Aloo Gobi Recipe
By Swasthi on March 2, 2022, Comments, Jump to Recipe
Make the best Aloo Gobi that’s simply delicious, flavor packed & healthy! There is nothing more comforting for an Indian soul than a bowl of fresh cooked sabzi (veggies) served with some hot rice, puffed rotis & Dal Tadka. Aloo gobi is pure comfort food if you love the magical Indian flavors. Made with pantry staples, this aloo gobi is surely going to win your heart for its simplicity & delicious flavors.

About Aloo Gobi
Aloo gobi is a simple vegetarian dish made with potatoes, cauliflower, spices and herbs. The dish gets its name from the Hindi words, – Aloo means potatoes and gobi means Cauliflower. It is a popular everyday dish from the Indian sub-continent and is made in numerous ways.
In fact every family & restaurant has their own recipe. So you will find dry, semi dry and curried versions (gravy) of this dish. Surprisingly aloo gobi in each standard restaurant tastes so much different & unique from the other.
My Recipe
My family is a huge fan of this dish and they love it always. In this post I share 2 versions of the dish – semi dry and gravy. The semi dry version is made by simply stir frying the ingredients.
Aloo & gobi are a match made in the heaven! Stir frying them with spices and herbs, not only brings out the natural earthy flavor of potatoes and nutty aroma of cauliflower but also help them soak up the flavors of the spices.
This potato & cauliflower dish goes well as a side with roti, rice, Plain Paratha or with flavored rice like Jeera Rice and Ghee Rice. For a restaurant kind meal, serve the gravy with Butter Naan.
What is special about cooking aloo gobi?
All the ingredients used to make Indian sabzis (curries) are used here as well but the cooking process in not the same. Aloo and gobi both have different cook times so adding them to the pan at different stages is crucial.
A perfectly made aloo gobi has soft cooked potatoes & slightly crunchy cauliflower that’s not soggy.
In a lot of standard Indian restaurants, both these veggies are mostly deep fried until golden and crisp. A spicy onion tomato masala is made and then the fried veggies are stir fried with it. Deep frying process makes a huge difference as the veggies cook down to a lighter texture and bring out the natural flavour.
My homemade aloo gobi stir fry (Recipe 1) is healthy, easy to make as it is a one pan dish and tastes delicious too. It also goes well in the school and office lunch boxes. I mostly make the restaurant style gravy version on the weekends or occasions, to go with our favorite jeera rice and butter naan.
This is how my homestyle gravy looks like but a lot more healthier than the restaurant version. For the recipe scroll down where I show the process with the step by step pictures.

More Cauliflower Recipes
Gobi Manchurian
Gobi 65
Cauliflower Curry
Cauliflower Pakoda
How to Make Aloo Gobi (Stepwise photos)
Recipe 1
For the preparation steps please follow the recipe card.
1.Pour 2 tablespoons oil to a heavy bottom pan and heat it. Add cumin seeds. When they begin to crackle, add 1 tablespoon ginger garlic. Saute just for 30 seconds.

2.Then add 1 finely chopped onion & 1 chopped green chili. Fry them until onions turn transparent.

3. Drain the potatoes from water and add them. Fry for 2 to 3 mins.

4. Next cover and cook until they are half done. If the potatoes dry out, then sprinkle little water and cook.

5. When the potatoes are half cooked, add cauliflower and stir fry for 3 mins. Then add
- ¾ to 1¼ teaspoon red chili powder
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon garam masala (adjust as needed)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon Roasted Cumin Powder (Updated)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric

6. Mix all of them well. Sprinkle some water (about 2 to 3 tablespoons) all over or across the sides of the pan. This prevents the dish from becoming dry. Cook covered, stirring after every few minutes, until both potatoes and cauliflower are almost tender. Sprinkle salt and mix. Cover and cook again until potatoes are soft & fully cooked. The cauliflower should remain slightly crunchy.

7. Add 1 chopped tomato (or 1 to 2 tbsp tomato paste) (optional). Crush 1 tablespoon kasuri methi in your palms and sprinkle it here. Stir fry on a medium high heat until the tomato blends well with the aloo gobi masala. The raw flavor of the tomatoes should vanish. This just takes 2 to 3 mins. At this stage taste test and add more salt and ground spice spices if needed.

