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This is the perfect vegan aloo gobi recipe. With no super-hard-to-find ingredients, and a short prep time from start to finish, it’s easy to see why this cauliflower sabji is one of the most well-known vegetarian dishes from India and Pakistan. My students and readers knew I spent years studying desi cooking methods in India, so I wasn’t shocked that people had been requesting this recipe for years. Now m’secrets are all yours!
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Aloo Gobi, literally “potato cauliflower” in Hindi, is one of the most universally loved recipes from the endlessly diverse canon of Indian food. Smash a big ol’ plate of it over vegan biryani with some toor dal tadka and onion bhaji, and if you aren’t already vegan, the yumminess of that lifestyle will start to make oodles of sense to you.
So, grab those spices and get ready to cook up some of the yummiest curried cauliflower you ever did eat!
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🥰Why you’ll adore this aloo gobi recipe
✊ Vegan AF & GF. Like all of the vegan Indian recipes I share, this cauliflower curry is made without a single animal-based ingredient. What’s that? You can’t stand gluten, and every time you see a field of majestic wheat blowing in the breeze, you raise your fists to the sky and scream into the heavens? Well, don’t fret m’darlin’. This just happens to be one of my super-yummy gluten-free vegan recipes too!
⏰ Fast One-Pot Meal: You can make this whole yummy thing in under 30 minutes without dirtying up more than a single pot.
✅ Tested and Approved Worldwide. Like all of the vegan recipes I share, after tweaking and perfecting it, I shared it with a massive team of recipe testers who replicated it successfully all around the world.
Curry in a Hurry - Vegan Indian Recipe Club! 🍲💌
This 6-day program is 100% FREE. Let me help you to master plant-based Indian cooking!
🌶️Aloo Gobi Ingredients & substitutions
Cumin Seeds
Cumin seeds (aka Jeera) bring a warm, earthy flavor to this cauliflower curry recipe. After trying countless varieties from all over India and Pakistan, the slender, super-otherworldly-fragrant wild mountain cumin seeds from Burlap & Barrel are easily my all-time favorite.
I use them in everything from my arbi recipe and toor dal tadka to tamarind chutney and even non-Indian cuisine items like harissa chickpeas and salsa verde. If you can’t find wild mountain cumin seeds, regular cumin seeds or a bit more than half the amount of ground cumin will work just fine.
Get my fave cumin seeds for free!
Using this link, add the wild mountain cumin to your cart, spend at least $15 on some of the other absurdly good spices from Burlap & Barrel (they all seriously slap) and the bottle of this bangin' wild mountain cumin becomes FREE, and you will love it so much.
Green Chili Peppers
The small, slender hari mirch chilies found at just about all Indian grocery stores are the traditional choice for green chilies in Northern Indian cooking. But don’t stress. If you can’t find them, some minced jalapeño (to taste) works just fine. Indian green chilies also make a fantastic condiment in cilantro mint chutney or my mirch ka achar recipe which you can serve with the finished dish.
Garam Masala
Garam masala is a blend of warming spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, adding depth and complexity to dishes like soya chaap sabji and vegan tikka masala. Another option is to use Madras curry powder. This slightly spicier yellow curry powder, with a less musky aroma than garam masala also makes some pretty killer cauliflower!
Dried Kasuri Methi (Optional)
No it’s not pronounced like that illicit drug… (the “h” in Hindi and sanskrit acts as an aspiration of the proceeding consonant). Anyway, dried fenugreek leaves add a heavenly-smelling, hard-to-quite-put-your-fingies-on vibe to this Indian curry. If you pick some up from an Indian grocery store and have leftovers, try using them in my chana masala recipe or my jackfruit sabji recipe next!
Amchur
Amchur, or dried mango powder, comes from green, unripe mangoes (aka “raw mango”) and is cherished for its tangy, fruity essence. It brings a pleasant sourness that nicely balances the sweetness of the tomatoes in this recipe. Amchur powder is also a key ingredient in the chaat masala used in shakarkandi ki chaat (a popular street food snack made from sweet potatoes), and the sorta secret ingredient that makes my vegan Alfredo sauce pop. If you don’t have amchur, you can substitute it with a mix of lemon zest and sumac for a similar taste.
Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
Kashmiri chili powder is the super-bright red, mild spice that gives many Indian dishes their authentic color and flavor. It’s essential in aloo tikki chaat, masala makhana, and my seitan chicken based vegan butter chicken. If you can’t find it, a mix of sweet paprika with a little bit of cayenne pepper will do the trick to replace it in this recipe.
