Stir from the bottom with a flat spoon so the potatoes don’t break up.Food safety: Tofu is safe to eat straight from the package; cooking is only for texture and flavor.
Taste and add salt if it needs it. Serve over the rice with cilantro on top.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
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