8. Sprinkle ½ to 1 teaspoon Amchur (optional) if using. Garnish aloo gobi with coriander leaves and serve hot with rice or roti. You can sprinkle lemon juice if you love the tang.

Serve Aloo gobi with roti, rice or paratha.

Pro Tips
- Always sauté & cook potatoes until half done before adding the cauliflower. Potatoes take longer to cook than cauliflower so avoid adding them together to the pan.
- Do not add salt till the potatoes are almost done. Adding salt will prevent them from cooking well since there is no water used.
- The latter part of cooking has to be done on a low flame which helps the veggies to release some moisture and cook well without burning.
- If using tomatoes do not add them until the potatoes are soft cooked. The acidity in tomatoes will prevent the aloo from cooking well.
More Potato recipes
Aloo matar
Punjabi Dum aloo
Jeera aloo
Quick aloo methi
Variations
- This can be made without onion, tomatoes, garlic & even green chili. I do make this baby version for my young boys as they are fussy to eat it with all of those ingredients.
- My recipe shared here has all of the above ingredients and makes the best aloo gobi. However leaving out onion or tomatoes is just okay and the dish still turns out good. Leaving out both makes the dish very dry so use more oil.
- For a quicker version, just toss potatoes and cauliflower in spice powders along with little oil. Then grill them one after the other in a oven or air fryer. Make the onion tomato masala and then add the grilled potatoes and cauliflower to the masala.
Recipe 2 – Aloo gobi masala (Restaurant style)
In restaurants, aloo and gobi is first deep fried to quicken the process and make the dish more delicious. For healthy home style, I have steamed them. You can also air fry or grill them in the oven.

Ingredients
¾ cup potato (¾ by ¾ inch cubed )
1 ½ cup cauliflower (150 grams)
2 tbsps oil
½ tsp cumin or jeera
1 cup onion cubed
1 green chili slit
1/8 tsp turmeric
¾ cup tomatoes cubed
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
8 cashews or 2 to 3 tbsps cream
1 ¼ tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
¾ to 1 tsp red chili powder
Salt as needed
1 tsp kasuri methi or dried fenugreek leaves
How to make Aloo gobi Masala (Stepwise photos)
1. Dice onions and add them to a small pot with water. Boil them for 3 to 4 mins. Cool completely and make a fine paste without adding water. Set aside. Puree tomatoes with cashews until smooth. Set aside.

2.You can steam the potatoes and cauliflower or shallow fry them in oil until crisp & golden. If steaming I steam the potatoes until half done, then add cauliflower. Continue to steam till al dente. Alternately you may also air fry them & use.
3. Heat oil in a pan and crackle some cumin. You can also use 2 green cardamoms and 1 small bay leaf. Add ginger garlic paste and fry on a low heat until it smells good, for a minute or so.

4. Next add the onion paste. Saute until it turns lightly golden. Add the tomato cashew paste. Saute until the raw smell of tomatoes and onions has completely vanished.
5.Add chilli, garam masala, coriander powder, red chili powder & salt. Saute until the masala begins to leave the sides of the pan.
6. Pour hot water and stir to make a runny gravy. Start with 1 cup hot water and add more as required. Cover and cook until the gravy thickens a bit, ideally until you see traces of oil on top. If you want you may add more water.
7. Add cauliflower and potatoes. Stir and cook covered until the aloo gobi is cooked. Add crushed kasuri methi & chopped coriander leaves. Cover and set aside. Serve hot with Butter naan.

