Aloo Gobi is a vegan and gluten-free dish that is an eternal favorite at all Indian restaurants across the globe. Learn how to make this Punjabi-style cauliflower and potato curry in less than 30 minutes using an Instant Pot or over the stovetop.
Set the Instant Pot to 'Sauté' mode and adjust the setting to ’Normal'. When the display reads 'Hot', add oil.
When the oil turns hot, add cumin seeds along with asafoetida.
When the cumin seeds start to splutter, add chopped onions along with minced ginger and garlic. Sauté till the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes).
Add the potatoes and mix them well with the onions. Let them cook for about it 2-3 minutes.
Add the spice powders - chili, turmeric, coriander and cumin powder, garam masala, and salt along with tomatoes and mix them well.
Cook for about 2-3 minutes till the potatoes are almost halfway cooked.
Pour about 1/2 cup water and stir it in. Deglaze the pot - i.e make sure nothing is stuck to the base of the pot.
Place the cauliflower florets on top of the gravy. Do not mix it in, if you like cauliflower to have a crunch. If you like it slightly soft, mix it in.
Cover the Instant Pot lid. Set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook on high for 2 minutes.
When the cooking cycle is complete, release pressure immediately by moving the valve to the venting position.
Open the lid. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro.
Serve hot with rotis or naan.
Notes
Potatoes like Yukon gold or Russett potatoes are best for this recipe since they cook quickly. Stovetop Instructions -
Use a wok and keep it over medium heat.
Follow the steps from 2-5 above.
Instead of pressure cooking, cook the potatoes covered and over medium heat for 10 minutes.
Add caluliflower florets and stir them in. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Add either lemon juice or dry mango powder and mix well. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.
Tips for great tasting aloo gobhi -
The larger size of the chopped cauliflower florets, the lesser chance that it will turn into mush.
Fresh vs frozen cauliflower - When you use fresh cauliflower, you can choose to chop them in large chunks compared to the pre-cut frozen one.
Also, the frozen ones tend to lose water more than the fresh ones.
Variations Some of the most popular variations are:
Aloo gobi masalarestaurant style where both the potatoes and cauliflower are deep-fried before adding them to an onion-tomato-cashew gravy just like this Paneer Makhani curry.
Dry Aloo gobi version in which potatoes and cauliflower cooked with very little to no water. The potatoes are stir-fried in a tempering of jeera until it is cooked halfway through. Spice powders are then added to the potatoes and mixed well. Cauliflower is then finally added to the wok and cooked covered until it is al dente.
Aloo gobi matar - Throw in some peas along with the potatoes and then add cauliflower.