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]
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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 7-8 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 or till onion is translucent.
Add the ginger-garlic paste.
Cook for another 2 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
This is my go to recipe. I thought I had it saved in my favorites and could not find it which caused me to was panic. Lol. This is a very versatile recipe and of course easy to adjust. Love it!! Better than the restaurants and money saved .
haha thanks Dana 🙂 glad you like it!
I used to never like cauliflower hence I never cooked but this recipe is marvelous. I liked it so much n it is so easy.
Thank u Manali.
Glad to hear Hufriz 🙂
How big is a medium potato?
I will say around 150 grams
Great recipe albeit a little short on oil for my taste
Best tip ever to saute the veggies first.
I really appreciated you advice not to cover the cauliflower. The texture was great. I can’t comment on the spice mix as I had to freestyle as I didn’t have any ginger or cilantro, which is really unusual but hey ho! It was really delicious served with dal. Thank you so much.
welcome!
Tasted good, but the timing is way off which was a bit unexpected and upsetting. I followed the recipe exactly, however the potatoes took a very long time to cook (~45min) whereas the recipe says 30min total. It was more like 1.5 hours total all in all.
Hi Daniel, you need to slice the potatoes thin, if you slice into thick pieces they will take time to cook. The thinly sliced potatoes should not take 45 mins to cook.
I made your recipe but roasted the veggies at 450 degrees until tender. The seasoning is wonderful! Everyone should make this dish!
I precook my veggies for Indian dishes in the air fryer and then add them to the masala. That way they still have crunch.
Thanks for the recipe! Can you freeze this?
You can try, I have personally never tried freezing it but if you do, let me know how it turns out
Potatoes don’t freeze well, imo. When I froze soup containing potatoes, the texture of the potatoes completely changed. They were grainy. They didn’t retain the nice smooth texture that potatoes typically have.
Like Dawn says – floury potatoes like Maris pipers don’t freeze. But waxy potatoes do. Here they’re called baby potatoes but I believe Yukon gold are the same type. For more clarity – when boiled waxy potatoes hold their shape, they don’t become mash
I have just eaten some aloo gobi that has been in the freezer for about 3 months. It was just as good as fresh. I did deep fry the potatoes and cauliflower though and I suspect the additional oil helped keep the potatoes good.
Great recipe.
Are we able to follow the recipe without amchur? Pretty hard to procure where I currently live.
squeeze lemon juice in the end, should be good
I’ve made this receipt twice now once with tinned tomatoes & once with fresh I omitted the amchur as didn’t have it & didn’t have fresh cilantro so didn’t add that either however both times it has been delicious. my husband is Punjabi/Sikh so I’ve been trying out Indian cooking & I’ve got to admit it’s brilliant, fresh cheap, filling & so tasty thankyou 😊
glad to know Kirsty!
I made this recipe for the first time last night and it was delicious. I fried the potatoes and cauliflower for 5 mins and it shortened the cooking time considerably . Prob took 20 mins in total to make this dish and I will be making it again. Family loved it.
I don’t have fresh ginger for the ginger garlic paste. Will there be a big difference without it?
skip it! it will still be good!
I just made this! Thank you for your tips as this made all the difference!! Timing was right!
glad to know Leena!
Hi there. I love your recipes. But I can’t have tumeric. Is there another spice you might recommend ?
sorry no substitute for turmeric. You can skip if you want. add some paprika
Great one, the children loved it.
awesome!
Thank you. I starting cooking regularly because of your recipes!
Thanks Ara, that makes me happy! 🙂
Loved it! Totally delicious, simple and reasonably quick. Even without fresh coriander – which I can’t get in France easily, it was still yummy!
glad to know Ali!
I’m new to Indian cooking. Can I substitute something else if I don’t have amchur or just leave it out?
squeeze some lemon juice at the end
I made this just as described in the recipe, for me the timing was very accurate, and the resultant dish was delicious!
Thank you Andrew, I am glad to hear that!
Very good…but the timing is wayyyyy off. The onions themselves took 15 minutes to become translucent; the potatoes and cauliflower an hour. Give yourself a couple of hours to make this dish.
Ahh 2 hours to make aloo gobi? Hmm that never happens and I make aloo gobi so often 🙂 you only want onion to be soft and translucent which takes 2-3 minutes, not more. we are not caramelizing them. glad you liked it!
It’s never taken me 2 hours. less than an hour usually.
Loved it and easy, too.
I like to oven roast my cauliflower so it gets a nice char but it’s still got a little firmness. I usually use a jar sauce but I’m going to try this recipe very soon, thank you!
