aloo gobi masala recipe with step by step photos – this is a restaurant-style delicious aloo gobi curry recipe. i have already posted aloo gobi sabzi recipe and dhaba style aloo gobi curry.
there are many ways of making aloo gobi recipe and this style is more close to makhani gravy/sauce which is used in making paneer butter masala or butter chicken. the only difference being there are onions in this one and it is slightly more spiced than a makhani gravy. this recipe can also be made with paneer or tofu. you just have to add the paneer/tofu towards the end.
aloo (potatoes), gobi (cauliflower), matar (peas) and paneer (cottage cheese) based recipes are often made in punjabi homes and there are many variations of such recipes like:
this delicious aloo gobi masala goes well with rotis, parathas or even with naan. it is a rich curry as along with cashew paste, even butter and cream are included. you can skip the butter and cream if you don’t want them as the cashews and tomatoes already make it creamy.
addition of kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) gives a nice final touch to the recipe and you can consider making this aloo gobi masala for special or festive occasions, guests or parties. overall this recipe is delicious and is a keeper.
how to make restaurant style aloo gobi masala
1. boil water+salt on stove top or microwave. immerse 1 medium sized rinsed cauliflower florets (approx 2.5 to 3 cups chopped cauliflower florets) in the water and keep aside for 15-20 mins.
2. heat 1 tbsp butter + 1 tbsp oil in a pan. add the whole spices – 1 inch cinnamon, 1 bay leaf, 2-3 green cardamoms, 2-3 cloves, 1 black cardamom and 1 single strand of mace. saute the whole spices till they become aromatic.
3. add chopped onions.
4. add the 15 whole cashews which are soaked in hot water for 20-30 mins in a grinder or blender and make a smooth paste of cashews.
5. stir and saute the onions till they become golden.
6. add ginger-garlic paste (approx 1 to 1.25 tsp ginger garlic paste) and saute till their raw aroma goes away.
7. add 2 large sized finely chopped tomatoes (approx 2 to 2.5 cups finely chopped tomatoes).
8. stir well and saute till the tomatoes soften and become pulpy. takes about 5-7 minutes on a low to medium flame.
9. add cashew paste along with ½ tsp kashmiri red chili powder (or deghi mirch or ¼ tsp red chili powder), ¼ tsp turmeric powder and ¾ tsp coriander powder.
10. stir and mix well.
11. keep stirring at intervals and continue to saute the masala mixture till the fat starts to leave the sides. this sauting takes approx 8-10 mins on a low to medium flame, after the cashew paste is added.
12. add the blanched gobi and 2 medium sized chopped aloo (approx 2 to 2.5 cups diced potatoes).
13. stir and pour 2 cups water or veg stock. season with salt as required. do add water as required. where we live, i get cauliflower which takes more time to cook. thus i add more water. if the cauliflower takes less time to cook, then add less water.
14. cover the pan with lid and simmer on a low to medium flame till the potatoes and cauliflower are cooked well. they should not fall apart but should be cooked till tender. on a low flame it took me about 40 mins. if you are in a hurry, then cook in a pressure cooker and add about 1 to 1.5 cups water. do check at intervals and if required you can add more water.
15. the aloo gobi gravy would become creamy and thicken by the time the veggies are cooked. lastly add ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves), ¼ to ½ tsp garam masala powder and 2 tbsp cream. stir the aloo gobi curry and simmer without the lid for half a minute.
16. serve restaurant-style aloo gobi masala with rotis, parathas or naan. you can also serve aloo gobi curry with steamed basmati rice or jeera rice or saffron rice.
more curry recipes
aloo gobi masala
INGREDIENTS
main ingredients for aloo gobi masala
- 1 medium sized cauliflower (gobi) OR approx 2.5 to 3 cups chopped medium cauliflower florets
- 2 medium sized potatoes (aloo) OR approx 2 to 2.5 cups diced potatoes
- 1 medium to large onion - finely chopped
- 2 large ripe red tomatoes OR approx 2 to 2.5 cups finely chopped tomatoes
- 15 whole cashews (kaju) soaked in hot water for 20-30 minutes
- 2 tablespoon cream
- 1 inch ginger + 3-4 garlic cloves - crushed to a paste in a mortar-pestle OR approx 1 to 1.25 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder or deghi mirch OR ¼ teaspoon red chili powder - adjust as per the heat in the red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ¾ teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon garam masala or tandoori masala powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tablespoon butter + 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups water or veg stock
- salt as required
whole spices for aloo gobi masala
- 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
- 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- 2 to 3 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
- 2 to 3 cloves (lavang)
- 1 black cardamom (bad elachi)
- 1 single strand of mace (javitri)
INSTRUCTIONS
preparation for aloo gobi masala recipe
- first soak the cashews in warm water for 30 minutes. then drain and blend them to a smooth paste with about 2 tbsp water in a grinder or blender.
