How to make the best pigeon pea potato curry (video recipe) (2024)

Pigeon peas potato curry recipe is an easy healthy vegan and glutenfree side dish.

The veggies cooked in coconut milk and Indian spices makes the curry flavorful and tasty.

This dish is nutrient loaded with healthy fat from coconut milk and high in protein.

Also called as togarikalu alugadde curry in Kannada. This is a Karnataka style curry you can prepare and relish with your family.

Pigeon peas potato curry is easy recipe with pigeon peas, potato and coconut milk as main ingredients.

Check a quick video of this delicious curry and try this side dish in your kitchen. If you have enjoyed the video do subscribe to Dice n Cook youtube channel for more food videos.

This curry is healthy tasty, delicious vegan, glutenfree easy to make, one pot meal prepared mainly during winters.

My twins are big fans of this pigeon peas curry, so make a large batch of this eat the whole day for all three meals a day. I usually do not like keeping it for next day, cooking fresh is always a healthy option.

This is mainly flavoured with garlic and onion, curry powder. It takes less than hour from start to end to make this curry.

Dice n Cook is a participant in Amazon Services LLC Associate Program. Hence this site may contain some of these links to Amazon.com. If you make a purchase through one of those links, Dice n Cook will receive a small commission from the purchase at no additional cost of you. Read the privacy policy here.

What are the benefits of green pigeon peas or togari kalu?

Pigeon peas or togari kalu or Cajanus cajan is an important perennial food legume from Fabaceae.

Do you know what do pigeon peas taste like? It’s simply nutty in taste and slightly a crisp in texture.

Fresh green pigeon peas are nutrient rich and supplements our diet with all required source of protein, fiber, minerals.

These are the same legumes which are dried and split into dal and used in everyday kitchen to make rasam and sambar.

Many varieties of beans and legumes are harvested and flood the markets during winter. These pigeon peas are one such winter produce along with hyacinth beans, green peas, green chickpeas.

These fresh pigeon peas are excellent protein source for vegetarians.

How do we eat fresh pigeon peas?

In few parts of South India, the whole legume pods are cooked in salt water, later shelled, and served.

Fresh pigeon peas are de-skinned, and skin can be used for feeding cows or any other cattle.

Pigeon peas are used in dals, rice, and curry as these are fiber rich aiding in digestion.

The recipe I have shared here is Indian style whole pigeon peas curry. Check out the recipe ingredients in the next section.

What are the recipe ingredients?

To make this delicious vegan curry you need these main ingredients.

Fresh pigeon peas:

Deshelled peas are used in this recipe.

So where to buy fresh pigeon peas. You can most likely find these at the local markets or supermarkets.

In this recipe you can use any bean, if getting pigeon peas is hassle.

Potato or Aloo:

Use fresh potatoes or aloo or alugadde for this recipe.

Wash peel the skin of potatoes and half cook them that is they should be firm enough to be cooked for second time in coconut milk.

Coconut milk:

Homemade coconut milk or store brought coconut milk can be used in this recipe.

I have used thick homemade coconut milk. This can be easily prepared in your kitchen.

Let’s see how to make coconut milk. Grind together fresh white coconut gratings with one fourth the part of water. Make a fine paste of this and sieve the paste. The sieved thick coconut milk is used in preparing curries.

It is important to use only white part of the coconut gratings to prepare coconut milk.

Tomato puree:

Canned tomato puree or homemade tomato puree can be used in this recipe.

To make homemade puree, three to four medium sized tomatoes are blanched. Number of tomatoes used are based on size of these.

We have to cool the blanched tomatoes. Cut open and remove the seeds. Chop them and make fine puree. You can also sieve the puree if it’s not fine.

Other flavouring ingredients used in this recipe are onion and garlic pieces.

Dry masala powder used in this curry recipe are turmeric powder, coriander powder, curry powder or any sabzi masala and red chili powder.

Important note: If you plan to do this recipe and you are gluten sensitive, kindly go through the recipe ingredients to make sure they are glutenfree.

How to prepare pigeon peas potato curry?

It is a simple easy curry recipe. This is healthy Indian style vegan curry recipe. A no milk, no cream recipe.

Pigeon peas potato curry is healthy high protein side dish. This is so creamy curry with a pleasant aroma of coconut milk.

This hearty protein curry is packed with mild spices, flavours and will be a great side dish for rice or any Indian flat bread.

The best part of this recipe is that the starchy potato, coconut milk makes it so creamy and tasty.

So here is a fresh pigeon pea recipe to be enjoyed with family on any cold winter day.

Do I need to soak fresh pigeon peas?

No, fresh pigeon peas need not be soaked. However if you are using dried pigeon peas then it needs to be soaked for 5 to 6 hours before cooking them.

