Aloo Gobi – Potatoes & Cauliflower
Sep 18, 2014, Updated Jun 13, 2019
Aloo Gobi - Potatoes and cauliflower cooked with onion, tomatoes & spices is a popular Indian recipe. [Vegan]
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Spiced Potatoes with Cauliflower. This Aloo Gobi is packed with flavors, super comforting, vegan and simply the best aloo gobi you will ever have!
Aloo gobi (potatoes & cauliflower) is a popular Indian dish in which potatoes and cauliflower are cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices. This dish can be made in several ways, you can make it with only onions or only tomatoes or use no onion-tomato at all. I also make it in different ways depending on what ingredients I have on hand, the aloo gobi recipe that I am sharing today is one of my favorite versions. It has onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic and yes spices!
One common problem with aloo gobi is that when you cook it, the cauliflower becomes really soggy and you don’t want that. You want the veggies to be cooked and tender but not soggy, that kind of spoils the taste and texture of this dish. Few tips can help prevent this:
1. Half cook the cauliflower and potatoes before adding it to the onion-tomato masala. You can parboil the potatoes and cauliflower or do what I did – fry them in little oil till they are half cooked. This helps in retaining the shape and texture.
2. Don’t cover and cook the cauliflower, you can cover towards the end and cook on low flame only.
3. Add salt towards the end when the dish is almost done.
I have made mistakes in the past where my cauliflower was all soggy and I didn’t like it at all and that’s how I learnt my lessons.  If you follow the above tips, the texture should be perfect.
This recipe is vegan just like so many other Indian recipes. I had never heard the term “vegan” till about 2 years ago and now when I think about it, I literally grew up eating vegan all the time. India has countless vegetarian recipes that I grew up eating. We eat simple lentils, rice and veggies everyday and almost all of it is vegan. So enjoy this spicy potatoes and cauliflower vegan recipe from India and I hope you like it.
Method
Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cauliflower florets and fry for 2-3 minutes and then add the sliced potatoes.
Fry on medium-low flame for 7-8Â minutes till potatoes and cauliflower have some brown spots on them.
Drain on a tissue paper and set aside.
In the same pan heat 1.5 teaspoon of oil on medium heat and add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes or till onion is translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste.
Cook for another 2Â minutes or till the raw smell of ginger and garlic goes away.
Add the chopped tomatoes.
Cook for 2 minutes till tomatoes are little soft.
Once the tomatoes are little soft, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and amchur (mango powder). Cover the pan and let the masala cook for 2-3 minutes.
Now add the potatoes and cauliflower to it and mix.
Add chopped coriander leaves and give a good mix.
Add some garam masala and cook the potato and cauliflower on medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes.
Add salt and cover the pan and cook for additional 6-7 minutes on low flame or till the potato and cauliflower are tender but not soggy. If you feel the masala is sticking, you may add some water. Add 1 tablespoon at a time and only add enough to cook the veggies. I did not add any water in mine.
Garnish with some more coriander leaves.
Serve aloo gobi with naan, paratha or roti.
If you’ve tried this Aloo Gobi Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Aloo Gobi - Potatoes & Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 potatoes medium, sliced or cubed
- 1 cauliflower medium, cut into small florets
- 1 onion medium, chopped
- 2 tomatoes medium, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1.5 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mango powder amchur
- 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 3-4 teaspoons oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan on medium heat. Add cauliflower florets and fry for 2-3 minutes and then add the sliced potatoes.
- Fry on medium-low flame for 7-8 minutes till potatoes and cauliflower have some brown spots on them.
- Drain on a tissue paper and set aside.
- In the same pan heat 1.5 teaspoon of oil on medium heat and add cumin seeds and let them crackle.
- Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes till translucent.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 2 minutes or till the raw smell goes away.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes till they are little soft.
- Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and amchur (mango powder).
- Cover the pan and let the masala cook for 2-3 minutes and then add the potatoes and cauliflower to it and mix.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and give a good mix.
