Punjabi Aloo Gobi Recipe (Potato and Cauliflower Curry)

Aloo Gobi is a popular Indian dish made with potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi) cooked with onion, tomatoes, and aromatic spices. This easy spiced potatoes and cauliflower curry is comforting, flavorful, and vegan. It makes a perfect weeknight meal and can be served as a main course or side dish with Roti, chapati, or rice.

I am sharing how to make a Punjabi Aloo Gobi recipe that turns out delicious without being mushy.

Aloo Gobi sabji is one of those vegetables that we make every other week and pair with roti or paratha for that comforting meal. It is a healthy, nutritious, and soul-satisfying dish that the entire family enjoys!!

I'm so excited to share this family-favorite recipe for Gobi Aloo with you all! Over the years, I've perfected the recipe so the cauliflower doesn't turn mushy and retains its shape.

I recommend you read all the instructions and tips before trying this recipe for the best results!

It is the Best Aloo Gobi recipe you will ever need and I'm sure once you try this, you will not make Gobi Aloo any other way.

Jump to:

• About Aloo Gobi
• The Best Way To Make Aloo Gobi at Home
• Recipe Ingredients
• How To Make Aloo Gobi Recipe (Stepwise Photos)
• Serving Suggestions 
• Recipe Tips
• Frequently Asked Questions 
• More Curry Recipes
• Recipe Card

About Aloo Gobi

Aloo Gobi is a popular North Indian vegetarian dish where Aloo" translates to "potato," and "Gobi" means "cauliflower." Together, it refers to a dish made with potatoes and cauliflower.

Punjabi Aloo Gobi is a flavorful and comforting curry made by sautéing potatoes and cauliflower with a masala of onion, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a blend of spices. The vegetables are cooked until tender but retain their texture, resulting in a dish with a balance of flavors and textures.

It is a dry dish (with no gravy), a staple in Indian households, and also one of those popular recipes in Indian restaurants! It is often enjoyed with flatbreads like roti, chapati, naan, or served alongside rice.

There are many versions and variations of making Aloo Gobi and every family and restaurant has its recipe. Typically the homestyle aloo gobi is a dry version called sabji while the restaurant version is more gravy style.

Today I'm sharing my version of the dry Aloo Gobi recipe (Punjabi style) that turns out delicious without being mushy.

Gobi Aloo is a simple and easy recipe but the trick to making it perfect is ensuring the potatoes and cauliflower are cooked but not mushy.

The Best Way To Make Aloo Gobi at Home

Traditionally aloo gobi is made one pot meal by steam cooking the potatoes and cauliflower in onion tomato masala. This can result in delicious but mushy sabzi if not cooked correctly.

This is because cauliflower and potatoes have different cooking times so you need to cook potatoes first and then add cauliflower to achieve the perfect texture.

To avoid that, I prefer to pre-cook the vegetables either by steaming, roasting, or deep frying them (like they do for Dhaba-style aloo gobi).

Steaming doesn't give the same flavor as roasting or deep frying so I dont recommend it.

For the everyday curry, deep frying is not healthy so the best alternative is roasting the potatoes and cauliflower (in the oven, air fryer, or pan fry) before adding them to the onion tomato masala.

I recommend roasting the veggies in the air fryer or the oven over pan-frying since it's a more hands-off process. You can add the veggies to the air fryer/oven and start prepping the masala while the veggies are cooking.

Roasting the veggies makes a huge difference in flavor and texture. I find they are more flavorful than the traditional one-pot version and hold their shape. You will never make Aloo gobi sabzi any other way after trying this!

Recipe Ingredients

Potatoes: I've used Yukon gold potatoes, you can use Russet potatoes too. I prefer to peel and cut them into wedges (similar length to cauliflower) or 1-inch cubes/chunks.

Cauliflower: Cut Cauliflower florets into medium bite-sized pieces. Don't, cut them small, or else it will make the sabzi mushy.

Onion: Use finely chopped yellow or red onion for this recipe.

Tomatoes: I like to use Roma tomatoes with thick flesh and fewer seeds.

Ginger, Garlic, Green chili: Grate or mince fresh ginger and garlic for this recipe. Don't skip these as they add tons of flavor to the recipe. You can add or skip green chili based on your heat preference.

Spices: You will need basic Indian spices like cumin seeds, turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder (great color, mildly spicy), garam masala, coriander powder, salt, amchur powder (can be replaced with lemon juice), and Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). All these are available on Amazon or in Indian grocery stores.

Cilantro: Use fresh cilantro, also known as coriander leaves for flavor and garnish.

