Potatoes (aloo) and cauliflowers (gobi) make such delightful dishes together! When cooked or baked together, and only when together, they take hold of your tongue until you’ve stuffed yourself. Easy on your palette, aloo gobi or Indian-style potato and cauliflower lets the real heroes — the potatoes and the cauliflower shine through. You can eat it all through the day: for breakfast with chapatis or rotis, or for lunch or dinner as an accompaniment with rice and dal. However it is eaten, aloo gobi certainly delights: crispy bits of aromatic potatoes and cauliflower give way to softer and creamy insides.
Aloo gobi is a staple in most kitchens in North India, and I’m pretty sure the dish has fans in elsewhere in India and the world too. I’m certainly a fan, and I guarantee that you’ll be one too when you taste it! Aloo gobi is one of those dishes that is so common, and it varies slightly from region to region. This recipe is entirely my version; do let me know if you like it!
Let’s get our hands dirty — always wash cauliflower in salt water. Worms get into the many nooks and crannies and can only be flushed out with salt water. As for the potatoes — leaving the skin on is entirely up to you. I like them with their jackets on, so I just scrape off some especially muddy areas. I sautéed both vegetables before I seasoned the dish to enhance their flavour and to keep them firm. You can skip this step if you’re watching your intake of oil.
Aloo Gobi | Indian-Style Potato and Cauliflower
6 servings
Ingredients
- 400 gm potatoes, chopped to 2-cm pieces
- 400 gm cauliflower, chopped
- 3 tablespoons oil, divided
- 1 big onion, chopped
- 1 big tomato, chopped
- 3 green chillies, chopped, or 3/4-1 teaspoon red chilli powder.
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- A bunch of coriander sprigs, withe the leaves and stems (chopped) separated
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Sauté the potatoes pieces and cauliflower florets in 2 tablespoons of hot oil over a medium flame until it takes on a light brown hue. Take it our of the oil and set aside on a plate.
- In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil, and when it hot, add cumin and black cumin.
- When they splutter, add the onions and fry them until they turn light pink.
- Add the ginger and ginger garlic paste, chillies and asafoetida powder, and fry them until the raw smell of ginger disappears. (If you’re using red chilli powder, add it in with the turmeric powder.)
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and fry them for a minute.
- Then add the tomatoes and coriander stems. Fry for a further 2 minutes. Then add a cup of water.
- Add the sautéed potatoes and cauliflower, and salt to the the mix; mix them in.
- Close the pan with a lid and let it cook for 15 minutes. Monitor the water; add a dash of water if it dries up and the aloo gobi starts sticking to the pan. It is done when the potatoes give way with little resistance to a butter knife or spoon.
Serving: Let it rest for 20 minutes before you serve it. It will stay for up to two days in the fridge. Reheat only the potion you wish to eat.
Notes: You can use between 250 and 500 gm each potatoes and cauliflower, depending on your intake. I used 400 gm each as I made aloo gobi for two meals. Please adjust the rest of the ingredients accordingly.