- Add garam masala and cook the potato and cauliflower on medium-low heat for 5-6 minutes.
- Add salt and cover the pan and cook more additional 6-7 minutes on low flame or till the potato and cauliflower are tender but not soggy. If you feel the masala is sticking, you may add some water. Add 1 tablespoon at a time and only add enough to cook the veggies. I did not add any water in mine.
- Garnish with some more coriander leaves and serve hot with any Indian bread.
Notes
- Add lots of chopped cilantro leaves to your aloo gobi, it adds a lot to the flavor.
- You can even deep fry the potatoes and cauliflower till they are completely cooked and then add them to the masala. But deep frying = more calories so it's not the way I make aloo-gobhi at home regularly.
- Adjust spice levels to taste.
- You can also sprinkle some kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) on top for added flavor.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
 Aloo Gobi
HI Manali. I made this for the first time tonight, but let the oven do the heavy lifting roasting the cauliflower and potatoes in the oven for 30 minutes seasoned with salt,pepper, cumin and turmeric then added them to the onion, tomato and spice mixture. It was delicious. Thank you for this recipe.
So easy to follow and healthy. Thank you so much for your guide!!!
Hi Manali! I’ve tried this recipe a couple times and both times it takes ages for the cauliflower to cook. I wonder if it has to do with how big the cauliflower is. How many cups does your medium cauliflower come to? I have to use a huge pot for all my ingredients to fit. When I do the first frying step, there’s no oil at all in the pan so there’s nothing to drain – this must be because I have so many ingredients it just soaks it all. Then in the final cooking stage it takes a good 30 minutes before the cauliflower and potato is soft enough to eat. So it definitely takes me more than 20min to cook as it states in the recipe. Next time I may steam the veg first and while it will get perhaps a bit more tender it won’t take as long. Thanks for any feedback! Best, Ana
Try cutting the florets into small pieces, I think you are cutting them very big. Same with potatoes, if you slice them thin they will not take 30 minutes to cook.
This was great! I like spicy, so tossed a couple fresh cayenne peppers from garden and was totally in love with the dish. Compiling a top ten list of go to recipes and this one made it easily.
Thanks for the recipe!
Great recipe!
I had a cauliflower that was getting old in the fridge, did a quick search for recipes and stumbled with this. It turned out absolutely delicious, even though this was completely improvised and I was missing some of the ingredients, such as the mango powder which is not usually found where I live. I will be making more of these recipes 😀 Greetings from Mexico! 🇲🇽
I am glad to hear!
Hi, just making sure the order of cooking cauliflower and potatoes is not mixed. Adding raw potatoes to the pan after cauliflower is add?
yes please follow the recipe as it is. first we pan fry the cauliflower and potatoes for a bit and then they eventually get fully cooked with the spices
I always add a few teaspoons of Takii Umami Powder to this recipe. It really makes the flavors pop! Love this recipe though – I’ve made it about 20 times.
I am sure we didn’t even know what that was when we made aloo gobi in India..haha..but glad it works for you
Outstanding—thank you for sharing this recipe. I doubled the coriander leaves and added some sliced chili pepper and it was absolutely delicious.
glad to know!
Hi Manali, I am trying to figure out what kind of chili powder to use. Is it the same chili powder we use in canada to make Chili or do I have to find Indian chili powder? Thank you!
if you have ground cayenne pepper, use that!
Thank you. That’s what I used and it was delicious. I’ll be making this Aloo Gobi recipe again and again!!!
awesome!
This was TOO good. I mean, I’ve never had better in a restaurant. It was so lightly spiced without a bunch of “goo” running all over the veggies. I LOVE this recipe and will definitely be making it again. You’re a great chef!
so glad to hear that Robin! Thanks for the feedback
Manali, I’ve got every ingredient required for this recipe but after starting to cook it, I’ve realised I haven’t any ginger 😱 will it be a disaster?
it will be just fine!