Oil: I use avocado oil for sautéing the spices and air frying the vegetables. Vegetable oil or any neutral cooking oil can also be used for Indian food.

Please refer to the recipe card for exact measurements of ingredients. 

How To Make Aloo Gobi Recipe (Stepwise Photos)

Prep work

1 and 2 - Chop the cauliflower head into medium-sized florets (bite-sized).

3 and 4 - Peel and cut the potatoes into wedges. Keep them immersed in water until ready to use. Drain the water and pat dry before using.

Chop and prep the rest of the ingredients like onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, green chili, and cilantro. Keep aside.

Roast the Cauliflower and Potatoes

There are a few ways to roast the veggies. You can roast the veggies in the oven, in a pan on the stovetop, or in an air-fryer (my preferred method). You can also deep fry them if you like.

5 - Add the cauliflower florets to the air fryer basket or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spray with oil, and ½ teaspoon salt, and mix well.

6 - Air fry for 10 mins at 370°F or bake at 425°C for 25-30 mins (or till they start to brown in some spots and feel tender, not soft). Transfer air-fried cauliflower to a plate, and keep aside.

7 - Next, add the potatoes to the air fryer basket or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spray with oil, and ¼ teaspoon salt, and mix well.

8 - Air fry for 10 mins at 370°F.or bake at 425°C for. 25-30 mins (or till they get your desired crispness). Transfer air-fried potatoes to a plate with cauliflower, and keep aside.

Test with a fork or knife to ensure the potatoes are tender and the cauliflower is cooked through with golden brown spots.

Prepare Onion Tomato Masala

While the veggies are roasting, make the onion tomato masala.

9 - Heat oil in a large pan on medium heat. Once hot, add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle.

10 - Stir in the onions and cook till the onions are soft and golden brown.

11 - Add ginger, garlic and green chilies. Cook for 1-2 minutes until the raw garlic smell goes away. Deglaze (if needed) with 1-2 tablespoons water to prevent it from burning. 

12 - Stir in the turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, amchur powder, garam masala, and salt. Saute for a few seconds.

13 - Add the chopped tomatoes, mix well, cover, and cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy (approximately 5 mins).

14 - Mix and mash tomatoes until oil oozes from the side of the masala.

15 - Add in the air-fried aloo gobi and mix well until veggies are well coated.

16 - Finally, crush Kasuri Methi between your palms and add it along with chopped cilantro. Mix well. Turn off the heat. Punjabi Aloo Gobi is ready to be served!! 

Serving Suggestions 

You can serve Aloo Gobi as a main course or a side dish to complement a larger meal.

Typically it is eaten with Indian breads like freshly made chapatis, rotis, paratha, or naan bread.

For a comforting meal, you can also enjoy this cauliflower potato curry as a side of steamed basmati rice or jeera rice and Dal fry.

Further, pair it with a pickle (achaar) or chutney or with a side of plain yogurt or raita (yogurt with spices and vegetables) for a complete meal.

You can also use leftover aloo gobi as a filling for your sandwiches, wraps, and tacos.

Recipe Tips

I highly recommend roasting the veggies before adding them to the masala for more flavor, to maintain the shape and texture and prevent the cauliflower from turning mushy.

You can roast the veggies in an air fryer (my preferred method), in the oven, or shallow fry in a pan or deep fry.

Pat dry the cauliflower and potatoes using a kitchen towel or paper towels before roasting and seasoning. This helps in achieving a crispy texture.

Spread the vegetables evenly without overcrowding the air fryer or baking sheet. Depending on the size of your air fryer, you can air fry in two batches.

Depending on your air fryer model and the size of the vegetable pieces, cooking times may vary. Monitor them and adjust the timing as needed to avoid overcooking.

Test with a fork or knife to ensure the potatoes are tender and the cauliflower is cooked through. They should have a nice golden color and fork tender with a slight crispness.

You can skip roasting the vegetables and cook the cauliflower and potatoes directly in the masala on low flame until fork tender. For this method, cut the potatoes a bit smaller than the cauliflower florets for even cooking.

Instant Pot Method: to make Aloo Gobi in Instant Pot, cut the cauliflower florets into bigger chunks, and potatoes into smaller cubes. pressure cook for 2 minutes at high pressure followed by quick release.

Frequently Asked Questions 

More Curry Recipes

I hope you enjoy this Aloo Gobi Recipe !! If you try this recipe, please rate it by clicking stars ⭐️ on the recipe card. Thank you ❤️! You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram to see what's cooking in my kitchen!!

Recipe Card

Update Notes: This post was originally published on Jun 17, 2012, but was republished with, step-by-step instructions, new photos, tips, and a video in Jan of 2024.