Aloo Gobi – Potatoes & Cauliflower
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Make authentic homestyle Aloo Gobi with this easy step by step recipe. This is the kind of aloo gobi I grew up eating on everyday basis- made with simple ingredients, hearty and super comforting, especially when paired with a bowl of jeera rice and my favorite dal tadka. In my opinion, this Indian potato and cauliflower dish perfectly encapsulates what Indian home cooking is all about.
Aloo gobi (which literally translates to potatoes and cauliflower) must be one of the most popular vegetarian Indian dishes that’s made across the country. However, the point to be noted here is that there’s no one way to make it and every home has its own way of making it.
In my home, it was mostly as a dry sabzi (and that’s the recipe that I have shared here). But sometimes, mom also made it as a curry with plenty of sauce and we ate it with rice. The drier version is the most popular homemade aloo gobi especially in Northern India.
When I say everyone has their own way of making it, I mean not only in terms of whether it’s dry or with curry, I also mean in terms of what ingredients you put it in. Some make it with only onions, while others make it with onions, tomatoes and a whole bunch of spices.
Because it’s such a popular dish, it’s also cooked using different gadgets, I often make it in the Instant Pot, and I also do love how easy an air fryer aloo gobi is. Seriously, give it a try when you are in a rush.
Soggy Cauliflower in Aloo Gobi? Not Anymore with These Tips!
One common problem with aloo gobi is that when you cook it, the cauliflower becomes 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. My mother is law makes a version where she deep fries the vegetables before adding them to the masala and while that helps in retaining the texture, we can’t deep fry vegetables for everyday cooking.
So, here’s how you can prevent that from happening.
- Half cook the cauliflower and potatoes before adding it to the onion-tomato masala. You can parboil the potatoes and cauliflower or bake them in the oven or do what I did – fry them in little oil until they are half cooked. This helps in retaining shape and texture and gives them more flavor. You don’t need to deep fry the vegetables (which you can reserve for festive cooking) but pan frying them in a little oil does the trick.
- Don’t cover and cook the cauliflower. I usually let the sabzi cook uncovered because covering generates steam and that tends to make cauliflower a little soggy. Cover and cook towards the end and remember to cook on flame.
- Add salt towards the end when the dish is almost done. Adding salt releases water which can further change the texture of the vegetables and make them soggy. Adding it towards the end when vegetables are mostly cooked helps in retaining the texture.
- After the sabzi is cooked, remove the pan from heat and let it sit covered for 5 more minutes before serving. This makes sure that the vegetables are cooked perfectly without getting overcooked.
Cut The Vegetables Thin & Small for Faster Cooking
To make sure the vegetables cook fast, cut them into small pieces and thin slices. The cauliflower needs to be cut into small florets. Similarly, if you dice the potatoes, dice them ½ inch thick or less and if you slice them, slice them ¼ inch thick. This way they cook quickly and evenly.
Does Cooking Oil Matter?
Honestly, you can make aloo gobi with any oil. But if you ask me, cooking aloo gobi in mustard oil gives it that raw and authentic taste. Mustard oil has a unique aroma and flavor which it imparts to the aloo gobi when you cook with it.
One thing to remember about mustard oil is that you need to heat it first until it’s smoking and then turn off the heat. Wait for it to cool down a little (because you don’t want the spices to burn) and then add the tempering. If you add the tadka/tempering while the mustard oil is just hot (and not smoking hot), your final dish will have that raw mustard oil taste which many people are not fond of.
Homemade Aloo Gobi
- Pan fry the vegetables first
To retain the texture of the potatoes and cauliflower, I like to pan fry them first in a little oil until they have some brown spots. You can also do this step in the oven, but I prefer doing it on the stovetop. Don’t steam the vegetables as that will make them soggy.
- Make the onion tomato masala
The base for this aloo gobi is made with onions, tomatoes and spices. Sauté the onions first for 2 to 3 minutes until they are translucent and then add the tomatoes and cook them until soft.
- Add the spices and cook the masala
Flavor the masala with coriander, turmeric, amchur, chili powder and then cover the cook the masala. Don’t add salt at this point.
- Toss in the potatoes and cauliflower
Once the masala is cooked through, toss in the pan-fried vegetables along with chopped cilantro and garam masala. Toss well using a spatula so that all the vegetables are coated with the masala. Now, let the veggies cook uncovered for 5 to 6 minutes on low medium heat.
- Add salt, cover and cook
Add the salt at this point and then cover and cook until the vegetables are tender, around 8 to 9 minutes on low medium heat. Keep stirring in between, you might need to add some water here, I did not add any. Once cooked, remove the kadai/pan from heat and let it sit covered for 5 more minutes. Serve hot!
Manali’s Tips
- I like using russet potatoes or gold potatoes for this recipe. Make sure to slice the potatoes into ¼ inch thickness so that they cook in the time mentioned above in the recipe.
- You may need to add some water to this recipe, I did not add any water but if you need to, add 1 tablespoon at a time, during the last step when you cook the vegetables covered with a lid on low heat. Add water only as needed. For me, the little water that generated from the steam after covering the lid was enough for the veggies to cook.
- If you do not have amchur (dried mango powder), you can squeeze in some fresh lemon juice at the end once the aloo gobi is cooked.
Authentic Aloo Gobi – Potatoes & Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons oil divided, I used mustard oil
- 2 medium potatoes around 240 grams sliced into ¼ inch thickness
- 1 small head cauliflower around 280 grams , measure after removing the stems and leaves, cut into small florets
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium red onion around 200 grams , finely chopped
- 1 & ½ teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
- 2 medium tomatoes around 240 grams , finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon amchur dry mango powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder add more to taste
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro + more to garnish
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium size heavy bottom pan or kadai. Once the oil is hot, add 1 small cauliflower florets (cut unto small ½ inch florets) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add 2 medium potatoes (¼-inch slices) and pan fry on medium-low heat for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables have some brown spots over them. Remove the vegetables on a plate lined with paper towel.
- To the same pan, now add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Then add 1 medium onion (chopped) and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often until the onions are translucent.
- Then add 1 & ½ teaspoons ginger garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes or until the raw smell of ginger and garlic goes away. Next, add 2 medium tomatoes (chopped) and cook for 2 minutes until they are soft and pulpy.
- Once the tomatoes are little soft, add the ground spices- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon amchur, ¼ teaspoon red chili powder and 1 teaspoon coriander powder. Stir and mix all the spices with the masala. Now, cover the pan and cook the masala on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Toss in the pan-fried potatoes and cauliflower along with ¼ teaspoon garam masala and 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Mix well with a spatula, so that the vegetables are coated with the masala. Cook the vegetables uncovered on low-medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring often.
- Now, add ¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste) and stir well. Cover the pan now and cook for additional 8 to 9 minutes on low-medium heat, or until the vegetables are tender but not soggy. Open the lid in between and stir every minute or two. If you feel the masala is sticking to the pan, you may add some water,1 tablespoon at a time. I did not add any. Remove pan from heat and let it sit covered for 5 more minutes. Uncover, garnish with more cilantro and serve aloo gobi hot with rotis!
Video
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-gobi 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.
Hi Manali , my name is Lita . Can you please tell me where we can buy this masala that you are using ? I have a gharam masala but it’s not Indian masala from Indian . Thank you please let me know. Also the amchur I never heard of it before.
Hi Lisa- I find everything at my local Indian grocery store. If you don’t have it, then try amazon!
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.