gobi recipe with step by step photos – creamy, delicious and lightly spiced gobi masala made restaurant style. this is an easy recipe to make gobi curry which taste like the gobi masala that is served in restaurants. there are many gobi recipes that taste great. this gobi masala recipe is one such awesome recipe.
gobi or cauliflower is weekly veggie that i get at home. usually i try different recipes with gobi at times. on most occasions, i make this aloo gobi. if not aloo gobi, then i make gobi paratha or a mix veg curry or the cauliflower is added to biryani, pulao or pav bhaji.
while making any gobi recipe, i always suggest to blanch the cauliflower to get rid of insects or worms.
the gobi masala recipe is easy and simple to make. the gobi curry has more restaurant like flavors and goes very well with rotis, naan, tandoori roti or just plain steamed rice.
as a variation apart from cauliflower you can also add steamed or boiled veggies. addition of potatoes and green peas will go very well in this gravy.
if you are looking for more gobi recipes then do check:
gobi masala
INGREDIENTS FOR gobi masala
for sauteing the cauliflower
- 1 medium head cauliflower or gobi
- 3 tablespoon oil for sauteing the cauliflower
main ingredients for gobi masala
- 1 medium sized onion, chopped finely
- 3 to 4 garlic (lahsun) + ½ inch ginger (adrak) - crushed or made into a paste in a mortar-pestle
- 3 to 4 tablespoon full fat fresh curd (yogurt or dahi) - whipped till smooth (optional) * check notes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder (lal mirch powder)
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder (dhania powder)
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder (jeera powder)
- 1 small tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
- ½ teaspoon crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
- 1 to 1.5 cups water - add ½ cup more if required
- 2 tablespoon low fat cream - 25% to 35% low fat
- 2 tablespoon oil for the curry
- salt as required
to make the paste
- 2 medium sized tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon whole cashews (kaju)
HOW TO MAKE gobi masala
preparation for gobi masala
- chop the cauliflower into medium florets. rinse well and keep aside.
- heat 3 cups water with salt till its starts boiling.
- switch off and add the florets in the hot water. cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
- in the meantime, chop the onion and crush the ginger-garlic in a mortar-pestle.
- also grind the tomato-cashews to a smooth paste on a high speed in a blender with very little water. if there is too much water, then the mixture starts spluttering when sauting it.
- keep the tomato-cashew paste aside.
sauteing gobi for making gobi masala
- drain the cauliflower florets and keep aside and gently wipe them dry..
- heat oil in a kadai or wok till it starts shimmering.
- add the blanched cauliflower florets to the oil and saute on a low to medium flame till they start getting light brown spots on them.
- this takes approx 8 to 10 mins.
- then remove the sauted cauliflower and keep aside.
making gobi masala
- in the same pan, add 2 tbsp oil. add the bay leaf and caraway seeds.
- fry for a few seconds or till the oil become aromatic.
- add the chopped onions and saute till the onions get golden and caramelized.
- then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
- add the tomato-cashew paste and stir.
- add the spice powders – coriander, cumin, red chili, garam masala and turmeric.
- saute stirring often till the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala.
- the whole masala paste will clump together and you will see oil clearly leaving the sides.
- this is an important step as if not done properly, the flavors don't come through in the dish.
- switch off the stove and then add the whisked yogurt.
- stir very well and then add 1 to 1.5 cups water. do add water as required. here 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.
- if you have fried the cauliflower more than what is mentioned in the recipe, then also you will have to add less water as the cauliflower will be already cooked. so just add enough water to get a medium consistency gravy. let it come to a boil. then add the cauliflower and simmer for a minute.
- stir again and keep the kadai or pan on the fire again.
- now add the sauteed cauliflower florets plus salt.
- stir and cover the kadai or pan with a tight lid.
- cook the cauliflower masala on low to medium flame for approx 10 to 15 minutes or till they are cooked completely.
- keep on checking at intervals.
- lastly add the crushed kasuri methi, cream and a pinch of nutmeg. stir the gobi curry and switch off the fire.
- serve gobi masala hot with rotis, naan or rice.
RECIPE TIPS
- * you can skip the yogurt in the recipe if you want. use full fat fresh yogurt as otherwise the yogurt may curdle while cooking.
