Aloo Gobi is a popular North Indian dish made with potatoes, cauliflower, onions, herbs and spices. It can be prepared either as a dry sabzi or as a curry, with the curry version being especially popular in restaurants. This Aloo Gobi recipe features a rich, creamy restaurant-style gravy inspired by makhani sauce. The gravy is made with butter, onions, tomatoes, cashews, cream, herbs and spices for a smooth, flavorful curry.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 30 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Ingredients

  • 15 cashews (– whole)
  • ½ cup hot water (– for soaking cashews)
  • 2 tablespoons water (– for blending cashews)
  • 2 tablespoons oil (– any neutral flavored oil)
  • 1 tablespoons butter
  • ½ cup onions (– chopped)
  • 1 to 1¼ teaspoons ginger garlic paste (or 1 inch ginger and 3 to 4 medium garlic cloves crushed in a mortar-pestle)
  • 2 to 2½ cups tomatoes (– finely chopped)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder ((ground turmeric))
  • ½ teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder (or deghi mirch or ¼ teaspoon red chili powder or cayenne or ½ teaspoon paprika)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder ((ground coriander))
  • 2½ to 3 cups cauliflower florets (– chopped)
  • 2 to 2½ cups or 2 medium-sized potatoes (– diced)
  • 1½ to 2 cups water (or as needed)
  • salt (– according to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves ((kasuri methi), crushed)
  • ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala (or tandoori masala)
  • 2 tablespoons cream (– whipping or heavy cream or 3 tablespoons light cream or cooking cream)
  • 1 inch cinnamon stick
  • 1 tej patta ((Indian bay leaf))
  • 2 to 3 green cardamoms
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 1 black cardamom (– optional)
  • 1 single thin strand of mace (– optional)

Method

Preparation

  1. First soak the cashews in warm water for 30 minutes. Then drain the water and blend the cashews to a smooth paste with about 2 tablespoons of water in a small mixer-grinder or blender.
  2. Rinse and peel the potatoes and then dice them. Chop the onions and tomatoes finely.
  3. Rinse and chop the gobi/cauliflower into medium sized florets.
  4. Heat enough water with salt for the florets to be immersed in, on stove top or in the microwave. The water should boil.
  5. Once the water boils, turn off the heat.
  6. Add the rinsed florets and keep them immersed in the hot water for 15 to 20 mins. This is to to get rid of the insects or worms that might be in the cauliflower.
  7. Drain the water and rinse once again the cauliflower with fresh water.
  8. Note that the blanching of cauliflower is an optional step. Skip this step if you use a homegrown cauliflower or if the cauliflower does not have any insects or worms.

Make Onion Tomato Masala

  1. Heat the butter and oil in a pan and add all the whole spices listed above. Fry till the spices become fragrant.
  2. Next add the chopped onions and sauté until they become golden.
  3. Add the ginger-garlic paste. Stir and sauté till the raw aroma of the garlic-ginger disappears
  4. Add the finely chopped tomatoes and sauté till the tomatoes become soft and pulpy. This takes about 5 to 7 minutes on a low to medium heat.
  5. Add the prepared cashew paste and all the spice powders one by one - turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.
  6. Stir and sauté until you see fat releasing from the sides of the masala paste.
  7. The masala paste will start getting together and you will clearly see the fat leaving the sides. This process takes about 8 to 10 minutes on a low to medium heat.
  8. Keep stirring often so that the masala does not stick to the pan.

Make Aloo Gobi

  1. Add the cauliflower and the potatoes. Mix well. Then pour water and season with salt as required.
  2. Do add water as needed. Where we live, I get cauliflower which takes more time to cook. Hence I add more water. If the cauliflower takes less time to cook, then add less water.
  3. Cover and cook the curry till the veggies are done but not mushy or falling apart. Stir for a few times when the veggies are simmering.
  4. If the gravy (sauce) thickens too much then just add a few tablespoons of water and simmer for a couple of minutes.
  5. Lastly add the garam masala powder, crushed dry fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) and cream.
  6. Stir and simmer the curry for half a minute without the lid. You can garnish with chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves if you prefer.
  7. Serve the Aloo Gobi hot or warm dotted with cream or butter and sprinkled with a pinch of garam masala, accompanied with roti, naan or steamed basmati or cumin rice.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.