Related Recipes
Recipe Card

Aloo Gobi Recipe
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 2 medium potatoes (1 heaped cup cubed)
- 2 cups cauliflower florets (gobi) (180 grams)
- 1 medium onion (¾ cup chopped finely)
- 1 medium tomato (½ cup finely chopped) or 1 to 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic minced or paste
- 1 green chili slit or chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped finely
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- lemon juice to serve (optional)
Spices
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¾ to 1¼ teaspoon red chili powder (adjust to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 to 1½ teaspoon garam masala (adjust to taste)
- ¾ to 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ to ¾ teaspoon roasted cumin powder (jeera powder) (updated)
- 1 tablespoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) (skip if you don't have)
- ½ to 1 teaspoon amchur (Optional, Dried mango powder)
Instructions
Preparation
- Chop cauliflower florets to 1½ inch in size. Add them to slightly hot water and set aside 3 to 4 mins.
- Drain the water and rinse them well. Drain them completely.
- Cube potatoes to ¾ by ¾ inch. You can also slice them to ¾ inch. Keep them immersed in a bowl of water until used. Keeping them in water helps the potatoes to cook faster as they soak up some moisture.
- Mince ginger and garlic. Keep this aside.
How to Make Aloo Gobi
- Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When they sizzle, add ginger garlic & saute for 30 seconds.
- Then add the onions & stir fry until transparent.
- Add the potatoes and green chilli. Stir fry for 2 to 3 mins. Cover and cook on a low to medium heat until they are half done.
- Keep stirring in between and cook covered. They are slightly tender at this stage but still under cooked.
- Then add the cauliflower & stir fry for about 3 mins.
- Add red chilli powder, turmeric, roasted cumin powder, garam masala and coriander powder.
- Mix well. Update: Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons water all over the aloo gobi or across the sides of the pan & mix well. This step helps keep the aloo gobi moist without drying out.
- Cook covered, stirring every few minutes, until both aloo & gobi are almost fork tender. Add salt and continue to cook covered on a low flame until the potatoes are soft & fully cooked.
- The veggies will release moisture at this stage and cook quickly. So keep an eye not to over cook gobi at this stage. It must remain slightly crunchy yet cooked.
- Next add the tomatoes and kasuri methi. Fry on a medium to high flame until the raw smell of tomatoes goes away.
- If needed add little oil at this stage. It takes about 2 to 4 mins for the raw smell of tomatoes to go away.
- Sprinkle amchur if using. Finally garnish aloo gobi with coriander leaves. Sprinkle some lemon juice if you want. Serve with rice, roti or any bread.
Notes
- I have updated the recipe to prevent the aloo gobi drying out. Simply sprinkle some water as you cook.
- This recipe has been updated to make it more flavorsome.
- A heavy bottom pan with a lid works well for this dish.
- You can also grill the potatoes and cauliflower in a oven or air fryer. Then add them to the prepared onion tomato masala.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
© Swasthi’s Recipes
Aloo Gobi Recipe first published in May 2016. Updated in March 2022.