Hi! I was wondering what the portion size was for the calorie amount? I love this recipe!
it’s an estimate calculated automatically by a plugin. it divides the total calories by number of serving entered in the recipe card. If you make this recipe and divide it in 2 parts, the serving is for 1 part. again it’s only an estimate.
I love this recipe, and I’ve taken to cooking it pretty frequently (probably about once every 10-12 days) due to how simple it is to make, how cheap the ingredients are, and how filling it is. My favorite part of the whole process is the moment after the masala gets added to the tomato and onion—the smell is wonderful.
I’ve recommended it to a bunch of friends, and it’s gone over quite well with all of them so far. I’ve also gotten hooked on amchur, and I keep looking for excuses to use it in other recipes.
Thank you so much!
Thanks for the lovely feedback Aranai! Glad to hear that! Yeah amchur is great for the tang, just search the blog for “amchur”, you will find lots of recipes which use it
Totally making these tonight…even the comments are making my mouth drool. 😀
Can you use cummin ground powder instead of cummin seed?
you can use cumin powder but it’s not a replacement for cumin seeds honestly
I made this twice. Your method for cooking the potato and cauliflower leaves them softly crunchy, never mushy.
Any substitute for the mango powder ? Or just leave it out if I can’t find it ? Thanks,
squeeze lemon juice in the end
Hi .
Tried and it came out yummy
But all onion and became burnt by the time aalo gobhi got tender…
What to do . Please guide
cook on medium heat please. looks like onions burnt too fast. Onions should just be translucent before you add the other veggies.
I am putting together my shopping list and have a question. Step 10 in the instructions says to add the chopped coriander leaves, but those are not in the ingredient list. Should I buy and use coriander leaves in place of the 1 tsp coriander powder? Thank you! I can’t wait to try it.
coriander=cilantro. I wrote this recipe long back, when I had just moved to US from India. In India, we call cilantro as coriander. You need coriander powder and you need fresh cilantro/coriander leaves.
Great recipe! Gets better every time I cook!
Tried the recipe the amount of oil to ingredients l would question it all stuck to the pan!adding the potato’s only made it worse had to clean the pan the onions on wards went a bit better but so much lost on the bottom of the pan to begin with l think l should have deep fried the cauli and pots for while first!
hmm you need to use a non-stick pan to half cook the potatoes and cauliflower first. We don’t deep fry cauliflower for aloo gobi- in basic Indian cooking. 4 teaspoons of oil is enough here but you can always add more if you want to. Thanks for trying and sorry you has trouble.
Hi, I would like to try your recipe but want to know if you use Yukon or Russet potatoes? Also does it matter what kind of Garam brand you use?
Thank you,
Sharon
you can use either, try with Yukon. Yes definitely every brand of garam masala has a different taste. I shall share the recipe for homemade garam masala soon.
Simple and oh so yummy! Thank you!
Tried the recipe . Turned out excellent
Soo good! We have made this a few times now and it’s always a hit. I’ve tried making chana masala and dal makhani from other websites before but they were not quite right. I figured I was doing something wrong in regards to the order and quantity of ingredients I used. I followed your instructions and recipe precisely and it was perfect! Looking forward to trying more of your recipes
glad to know 🙂
The recipe is easy to follow and the outcome is amazing!
Awesome recipe!! Quick, easy and charged with flavor . Definitely a keeper !! Thank you! 🙂
I was wondering if you could use canned tomatoes or tomato paste in the recipe if you don’t have fresh tomatoes on hand.
you can use canned tomatoes
This recipe turned out perfect. My family loved it and I can’t wait to make it again. Thank you Manali!
glad you liked it!
Thank you for the recipe. Clear and very well structure. Easy to follow. The taste is very good, beyond my expectation (it is my first homemade Aloo Gobi). I will definitely come back for more recipes. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Super
Delicious.
A success on my first try! It was delicious!
Wow! Best Indian recipe I have ever tried. Fantastic!!!
glad to know!
