Learn to make delicious home-style Aloo Gobi - A Cauliflower Potato Stir Fry. An easy lunch recipe or weeknight meal made with pantry staples. Includes Step by step instructions, tips to clean the cauliflower and clever ways to use leftover aloo gobi.
Aloo Gobi is a simple and delicious semi-dry North Indian curry, sabzi or stir-fry made using potatoes and cauliflower with fresh ginger. This gluten free, vegan and vegetarian curry can be made under 30 minutes and pairs well with steamed rice, paratha, roti or naan.
This is one of my husbands favorite sides. He loves it with a bowl of red lentil dal, piping hot roti's that are straight off the griddle and some chilled mango lassi to end the meal on a sweet note.
This popular Indian vegetarian side dish is made with basic ingredients and pantry staples.
The curry or sabzi is the perfect weeknight meal as it goes well with both roti and rice. It is also a great option to pack for lunch boxes as well.
The recipe I am sharing is not an authentic North Indian Style Aloo Gobhi. The traditional version requires the key ingredients i.e. cauliflower and potatoes to be deep fried before being tossed into the onion-tomato masala and spices. The version is quite popular in dhabas and tastes absolutely delicious.
However, it is not something we enjoy eating on a regular basis and mostly prefer my version of the Aloo Gobi which doesn’t require deep frying yet doesn’t disappoint you in terms of flavor and taste.
Don’t forget to read serving suggestions as they might be great help in planning your weeknight menu at home. I have also provided some ideas to use leftover aloo gobi as well.
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Checkout the Video Recipe
Ingredients
Potatoes and Cauliflower – When it comes to Aloo Gobhi, there is a constant battle or debate between quantities of potato vs. cauliflower used.
You can either add equal quantities of both the ingredients or favor the one you love the most. Either ways, it won’t affect the final outcome.
I opt for 2:1 ratio. 2 cups of cauliflower for every cup of cooked potatoes. I am using pre-cooked or boiled potatoes that are peeled and cubed.
Since I meal prep for the week, boiled potatoes are always available in the refrigerator. I use Instant Pot to bulk cook the potatoes and then refrigerate. This can be easily achieved using pressure cooker or in a sauce pan on stove top.
The cauliflower requires some prep before they are cooked. While it is an optional step, I highly recommend and follow the process (Check tips to clean cauliflower below)
Onion-Tomato-Ginger – For this recipe, I have sliced both onions and tomatoes. You can finely chop them, if you like.
Ginger is just coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle. For this recipe, the flavor and aroma of ginger plays an important role. If you want to dial down the flavors, reduce the quantity by half. (read notes on recipe card below for more details)
Instead of crushing the ginger, you can julienne. However, some don’t prefer biting a piece of ginger while enjoying the curry.
Spices – Basic Indian Spices like Red Chilli (substitute with paprika or cayenne for heat), Turmeric, Garam Masala (or curry powder).
Best way to Clean / Blanch Cauliflower
The first step for cooking Aloo Gobi is to clean the Cauliflower.
Cauliflower like most cruciferous vegetables, is prone to tiny worms that are sometimes not visible to the naked eye.
Blanching or soaking the cauli florets in some hot water helps in getting rid of the worms.
Once the florets are blanched and drained, it is ready to cook. This step can be done a day earlier to save time. You can pat dry the florets and freeze them to use during the week.
How to Make Aloo Gobi
Blanching the cauliflower – Soak the cauliflower in hot water, cover and keep aside. Drain the water, pat dry and keep aside. (Steps 1 and 2)
Heat a pan, add oil and cumin seeds. (Step 3)
Sauté Sliced Onions (Step 4)
Add ginger and sliced tomatoes. (Steps 5 and 6)
Add Kashmiri red chilli powder and turmeric. (Step 7)
To prevent the masala from burning, add 1 – 2 tbsp water and sauté. (Step 8)
Adding the cauliflower florets, cover and cook for a couple of minutes. (Steps 9 and 10)
The cauliflower should not be mushy. It should hold its shape and remain crunchy. (Step 11)
Now add the boiled and cubed potatoes. Add salt to taste and garam masala powder (Steps 12 - 14)
Finish the dish with finely chopped green chilies (optional) and cilantro. (Step 15-16)
Variations
Green Peas or Matar – They add natural sweetness and color pop to the dish.
Paneer – Cubed paneer (lightly pan-fried) can be added. If using paneer, add it at the very end so that it doesn’t break and crumble.
Chickpeas – Some protein in the form of cooked chickpeas can also be added to the stir fry.
Serving Suggestions
Aloo Gobhi pairs well with Indian breads like Roti, Naan, Kulcha, Plain Paratha and Methi Thepla (during winters).
A family favorite combination is Aloo Gobi with Dal Makhani and Jeera Rice or Basmati Rice.
We also love it with simple Brown Lentil Curry and Vegetable Raita as a complete meal during weekends.
Storage / Leftovers
While the sabzi is best eaten fresh, it can also be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. In summers, potatoes tend to spoil quickly so we usually cook a small batch.
You can also freeze it. However, we rarely have leftovers OR usually end up using it within a day or two.