Hi Manali, thank you for sharing your recipe 🙂
A question, what would you substitute for moisture/liquid if you didn’t add tomatoes? I really want to make it, but can’t use them in my cooking. Thanks!
you can make aloo gobi without tomatoes. we make that way often. Just roast/air fry potatoes and cauliflower first. then add with spices, onion, ginger, garlic. This makes a nice side with dal. If you do want moisture, you can add some yogurt that will work here.
Delish! Made it for a dinner party. Followed your spice list and added the amount that felt right.
Definitely make it again soon.
Thanks!!
Best aloo gobi recipe I’ve found (and I’ve tried many). Sooooo delicious. I do deep fry the potatoes and cauli and don’t find they are greasy at all. I serve it with onion raita, kachumber and roti.
Thank you Manali.
glad to know Lynn! 🙂
I’ve made this 4 or 5 times in just a couple of months! It’s fabulous. Such authentic flavour. Thank you. A go to delicious meal. I serve it with parathas.
yum so good with parathas! glad you love it Kate!
delicious
Can this be made ahead and reheated
for sure!
Lovely,really quick and easy to make,we didn’t have any Amchur powder; not come across it before so instead put in 1/2 TSP salt,1/2 TSP sugar and generous squeeze(1 tablespoon) of lime juice after cooking, turned off gas put lid on and let it steam through.
Fab with Dahl and turmeric rice❤️👍😊
Ruth Williams: I have not come across the acronym TSP before, are you referring to a tablespoon (for which I’ve always seen T or tbsp) or teaspoon, (t or tsp)?
Thanx!
Hi.
Tsp = teaspoon
Tbls = tablespoon
Hope this helps
Ive made this recipe a few time’s and it is really good m.
I just have to make sure i dont overcook the veggies
manali – this is the best aloo gobi I’ve ever had. Thank you so much for a great recipe
welcome Lynn! so glad to know
I’ve made this several times and it’s very good. Adding fennel seeds gives extra flavor.
thanks for the review Matthew!
Came out great. I parboiled my potatoes for 10 minutes first because I used fairly big pieces. Followed the directions as written otherwise. One of my favorite dishes.
First time using a Manali recipe & I am soooo happy!! Having the mid recipe photos is everything I’ve ever needed!!!! Can’t wait to try more 🙂
awesome! please try more recipe 🙂
Lovely, easy recipe – thank you. I underestimated the amount of salt this needed, so will add more while cooking next time. I also wish I had added more spices, both for flavour and heat. Next time!
Great and easy. Added a little almond milk at the end since it looked a little dry. Yummy 😋
I’ve made this 4 times and I will make it many more. Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
glad to know Jaina!
Tasty!
This recipe is outstanding! Sooo good. We’ve made this a few times now and it’s a favorite. I buy medium potatoes and cut them into 8ths. The potato cubes cook perfectly as per your directions.
glad to know!
Just a heads up – I substituted a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes with chilis for the chopped tomatoes and it turned out pretty good (if I do say so myself)
Same. All I have is Ro-tel. 😂 Really good, though.
Hi I was just wondering is it very important to dry of the cauliflower and potato or can we leave it in the pot?
you mean after frying? You can leave them in the pan, I used the same pan so had to take them out before making the masala
Hi, FYI you mention Coriander leaves but don’t have them in the recipe.
hello, it’s there. I wrote this recipe when I moved to US from India many years ago. In India we call cilantro as coriander, it’s the same thing. hope this helps
yup, this was really good. I will definitely be making this again soon!
We really enjoyed this. My first time making it, thanks for including approximate cooking times for novices like myself. I cut the potatoes slices about 5 mm thick and they needed about 2 extra minutes at the end. Will definitely make this again.
Easy recipe with great taste … thank you!
This turned out yummy! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Manali, Can I cook this a day or 2 before serving, or are the veggies likely to go too soft?
they will be fine!
What kind of potatoes? Russets or something like Yukon Golds?
Thanks!
both will work
Followed recipe; potatoes wrre massively undercooked. I don’t believe it can be done without adding another 20 minutes cooking time.
Hi Anon, sorry you had trouble, that can happen when you cut potatoes into big pieces or slice them very thick. If you slice then thin, it’s plenty time for potatoes to cook.
I avoid undercooked potatoes by cutting them into quarters and putting them in boiling water for 6 to 8 minutes before slicing them up and following the recipe.
Note: I did think afterwards that thinner slices would be betteer because they can pick up more flavour from the masala.
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!