About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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NICE RECIPE,DELICIOUSLY INVIGORATING
Tried this today. Turned out to be really yummy. Thanks for the recipe.
So glad it turned out good. Thank you so much Bindu
This is by far one of the best Indian recipes I have made. Thank you
Glad you like it Amelia. thank you
Fabulous. It is the first time I have boiled and blended onion, what a wonderful flavour. Like Lola I kept the peel on the potatoes, I think this adds to the flavour. I made makhani dal at the same following your recipe. Thank you so much for generously sharing your knowledge. One question, I grow fenugreek as a green manure crop along with alfalfa and clover. What colour are the fenugreek flowers? I was confused between the three.
Thank you Josephine. Glad you like them. There are different kinds of fenugreek. Indian fenugreek has white flowers. Hope this helps
Wow! Delicious! This one is going into my permanent rotation. The only thing I did differently is I have a broken wrist so I wasn’t able to peel the potatoes so I left the peel on. But man it was still delicious.
So glad to know Lola. Thank you so much for sharing back. Wishing you a speedy recovery!!!
I made this both ways. Dry is better than gravy for preference but each recipe is excellence. Just like moms. LOVE IT.
Thank you so much Nisha. Glad you like them.
I’m unable to print the aloo gobi recipe. Hitting the print button just reloads the page. Was able to print the tikka masala recipe but not this one. Help.
Daria, It’s working for me. Try using a different browser. If that doesn’t help try after sometime.
I made both versions of this recipe and they were incredible! I loved them both but the restaurant style was exactly what I was hoping for! The only recipe I’ve ever had to comment on because i loved it so much! Truly incredible
Thank you so much Lane. So glad to know you like it.
I recently made this recipe without onions and garlic and it was still delicious. I added a pinch of hing to the oil, but I don’t know if this made a difference. Is it recommended to add hing where onions and garlic have been omitted?
Thanks
Glad the dish turned out delicious. I too make this dish a lot of times without onion and garlic because one of my kids don’t like them. I don’t use hing but just use more ginger (sliced) & kasuri methi for dominant flavors. I have never felt hing makes a difference except for dal or similar dishes where we do a tadka (tempering), especially at the end. I have tried using hing as a substitute for garlic in a lot of recipes but never felt it made a difference.
I came across this recipe looking to make this dish for the first time, and it was so delicious! I’m making it for friends again tonight.
I had to use frozen cauliflower because the grocery store was out of fresh, and I’m going to add it a little bit later in the process this time, as it was already softer when I first put it in, and I want there to be a bit more crunch this time.
Hi Dan, Yes you can add the frozen gobi later to avoid being too soft. Thanks for sharing with us how you made it. Surely that is going to help others.
Recipe is too good and easy to follow. The curry came out really yummy. Just now tried it. Thanks for the recipe
Glad your aloo gobi turned out good. Thank you!
Delicious recipe and surprisingly easy! Thank you for your delightful recipe and versions! I made the dryer recipe but keeping the other variation for next time!
Glad you like it Rebecca. Thank you so much!
How long does it keep in fridge or can it be frozen?
You can keep it in the fridge for 2 days.
Best recipe even quadrupled for a large group August 2022.
Thank you
This my favorite aloo gobi recipe. My husband loves this and wants to eat it every week. Thank you!
Glad to know Rachel. Thank you
I followed this recipe carefully to the letter. It was a bit of a disappointment. There just wasn’t much flavor, compared to Aloo Gobi I’ve had in the past.
It didn’t seem like the tomato or fenugreek added anything. It also seemed too dry (I kept the Gobi in warm water, and the Aloo in cold, which I strained.
What did I miss? My spices are fairly fresh.
Hi John,
The flavor comes from the use of good garam masala. Please use a aromatic garam masala. If the dish is too dry, feel free to add a splash of water or some more oil. You can also add more tomatoes and fenugreek if you prefer. Hope this helps
tomatoe adds tons of acidity what do you mean? i pick mine out though for digestive reasons
When I made it it was good, but a bit dry and less flavourful than you might find in the shop. I recommend you try the aloo gobi masala recipe also on this page, it has become one of my go-to’s.
Thanks Drew. I updated the recipe a while ago to make this aloo gobi more flavorful and to prevent from drying out.
This recipe is absolutely fantastic. I love Gobi and I’ve tried a lot of aloo gobi recipes available on the internet, and from famous cooks too and this one is hands-down the best. It was a super hit with the adults and kids alike . My search for the perfect aloo gobi recipe ends here.
Hello Sowmya,
So happy to know you like it. Thank you so much for letting me know how it turned out.
🙂
Hi Swasthi,
The dish turned out to be super tasty. Was a bit dry in the end. Thank you.
Hi Praveen
Thanks for trying. Splash 2 to 3 tbsps of water across the sides of the kadai just before you finish the dish. Don’t pour on the aloo gobi. The water goes right down to the bottom of the kadai and creates steam. This will prevent dryness. But make sure the water evaporates before you turn off the heat. Thanks again
Swasthi, cooked this with my son this afternoon. Really lovely balance. Thank you again.
I noticed one of the comments about chickpeas and cauliflower. Might try that at some stage too. Maybe a cup of cooked chick peas?
Yes Sandy,
Try adding a cup of chickpeas. The second recipe turns out best if you love more sauce
What is “ginger garlic”? In my kitchen I have ginger and I hve garlic, but no ginger garlic.
Hi,
Yes it is the same – Ginger and garlic together. You can use fine chopped/ minced or paste
Yum! I added lemon juice at the end to freshen up the whole dish. Next time I will cook for longer once everything is incorporated approx 20 mins as cauli and potato still had slight crunch/resistance.
Glad to know Victoria.
Make this a few times and you will know exactly how to adjust the cook time.