*See the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact quantities, nutritional info, and detailed cooking directions.
🤯Variations
Dry Aloo Gobi: Sookhi Aloo Gobi
You can completely skip the tomato puree and cook the potatoes and cauliflower with a wee bit more oil until they're crisp and golden, then just add a tiny bit of tomato paste in at the end. This dry variation is often served as a side dish in Northern households alongside Punjabi classics like bhindi dry, and turai sabji.
Aloo Matar Gobi
Mix a generous handful of fresh or frozen peas, a pinch of coriander powder, and a cinnamon stick into the dish introduces a subtle sweetness that balances the earthiness of the potatoes and cauliflower. Aloo Gobi Matar is especially popular during the winter months when peas are in season, making the dish more nutritious to serve over daliya or nasi kunyit.
Harissa Cauliflower
Roasted with homemade harissa sauce, and drizzled with tarator, harissa cauliflower has more of a Middle Eastern vibe, but it's stupid-yummy and schockingly easy to make.
📖 How to make Aloo Gobi
Make this potato cauliflower curry wayyyy better than most Indian restaurants on your first shot by following these step-by-step photos with helpful tips! Or scroll down to the bottom of this page for the easy-to-print recipe card.
Step One
Mr. Potatohead Goes to the Spa:
Steam or boil the diced potatoes until they are just tender, about ten to twelve minutes. Drain and set them aside for later.
✅ Russet or Yukon gold potatoes both work fine for this. Either way, make sure once peeled and cut you have about 2 ½ cups worth of 'em.
Step Two
Spice, Spice Baby:
Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan or medium-sized non-reactive Dutch oven. After 90 seconds, when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, and let them sizzle and pop for a few seconds until fragrant.
Step Three
Murder on the Dance Floret:
Add the cauliflower pieces and diced onion to the pan. Stir well and sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium-high heat until the onions are softened and the cauliflower starts to tenderize and become lightly golden.
Step Four
Spice Girls:
Reduce the heat to medium, then stir in the minced fresh garlic, grated ginger, green chilies, garam masala, dried kasuri methi (if using), turmeric powder, amchur, and Kashmiri chili powder. Cook for 2-3 more minutes, allowing the spices to bloom and thoroughly coat the vegetables.
✅ To reduce prep time, and for convenience, you can use store-bought ginger garlic paste instead of mincing the stuff up fresh.
Step Five
Ground Control Tomato Tom:
Add the chopped cilantro, tomato puree, cooked potatoes, and salt to the pan, stirring everything together. Cook over medium-low heat for another 4-6 minutes until the cauliflower is fully tender, but not mushy and overcooked.
Step Six
Protect and Serve:
Transfer the aloo gobi into an attractive serving dish, or portion it into bowls over rice. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves, strips of green chili, and finely minced red onion if desired. A little sprinkle of fine sev noodles (like what you would use for chaats like aloo papri chaat, or bhel puri) are nice on top too.
💡How to serve aloo gobi:
Looking to switch things up from boring ol’ white rice? Try serving this over steamed vegan biryani, Indonesian coconut rice, or nasi maniyak.
I am OBSESSED with Indian pickles. So for sure I’d recommend you serve this with one of my faves: either mango pickle, gajar achar, or this easy amla pickle recipe.
Sccop it all up with some parotta or Amritsar kulcha, why dontcha?
👉Top tips
- Cut Uniformly or Die Tryin’: Keep your potatoes and cauliflower florets in similar sizes so they cook evenly. Also, remember when initially boiling or steaming the potatoes, that they will cook a little longer when added to the cauliflower, so don’t boil them for long enough that their corners start to deteriorate and they become waterlogged.
- Tomato Hack: I make this with canned tomato puree (sometimes labeled as “tomato sauce”). If you can, try to get an unsalted one, but for sure avoid any that have basil or other ingredients that would be weird in this recipe. If you use salted tomato puree, you may want to cut back slightly on the salt in the recipe.
- Don’t Use the World’s Thinnest Pan: This sabji is easiest to cook in a nice, thick bottomed Dutch oven. If your pan is thin, the sugars in the tomato may caramelize quickly and burn to the bottom of the pot. If you only have a thin pot, be sure to constantly stir with a sharp metal mixing spoon to prevent build up, or deglaze the pan with a little water or a squeeze of lime juice as needed.