- rinse and peel the potatoes and then dice them. chop the onions and tomatoes finely.
- chop the gobi/cauliflower into medium sized florets. rinse the florets well in water.
- heat enough water with salt for the florets to be immersed in, on stove top or in the microwave.
- add the rinsed florets and keep them immersed in the hot water for 15-20 mins. this is to to get rid of the insects or worms that might be in the cauliflower.
- then drain the gobi/cauliflower and rinse once again with fresh water.
making aloo gobi masala
- heat the butter and oil in a pan and add all the whole spices or whole garam masala listed above. saute till the spices become fragrant.
- then add the chopped onions and saute till they become golden.
- add the ginger-garlic paste. stir and saute till the raw aroma of the garlic-ginger goes away.
- add the chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes become soft and pulpy. this takes about 5-7 minutes on a low to medium flame.
- add the cashew paste and all the spice powders one by one - turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder.
- stir and saute till you see fat coming from the sides of the masala paste.
- the masala paste will start getting together and you will clearly see the fat leaving the sides. this process takes about 8-10 minutes on a low to medium flame.
- keep stirring often so that the masala does not stick to the pan.
- add the cauliflower and the potatoes. stir well. then pour water and season with salt.
- do add water as required. where we live, i get cauliflower which takes more time to cook. thus i add more water. if the cauliflower takes less time to cook, then add less water.
- cover and cook the curry till the veggies are done but not falling apart. stir for a few times when the veggies are simmering.
- if the aloo gobi gravy (sauce) thickens too much then just add a few tablespoons of water and simmer for a couple of minutes.
- lastly add the garam masala powder, crushed kasuri methi and cream.
- stir and simmer aloo gobi curry for half a minute without the lid. you can garnish the aloo gobi with chopped coriander leaves if you prefer.
- serve the restaurant style aloo gobi masala hot dotted with cream or butter and sprinkled with a pinch of garam masala, accompanied with rotis, naan or phulkas or steamed basmati or jeera rice.
Hello, thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes, I love them !! I’ve tried this one which was very tasty but I found it too much watery. Two cups of water seems a lot too much for that recipe. Thanks
Thanks michel. Water can always be adjusted as per the cooking time of the veggies. Here we get cauliflower which takes more time to cook. So thus 2 cups water required. But if there is less cooking time then less water can be added. Hope this helps. I will also update this point in the post.
Hi, I strictly followed your recipe and it came out really tasty, but it was not much spicy or like typical Punjabi restaurant dishes. It was totally looked like the pic you shared of the dish. So can you please help me that when you prepare how it actually taste like?
Sorry for little dumb question but i really wanted to know 🙂
mausam, the gravy has mild sweet notes with the tang from the tomatoes. the recipe is not spicy. authentic punjabi food is not spicy. what is served in some restaurants as punjabi food is very oily and spicy with too much of cream or butter or oil at times.
Does this go well with puri?
with poori this aloo gobi will become a heavy meal. so i would suggest to have chapatis or phulkas with it. even a tandoori roti or naan pairs well.
Very nice recipe !!yummy it came out
Just wanted to ask u with what else can we substitute kaju
thanks daisy. you can use almonds. soak almonds in hot water for 30 minutes. then remove the peels and use the almonds.
I followed this recipe and ended up having restaurant like aloo gobi curry at the comfort of my home and got praised for my cooking. Thanks a ton for sharing this recipe
Welcome Tejaswi. Glad to know this.
Can you please post gobi musallam recipe..
Vaijayanti, i will try to add the recipe.
Hi mam
I tried this recipe last week and came out well..it goes well ith plain rice too..thnx?
thanks ayshabi. yes it does goes well with plain rice too.
Hi,
Starting to cook this now– it there an alternate to using cream?
you can use coconut cream or just skip.
Such a easy way of making aloo-gobhi… Will definitely try to make it
thanks kriti.
Hi Dasana, once again the dish turned out great. I have been following your recipes for sometime now. Not only are they simple and easy to follow, the dishes always turns out awesome and accompanied by compliments from my husband. Keep up the good work!
pleased to know this devi 🙂 and thankyou for your kind words and god bless you.
Very tasty dish. I tried it yesterday, me and my family liked the gravy. Thanks for this simple and yummy recipe.
thanks for the positive review vennala.
i like your receipes
thanks sudharani
Love ur website!!
I’m Trying everything receipe of urs so easy to follow everything I cook so far has a success
Thank u so much xxxxx
welcome saraswati. glad to know this.