In this recipe I have used fresh winter produce green pigeon peas, which can be directly cooked without soaking.

How to cook potato and pigeon peas?

In this recipe potato or aloo are chopped into small cubes. These can be half cooked or uncooked before adding into the curry.

In this step you have two options, either use half cooked potato and pigeon peas or use uncooked ones.

I have used half cooked ones to fasten up the cooking process.

However, I recommend do not completely cook them, but cook the half-cooked potato and pigeon peas in coconut milk on medium heat.

This way of cooking will enhance the flavours of the veggies as well as the curry at the end.

This coconut pigeon peas potato curry is a creamy delicious dairy free curry recipe without any heavy cream.

This makes it more healthy and rich flavours of coconut takes the curry to next level.

There is no thickening agent in the recipe. As you slow cook the potato and pigeon peas in the thick coconut milk, it starts thickening giving texture and aroma.

Is there a substitute for fresh green pigeon peas?

For this curry recipe, I would suggest using fresh green pigeon peas.

Fresh pigeon peas tastes very good compared to dried ones.

Yes, in this recipe green pigeon peas can be replaced with kidney beans or fresh green peas.

If you are using canned pigeon peas, check if they are stored in salt water, if so clean them and put them in plain water before cooking to remove any excess salt.

If you plan to use dried pigeon peas, it should be soaked well. Later, cooked before using in making the curry.

This curry is made especially during winter or cold weather. We find lots of fresh pigeon peas during winter.

Can you make pigeon peas potato curry ahead

This vegan Indian style togarikalu curry or pigeon peas potato curry can made in advance and refrigerated.

Reheat the curry and serve them when required.

How to make the pigeon peas potato curry?

It just takes 40 minutes to whip up this curry.

Feel free to chop onion and potato before time so that you can make the curry in quickly.

First step Heat a thick bottomed pan, add oil and cumin. Fry well until you get nice aroma.

Add finely chopped garlic pods and onion as well, fry well until you get nice aroma of these.

Add tomato puree, fry well until it changes its colour and everything comes together.

Next add the turmeric powder and coriander powder, fry well.

Second step Add the main ingredients that is half cooked potato pieces and pigeon peas.

Add salt to this mixture along with fresh thick coconut milk. Mix well and adjust the thickness with little water.

Close and cook the curry for almost 20 minutes or until potato is cooked well. (You can check the doneness by holding a piece of potato between fingers and press it).

Third step Open the lid, add curry powder, red chili powder as per taste. Mix well and cook for just few more minutes.

We add curry powder at the end of cooking to ensure that the curry retains the flavours.

If the curry powder is added at the beginning, the aroma and flavours are lost during cooking the curry

Add finely chopped coriander leaves and serve this hot tasty, delicious healthy curry with rice or any Indian flat bread.

How to serve pigeon peas potato curry?

You can serve the curry topped with extra coconut milk and sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves.

This can be served with rice or any Indian flat bread.

We are a family who love to have curry with flatbread than rice. So I have them with phulkas, this keeps me full the whole day as well. This curry is our family favorite.

This delicious curry contains healthy proteins, carbs with great taste as well. SO, ENJOY COOKING THIS IN YOUR KITCHEN!!!!

Variations in the recipe

I love making variations in any curry as per taste and family preferences.

If you are not a person who doesn’t like having potato, you can also substitute with other veggies like cauliflower, butternut squash, sweet potatoes as well.

Use any of your favourite vegetable and go ahead in making this delicious curry for your family.

Alternative to coconut milk

Thick coconut milk is the best for making this curry.

However if you are really not interested in coconut milk and do not like the flavour, surely this can be substituted with normal light cream or heavy cream, cashew or almond milk.

Looking for more curry recipes on blog, check these top searched recipes on blog

EASY VEGAN PIGEON PEAS POTATO CURRY!!!

This is such an easy recipe, so simple I have made a quick video of this recipe so that you can see how easy it is to make this delicious recipe.

Yes its vegan, glutenfree, kid friendly, healthy, flavorful and delicious!!!

As I have mentioned earlier in the recipe, this potato pigeon peas curry takes very less time to make.

This coconut-based curry is ridiculously simple to prepare and can be doubled with no further change in flavors.

If you make this Indian style fresh pigeon peas potato curry, please do let us know. I love to see your recreations of this curry.

Do not miss a recipe, sign up for updates from Dice n Cook

DID YOU LIKE THE RECIPE? SAVE IT TO YOUR FAVOURITE RECIPE BOARD ON PINTEREST!

Pavithra M Adiga

I am a passionate foodie and food photographer with love to document easy, simple to follow, healthy vegetarian recipes in Dice n Cook.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• YouTube