🤷♀️ Recipe FAQs
Your aloo gobi might be watery if you used too much tomato (I mean really- just follow my recipe), overcooked your potatoes, didn’t thoroughly drain the potatoes, or didn’t cook off enough liquid once everything was combined.
Yes, you can make 100% aloo gobi without tomatoes. Substitute with a splash of lemon juice or additional amchur (dried mango powder), because the acidity of tomatoes is partially what makes this recipe’s flavor pop.
🧊 Refrigeration:
Store aloo gobi in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure it is completely cooled before sealing to avoid excess moisture.
🔥 Stovetop Reheating:
To reheat aloo gobi on the stovetop, place it in a pan over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until heated through, which should take about five to seven minutes. If it seems dry, add a splash of water or vegetable broth.
⚡️ Microwave Reheating:
For a quick microwave reheat, transfer aloo gobi to a microwave-safe dish and cover it loosely. Heat on high for two to three minutes, stirring halfway through, until it is hot throughout.
🤏 Garnish for Sure:
When reheating leftovers, it’s always a good idea to add fresh herbs or a little something extra to bring it back to life. Don’t skip this, because it makes a pretty big difference, at least in my opinion. For sure make a fresh batch of basmati rice to serve it over.
✌️My faves to serve alongside aloo gobi:
Learn to make your fave pure veg. Punjabi classics in a super-fun recorded cooking class with Chef Adam Sobel!
Aloo Gobi Recipe (Indian Cauliflower Potato Curry)
Ingredients
- 2 medium-sized russet potatoes peeled and 2 cm. diced (2 ½ cups cut)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil vegetable oil, or sunflower oil
- 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 large cauliflower cut into bite size pieces (4 cups cut)
- 1 cup onion diced
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger grated
- 2 green chilies hari mirch, minced
- 1 teaspoon garam masala or Madras curry powder
- 1 teaspoon dried kasuri methi optional
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon amchur
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
To garnish (optional):
- Fresh cilantro leaves
- Strips of green chili
- Finely minced red onion
Instructions
- Steam or boil the diced potatoes until just tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in large sauté pan, or medium size, non-reactive Dutch oven. After 90 seconds when the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds, allowing them to sizzle and pop for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower florets and diced onion. Stir well and cook for five to seven minutes until the onions are softened and the cauliflower begins to tenderize and become lightly golden all around.
- Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the minced garlic, grated ginger, green chilies, garam masala, dried kasuri methi (if using), turmeric, amchur, and Kashmiri red chili powder. Cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the spices to bloom and coat the vegetables.
- Add the chopped cilantro, tomato puree, cooked potatoes and salt to the pan, stirring to combine. Cook over medium-low heat for another 4-6 minutes until the cauliflower is fully tender.
- Transfer the aloo gobi into an attractive serving dish, or portion into bowls over rice. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves, strips of green chili, and finely minced red onion if desired. Serve hot.
Notes
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Meg says
Yep. Another fab recipe. Thank you. I “dislike “ ( aka really feel yukster about) cauliflower so I subbed broccolini (stalks n all). Worked great.
Marna says
Its weird...when you see a recipe that has ingredients that aren't your typical everyday (in my case, American) ingredients you have a tendency to make it more difficult than it is in your mind. Well, at least I do anyway. But I made this as written and now I wonder... what was I worried about? With everything "Mise en place"...it was simple and came together in no time....and was FANTASTIC. Everyone loved it....make it!
Dietmar Stork says
I made this as part of Veganuary. It’s a super easy recipe, done pretty quickly and extremely tasty. We added vegan raita and millet (instead of rice), and were very happy
Paige Davis says
I made this the other night and even though I was tired from moving to a new house and didn't know where all my kitchen stuff was, I followed Adam's directions carefully and was very pleasantly surprised by how delicious the end result was. My fiance raved about how flavorful it was and wants me to make it again. Such a relief to know how reliable Chef Adam's recipes are, and how authentic.
Terez says
This recipe was delicious and tasted as good as the Aloo Gobi I get at a restaurant!...(or better). I did not have amchur, but used a little lemon juice and tamarind powder.
Marianne Moore says
I ordered the amchur from Amazon. The recipe turned out great! Shared it with my neighbor who is vegetarian and she liked it also. Will definitely make this again especially since I have amchur now. The recipe made a lot so I have a weeks worth of food plus all I shared with my neighbor