This was good, though I had to extend the last cooking time a bit and add a couple tablespoons of water. I didn’t have fresh tomatoes, so I used one cup of canned diced tomatoes. Maybe it was too much, as my dish turned out much redder than this and didn’t remind me of restaurant-style aloo gobi. I also thought this was WAY more than 2 servings – more like 4 – and would have been about 6 if I had prepared more dishes along with it! Still, it was tasty and for my first time making it, I was pleased.
Absolutely delicious! Sprinkled on a little dry peanut chutney my friend Nalini made, part of a holiday package of her homemade Indian goodies, and served with cucumber raita and naan.
I’ll try it…It turns out yummy sabji.. whenever i try this recipe..my family very like it… Thank you for sharing this yummy sabji
Excellent recipe, tried and true. My personal tweak is to run both cauliflower and potatoes, mixed with a bit of olive oil, under the broiler to get some browning on the surface, instead of pan frying. Then I cook the recipe exactly as written.
The proportions are spot on. Perfect. Recipe doesn’t work for me without added water. Stuff doesn’t cook in the prescribed time & only in 4 tsps oil (maybe if I added 5-6 tsps?). I added a cup of water and the cauliflower & potatoes were still underdone after 15 minutes (7-8 minutes final cooking recommended in this recipe).
It depends on how you cut the potatoes and cauliflower. I have mentioned to cut the cauliflower small. The total time is not 7 minutes- i first fry the potatoes and cauliflower for 7 to 8 minutes, then they are cooked for another 5-6 minutes and then after adding salt another 6-7 minutes. That’s 20 minutes or more, if you chop them to the correct size, they will easily get cooked. Also this recipe does work for me without adding any water, I have always made it this way. You can always add water if you want, it’s mentioned in the recipe ” If you feel the masala is sticking, you may add some water. Add 1 tablespoon at a time and only add enough to cook the veggies”. Thank you for trying.
The recipe is really good and taste delicious.
LOVED this recipe! It was so perfectly spiced and complex in flavor. We used roasted Romanesco in lieu of cauliflower because that’s what we had and it was just perfect. Thanks for another stellar recipe.
Love the recipes. Always reliable, well written and delicious when prepared.
I follow many of your recipes.. And I am never disappointed. It always turns out the best. Made this today and it simply delicious. Thank you
welcome! 🙂
Thank you for your splendid step by step instructions. Your Aloo Gobi is wonderfully flavored
glad to know!
Very nice, thanks.
Best ever Manali. thank you so much. I think the amchur lifts it over and above and I use lots of dhania. Eat it with chapattis.
I made this exactly as written and it is one of the best written, best tasting recipes that I have ever tried!
Note for beginners: to make the ‘ginger garlic paste’ you don’t have to grind anything in a mortar and pestle or bother to buy it prepared, just finely grate about a thumb sized piece of fresh ginger and 2 cloves of garlic and mix them together. Also, don’t ‘rush the spices’, let them cook down as described in the recipe so seeds soften and the flavors blend.
For those that like to savor even more complex flavors, try adding a teaspoon of savory and sweet chutneys on the plate before serving. I’d suggest coriander chutney for those that like cilantro. Usually it’s about med. hot, but vary by brand. You can find these at local Asian markets and on line. I’ve tried several brands of store bought and on-line. To me, ‘Kerala Curry’ brands from NC taste closest to homemade with no dyes or preservatives. Store bought brands like Swad have dyes and preservatives, but were ok in flavor. Also, try and apple or mango type sweet chutneys. It’s amazing how complex and satisfying the flavors are especially for those new to a vegan diet!
Great advice
Love it
This was just absolutely delicious. A lot of little steps, but oh so worth it! Loved by my whole family. Will make it again and again.
This dish might be one of the best recipes that i have tried. it is flavor, flavor and flavor. With some bread to get all the good stuff it becomes the nectar of the gods (yes, that good)