How to use Leftover Aloo Gobi
Aloo Gobi packs well in lunch boxes and can be turned into WRAPS with freshly made plain paratha, multigrain tortilla or chapati.
You can combine leftover aloo gobi with paneer, mash them and turn into fritters or patties that can double up as burger patty or as chaat with yogurt and chutney.
You can also mash and stuff them into parathas. The cauliflower can be a bit soggy which can be compensated with extra mashed potatoes or grated paneer for easy rolling.
Veggie Puffs – Use it as filling with store bought or home made puff pastry or filo pastry sheets.
Makes a great samosa filling (instead of the regular potato peas combo)
Can be tucked between two slices of bread and served as grilled sandwiches. Serve this with cilantro chutney and some ketchup as after school snack for kids.
Other Stir Fry | Sabzi | Side recipes to try
Aloo Methi (Fresh Fenugreek cooked with potatoes)
Kale Potato Sabzi (You can substitute Kale with Spinach or any seasonal Greens)
Cabbage Poriyal (South Indian Style Cabbage Stir Fry with Coconut)
Beetroot Thoran (Beet Stir Fry with Coconut)
This post was originally published on Feb 2, 2019. I have republished the post with fresh images, step-by-step instructions and few modifications to the recipe.
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Aloo Gobi Recipe | Potato Cauliflower Sabzi
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Jeera or Cumin Seeds
- 2 Onions medium size, sliced (approx 1 heaped cup)
- 1 tablespoon Ginger use ginger paste or coarsely crushed ginger
- 2 Tomatoes medium size, sliced (approx 3/4 cup)
- 1 tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder or Haldi Powder
- 1-2 tablespoon Water read notes below
- 2 cups Cauliflower Florets
- 1 cup Potatoes peeled, boiled and cubed
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- Salt to taste
Garnish
- Cilantro finely chopped
- 2 Green Chillies finely chopped (Optional)
1 cup is 250 ml, 1 tbsp is 15 ml and 1 tsp is 5 ml
Instructions
Prepping the Cauliflower
- Blanching the cauliflower – Soak the cauliflower in hot water for 10 minutes, cover and keep aside. Drain the water, rinse, pat dry using the kitchen towel and keep aside.
Instructions to Make Aloo Gobi
- Heat a pan, add oil and cumin seeds. Once roasted, add sliced onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the onions turn translucent.
- Now add crushed ginger or ginger paste. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the raw smell of ginger goes away.
- To this, add sliced tomatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes are mushy.
- Add Kashmiri red chili powder and turmeric.
- To prevent the onion tomato masala base from burning, add 1 – 2 tbsp water and sauté.
- Once the masala has cooked, add the cauliflower florets and mix.
- Cover and cook the cauliflower for a couple of minutes. The cauliflower should not be mushy. It should hold its shape and remain crunchy.
- Now add the boiled and cubed potatoes. Add salt to taste and garam masala powder.
- Mix well, cook on low heat for 5 minutes until the masala coats the cauliflower and potatoes
- Add finely chopped green chilies (optional) and cilantro. Switch off the heat and serve the curry with rice or roti.
Video
Notes
- I opt for 2:1 ratio. 2 cups of cauliflower for every cup of cooked potatoes. I am using pre-cooked or boiled potatoes that are peeled and cubed.
- Don't have pre-cooked potatoes - You can cook the peeled and cubed potatoes first with the onion and tomato base and once they are half done, add the cauliflower. Salt should be added at the very end.
- The recipe can be easily customized. If you like potatoes, use more of that. The taste remains unaffected. It will be just a curry with more potatoes instead of cauliflower. Hence, if you are a beginner with Indian Cooking, this is the perfect recipe to start with.
- Ginger is just coarsely crushed in a mortar and pestle. For this recipe, the flavor and aroma of ginger plays an important role. If you want to dial down the flavors, reduce the quantity by half or substitute with 2 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste.
- Spices – Red Chilli (substitute with paprika or cayenne for heat). Garam Masala can be substituted with curry powder.
- Salt should be added after the cauliflower has cooked else it will start leaving moisture and turn the potatoes soggy.
- Water is not added to cook cauliflower as we need it to be firm and have a bite. Cover and cook method helps in generating steam that softens the cauliflower without water. Ensure you keep sautéing the mixture often so that it doesn’t burn.
- Cauliflower should cook between 7-10 minutes especially if you are using fresh, seasonal and tender cauliflower.
- Cauliflower can be substituted with Broccoli, when in season. Follow the process of blanching or soaking them in hot water before cooking them in pan.
- You can garnish the dish with a tsp of kasuri methi (lightly crushed between your palms) instead of cilantro.
- While the sabzi is best eaten fresh, it can also be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. In summers, potatoes tend to spoil quickly so we usually cook a small batch.
- You can also freeze it. However, we rarely have leftovers OR usually end up using it within a day or two.
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We will be back again with yet another exciting recipe .. Until then, stay healthy and happy!
Vidya Narayan
This looks incredible!!
Thanks a ton!
Beautiful Pics and the recipe!
Thank you so much