V . good.
thanks nalini
Hi Dassana,
Can we add cream instead of kaju paste. If not then also please give me reason so next time I would not do to other recipe.
Thanks
welcome yuvina. yes you can add cream but the gravy will not be thick and the taste will be different.
Thank you Dassana for your reply.
I finally made it. And its yummy, tasty. It was so delicious that my sister can’t stop praising me. Thank to you that I got lots of praise from my family.
Well I ditto copied it and made it in a same way.
It was lovely and thank to you that because of your recipe I have become masterchef to my family.
I have tried most of your recipes and your step by step guide help me a lot.
I don’t have words to thank you for making such a beautiful website of recipes.
Thank you
welcome yuvina. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback on recipes.
Just Wowww… never thought aloo gobi could be this tasty
thanks for the feedback bhakti.
all the recipe are good
thanks.
Excellent recipe. I was searching particular aloo Gobi.
Thank you.all u r recipes r too good and simple.
welcome hema. glad to know this.
Intersting
Hi Dassana
I live in North America and Omg!! Your recipes are soooo…..excellent just can’t tell the way you have explained step by step. Today I made dal thadka and aloo gobi curry my family loved it so..much. All your recipes are 5 stars EXCELLENT thanks for your blog.
welcome ranjini. glad to know that you liked the recipes. big thanks for this motivating feedback.
I’m getting ready to make this recipe and was wondering if i could substitute nutmeg powder for the mace strand? I would rather use up some nutmeg i already have instead of going out to buy mace
I also wanted to thank you for the effort you put into this website, i’ve been vegetarian for a few years now and struggle to find fun diverse recipes, i came across your website and everything looks so good, I can’t wait to start cooking!
yes you can sub nutmeg powder instead of the mace. thanks a lot katherine. you can try the easy recipes first and then move to the complex ones. vegetarian cooking as well food is not boring and is fun to make as well as delicious.
Awesome recipes
thanks jyoti
This recipe is wonderful! Your paneer makhani is also fantastic. Thank you for making Indian recipes that are easy to make in an American kitchen.
welcome hope for positive feedback on indian recipes.
Great recipe, me and the Mrs really enjoyed it. I added a couple of green chillies and used a spoon of yogurt opposed to the cream. Many thanks and it will be trying lots more recipes
mike
welcome mika. thanks for sharing positive feedback and your variation.
Hi Dassana,
i wanted to comment on punajbi curry but this option is not available there….
yesterday i made punjabi curry…..it was verrry tasty…my husband, kids and a guest just loved it. i never got sooo much praise for my cooking…all credit goes to u…
today i have cooked ‘lauki kofta’… i was worried about koftas but they turned out really yummy…but the gravy is lil tangy….what should i do??? plz help…
5 stars for punajbi curry and 5 stars for punajbi chole….
thats great to know reena. actually the credit goes to you as you have cooked these recipes 🙂 since from the last month, i am travelling we have kepts comments on older posts closed. as its impossible for me to reply to so many comments. hence kept the comments open on newer posts.
for the tanginess of the curry, you can add some amul cream. it will balance the tanginess. a bit of sugar also will balance the tanginess. tanginess depends on the tomatoes. so best to use tomatoes which are ripe and not very tangy.
Hi Dassana,
This is my 2nd complimentary comment…earlier i used to do only regular cooking… my kids and husband were fed up of eating all that….last week i came across ur blog and decided to cook’ matar -mushroom’ and it turned out finger licking…
I have literally fallen in love with ur blog..ur instructions r soooo easy to follow…
I cooked ‘aloo-gobi curry’ yesterday and my husband loved it …
Thanks a million for this blog and best recipes… today i am gonna try ‘punjabi chole’…
Thank you… 🙂
welcome reena. glad to know that the blog is really helping you in cooking. your comment made my day.
Hi Dassana,
I’m a newly married bride and moved to New Zealand a year back. I have been following your blog since a year and I absolutely love your recipes. They always turn out right. Not a single day goes by without me checking your blog. Tried this today and it turned out finger licking good 🙂 . Thank you.
welcome mahima and nice to read your positive feedback. keep visiting.
Awesome
Awesome recipes
thanks pete
Omg!! Made it today nd all of us just couldn’t stop licking our fingers…too good!
Never thot a simple veggie cud be given such an amazing flavour..wow!
Kudos to u!
thanks shalini
Hi Dassana
I follow your blog almost everyday. I had zero knowledge in cooking and your blog was a saviour. I have tried around 10 recipes from your blog and guess what all my recipes have come out sooooo delicious:) This recipe is one of them.
I currently reside in the US with my husband and he is also impressed with my cooking 😉 Thanks to you 🙂
thanks a lot shruti. i am happy 🙂
this is joy of winter. fresh flavourful and so delicious.