Easy Air Fryer Aloo Gajar Matar recipe for an Indian fakeaway

If you like Aloo Gobi then I am sure you will also like Aloo Gajar Matar which is a similar dish but not as well known in my experience. It is an Indian potatoes, carrots and peas dish which can be served as a side dish or a main meal depending on your preferences.

I love Indian food, especially when it isn’t too spicy or I can control how spicy it is when I make my own! One of my favourites is when you have a bit of a banquet with lots of different dishes to enjoy.

 

What is Aloo Gajar Matar?

A lot of Indian foods are basically named after what they are. For example, Aloo Gobi basically translates to potato cauliflower. As such, Aloo Gajar Matar is basically potato, carrots, and green peas.

It is a spicy dish, usually pan-fried with a multitude of spices and these three vegetables to make a popular side dish or vegetable curry dish.

Can you really make an air fryer Aloo Gajar Matar?

The traditional dish is pan-fried allowing the spices to bloom in the oil and flavours to build. That said I have found a way to make it in the air fryer and in my opinion it tastes just as good.

The advantage to making it in the air fryer is there is no oil to speak of, just a few sprays of a spray oil such as Frylight. The air fryer Aloo Gajar Matar uses the same spices and flavours and is just as delicious.

Just Average Jen is an independent blog and in no way connected with any weight loss plan and no contributors have been trained by them or worked for them. It is the reader’s responsibility to check Slimming World syn values, WW points and any other allowances themselves as those given are approximate.

Eating this on a diet or for weight loss

This recipe simply includes vegetables and spices so on the Slimming World plan it is syn-free unless you use an oil which is counted as syns.

On other plans, you are unlikely to need to count anything but do check individually if this is still the case.

Calories for the recipe are minimal and as it includes all vegetables the calorie density is good and the meal is filling for the few calories it includes.

How to make air fryer Aloo Gajar Matar step by step

Firstly I would recommend getting all your ingredients out to ensure you have everything you need. Whilst the recipe calls for a green chilli pepper it is optional and you can use a red one if that is all you have. It will only make a small difference using a different chilli.

Dice the potatoes into around 1cm size cubes. If you prefer larger cubes it will just take a little longer to cook this recipe. Add the potato cubes to a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Dice the carrots into similar size pieces to the potatoes and add to the bowl.

Measure all the spices, add them to the bowl of carrots and potatoes and mix well. If you are using a fresh chilli then dice it finely and add it at this point too.

Add 2 cloves of garlic, crushed, and a teaspoon of salt. Whilst it is easy to think you don’t need the salt I would highly recommend you still add it. I am not a big salt eater but think it really does help the flavours to blend in this dish.

Add 4 tbsp of water and mix well then set aside for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the air fryer to 200°c which should take around 5 minutes.

Tip the mixture into your air fryer, using a silicone liner helps ensure it is easy to serve up and easy to clean your air fryer basket. Cook for 10 minutes before stirring the mixture, spraying with spray oil or Frylight and then cooking for a further 10 minutes.

After this ten minutes stir and spray with oil again, add the frozen peas and set for the last 10 minutes after 30 minutes in total your mixture is almost ready to serve.

Add 2 tbsp of lime juice and stir well then tip the mixture into a serving dish.

Serve with a simple yoghurt and mint dip and enjoy.

Choosing the best ingredients for your air fryer Aloo Gajar Matar

As you are dicing your potatoes and carrots I would always recommend buying the cheapest ones you can. It doesn’t matter if they are misshapen or classed as wonky veg, they will taste the same regardless!

This is a great recipe to make if you have a full spice rack but not much in the cupboards. Aloo Gajar Matar is really cheap to make and filling as a meal on its own if you need it as a main meal rather than a side dish.

If you have ordered a Too Good To Go bag and found it full of carrots and potatoes then this could be absolutely perfect for you. It even freezes well. Simply defrost and then heat in the microwave or air fryer.

Frequently asked questions

Here I answer any questions you may have for this recipe and regularly will update this with any other questions asked on social media or in the comments.

Do I need to peel the carrots and potatoes?

Personally, if vegetables are clean then I do not worry about peeling them and feel this is unnecessary. If you prefer to peel, of course, feel free. The weights I have listed in the recipe card were without topping and tailing the carrots but for the unpeeled vegetables. The weights are not too important so don’t worry too much about being exact.

How can I make a yoghurt and mint dip for this?

When I make a dip for things like this and my onion bhajis or aloo gobi, I simply mix fat-free natural greek yoghurt with some finely chopped fresh mint or a little mint sauce.

If this is too spicy for me then how should I make it milder next time?

If you find this too spicy even when omitting the fresh chilli you can also omit the mild chilli powder. If this doesn’t help then I would suggest perhaps halving the spice ingredients but keeping the vegetables the same, this makes it much milder.

Other recipes you might like

If you like a good Indian fakeaway then I have picked out some other recipes below that I think you will enjoy.

Slow cooker chicken tikka masala recipe

Easy healthy air fryer onion bhajis

Keema curry recipe

Chicken and mushroom curry

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