Aloo Gobi is a delicious vegetarian side-dish in northern-Indian cuisine, in which potato (aloo) and cauliflower (Gobi) are cooked with aromatics and seasoned with mild Indian spices. Make this vegan and gluten-free Punjabi delicacy in your Instant Pot or skillet in under 30 minutes.
30-Minute Vegan & Gluten-Free Side-dish
Like many Indian vegetarian side dishes, Aloo Gobi is naturally vegan and gluten-free as well. Growing up, my mother used to make it once a week for sure. Its popularity can be judged by the fact that most Indian restaurants featuring north Indian cuisine have it on their menu.
In this simple recipe, I saute cauliflower florets and cubed potato with onion, ginger and garlic, then lightly seasoned it with mild Indian spices like, coriander and cumin. A garnish of freshly chopped cilantro adds the perfect splash of color and balance to this dish.
The best part is that whichever cooking method I use, Instant Pot or stovetop, this flavorful Aloo Gobi is ready to be served in a little less than 30 minutes!
Check out these Top 10 Instant Pot Indian Vegetarian Recipes
How to Cook Aloo Gobi Masala on the Stove
- Heat a heavy bottom stir-fry pan, or a deep skillet on medium-high heat for about 30-40 seconds.
- Add oil and cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds begin to splutter, add onions, green chilies, and potato cubes, saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add chopped ginger and garlic and saute for another minute. Add chopped tomato, salt and all the spices. Saute for 2 minutes, until the tomatoes get soft and break down.
- Then add cauliflower and toss till all florets get coated with the masala.
- Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a tight lid and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring once in between. Open the lid and check if the potatoes are cooked by inserting a knife. If it goes in without resistance, the potatoes are cooked. If not, cover and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Open the lid and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, till all the liquid has evaporated. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.
Note About Cooking Vegetables in Instant Pot
In the recipe video, I cooked this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot. It took me sometime to figure out the right time to cook dry side dishes in it though.
Due to the steam cooking style, I liked how evenly cooked the veggies were, but wasn't a fan of the mushy texture. After a few batches of experimenting, I figured that for most vegetables 0 minutes was my magic number, followed by a quick release of pressure.
What does ‘0’ Minutes Pressure Cook Time Mean
What this zero minutes cook time does is essentially steam the vegetables (or anything), in the time it takes to build pressure. This works great for steaming vegetables, or cooking thin filets of fish, without over-cooking them.
To learn more about the instant pot, check out my Instant Pot FAQs blog post.
Aloo Gobi Recipe in an Instant Pot
Here are the easy-to-follow step by step instructions for Aloo Gobi recipe in an Instant Pot. This recipe should work with most comparable electric pressure cookers, including Mealthy Multipot.
Step 1: Saute (Picture 1)
- Heat Instant Pot on Saute till it displays 'Hot'. Add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle. Add onions, green chilies and potatoes. Saute for 1 minute.
- Add chopped ginger-garlic and saute for another minute. Add chopped tomato, salt and all spices. Saute for 2 minutes.
Step 2: Pressure Cook (Picture 2)
- Add cauliflower florets and gently stir. If the cauliflower and tomatoes haven't released liquid yet, add ½ cup of water. Cancel SAUTE. Set valve to Sealing position. Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 0 minutes. After cooking time is done, manually release pressure (QR).
- Open lid after the pressure pin drops. If there is any liquid at the bottom, you can turn on SAUTE for a couple of minutes to dry that up. Do not stir the cauliflower during this time as it will break.
- Turn off SAUTE. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm!
Recipe Tips for this Indian Cauliflower Recipe
- For a low-carb or keto version of this recipe, skip the potatoes and add another cup of cauliflower to the recipe.
- This recipe doesn't call for extra water since the cauliflower and tomatoes release water while cooking. But if you are using an 8 qt, you can add ¼-1/2 cup water to this recipe. After pressure cooking, dry the excess liquid on saute mode.
- Between the methods of cooking, I prefer the stovetop method as I don't have to add any additional water and can cook this in a stir-fry style, which is a more authentic style of making Punjabi Aloo Gobi. Also, the cauliflower florets retain their shape better in this method.
Another great Indian Cauliflower Recipe from my kitchen: Masala Cauliflower Rice.
Make a Meal: What to Pair with Aloo Gobi
Since Aloo Gobi doesn't have any protein, I love to pair it with any protein based Indian entree, and a grain, like rice, roti or naan. Here are some of my favorite combinations:
- Rajma Masala (Kidney Beans Curry)
- No Cream Chicken Tikka Masala
- Paneer Makhani (Butter Paneer)
- Goat Curry
- Cumin Rice
- Spinach Rice
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Aloo Gobi - Instant Pot | Stove (Indian Cauliflower and Potatoes)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee or olive oil for vegan
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ cup onion sliced (half of 1 medium onion)
- 2 green chilies or 2 jalapeños, de-seeded for milder flavor
- 2 cups gold potatoes sliced or cubed (red potatoes work too)
- 4 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)
- 1 teaspoon garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger finely chopped
- 1 cup tomato chopped, about 2 small tomatoes
- ½ cup water use as needed (only for Instant Pot)
Spices
- ¾ teaspoon salt (or 1 tsp, adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (or substitute 1 tsp paprika + ¼-½ tsp cayenne)
- 2 teaspoons coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon roasted cumin powder (can use regular ground cumin)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
Garnish
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Heat Instant Pot on Saute till it displays 'Hot'. Add cumin seeds and wait for them to sizzle. Add onions, green chilies and potatoes. Saute for 1 minute. Add chopped ginger-garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add chopped tomato, salt and all spices. Saute for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and gently stir. Press "Cancel SAUTE". Set valve to Sealing position.
- Cook on Manual/Pressure Cook for 0 minutes. After cooking time is done, manually release pressure (QR).
- Open lid after the pressure pin drops. If there is any liquid at the bottom, you can turn on SAUTE for a couple of minutes to dry that up. Do not stir the cauliflower during this time as it will break.
- Turn SAUTE off. Garnish with cilantro and serve warm with rice, roti or naan!
Stove top recipe
- Heat a heavy bottom stir-fry pan, or a deep skillet on medium-high heat for about 30-40 seconds. Add oil and cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds begin to splutter, add onions, green chilies, and potato cubes, saute for 3-4 minutes.
- Add chopped ginger and garlic and saute for another minute. Add chopped tomato, salt and all the spices. Saute for 2 minutes, until the tomatoes get soft and break down.
- Then add cauliflower and toss till all florets get coated with the masala. Reduce the heat to medium, cover with a tight lid and cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring once in between.
- Open the lid and check if the potatoes are cooked by inserting a knife. If it goes in without resistance, the potatoes are cooked. If not, cover and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Open the lid and increase the heat to medium-high. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, till all the liquid has evaporated. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- In the recipe card, cook time= pressure cooking time.
- For a low-carb or keto version of this recipe, skip the potatoes and add another cup of cauliflower to the recipe.
- This recipe doesn't call for extra water since the cauliflower and tomatoes release water while cooking. But if you are using an 8 qt, you can add ¼-1/2 cup water to this recipe. After pressure cooking, dry the excess liquid on saute mode.
- This recipe has been tested in a 3qt and 6qt pressure cooker, and non-stick skillet.
- Between the methods of cooking, I prefer the stovetop method as I don’t have to add any additional water and can cook this in a stir-fry style, which is a more authentic style of making Punjabi Aloo Gobi. Also, the cauliflower florets retain their shape better in this method.
Nutrition
This recipe was updated in 2019 with new photos, helpful information, tips, and step-by-step photos.