- if the gobi gravy starts appearing dry then you can add some water.
preparation to make cauliflower masala
1. chop 1 medium sized gobi/cauliflower into medium florets. rinse well and keep aside. heat 3 cups water with salt till it starts boiling. switch off and add the florets in the hot water. cover and keep aside for 15-20 minutes.
2. in the meantime, chop 1 medium sized onion and crush the ginger-garlic (3-4 garlic + ½ inch ginger). also, grind the tomato-cashews (2 medium sized tomatoes + 1 tbsp whole cashews) to a smooth paste on high speed in a blender with very little water… as if there is too much water, then the mixture starts spluttering when sauteing it. keep the tomato-cashew paste aside.
sauteing gobi for gobi masala
3. heat 3 tbsp oil in a kadai or wok. drain the cauliflower and gently wipe them dry. add the blanched cauliflower florets to the hot oil and saute on a low to medium flame till they start getting light brown spots on them. approx 8-10 mins on a low to medium flame.
4. then remove the sauteed cauliflower and keep aside.
making gobi masala
5. in the same pan or kadai, add 2 tbsp oil. add 1 bay leaf and ½ tsp caraway seeds. fry for a few seconds or till the oil become aromatic.
6. add the chopped onions.
7. saute till the onions get golden and caramelized. make sure the onions don’t get burnt as then the gobi curry will have a bitter taste.
8. then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
9. add the tomato-cashew paste and stir.
10: add the spice powders – 1 tsp coriander powder, ½ tsp cumin powder, ½ tsp red chili powder, ½ tsp garam masala powder and ¼ tsp turmeric powder.
11. saute stirring often till the oil starts to leave the sides of the masala. the whole masala paste will clump together and you will see oil clearly leaving the sides. this is an important step as if not done properly, the flavors don’t come through in the dish. takes approx 12 to 14 mins on a low flame.
12. switch off the stove and then add 3 to 4 tbsp full fat whisked yogurt (curd or dahi).
13. stir very well and then add 1 to 1.5 cups water. do add water as required. here 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. if you have fried the cauliflower more than what is mentioned in the recipe, then also you will have to add less water as the cauliflower will be already cooked. so just add enough water to get a medium consistency gravy and then add the cauliflower and simmer for a minute.
14. stir again and keep the kadai or pan on the fire again. now add the sauteed cauliflower florets and salt as required.
cooking gobi masala
15. stir and cover the kadai or pan with a tight lid.
16. cook the cauliflower masala on low to medium flame for approx 10 to 15 minutes or more till the florets are cooked completely. keep on checking at intervals. if the water dries up, then you can always add some more water.
17. lastly add ½ tsp crushed kasuri methi, 2 tbsp low fat cream and a pinch of nutmeg powder. stir the gobi curry.
18. serve gobi masala with roti or parathas. here in below photo, gobi masala curry is accompanied with parathas and vegetable raita.
Hii Dassana ,
I as well as my family just loved this recipe .
Thanks for such a recipe .
😊😊
thanks and welcome samridhi.
We are nuts about this recipe in our house. So satisfying and tasty. I’ve made it a few times but I must admit I have altered it because of the ingredients I have struggled to find (no fenugreek leaves or Indian bay and I use cayenne pepper powder instead of red chilli powder). I also use 4 massive tomatoes, extra cashews and I only use full fat yoghurt at the end and skip the cream. I also dont bother blanching the florets in water at the beginning because I prefer a bit of crunch to my cauliflower and find that if they are sautéed and then finished off in the sauce it is a far better texture. otherwise they become too soft.
I serve it with a brown rice I make. I fry off 1-2 tsp each of fennel and cumin seeds with a finely chopped, large brown onion until soft and caramel, then I add cooked brown basmati rice and season. Delicious combination with the curry!
Thank you so much for this curry recipe. I am going to cook it tonight!
thanks louis for letting me know. i know sourcing some indian spices can be difficult. cayenne pepper can be easily substituted with red chilli powder. yes blanching cauliflower is optional. here we get cauliflower which takes a long time to cook. so i always blanch them and then add in the recipe. loved the recipe of brown rice. i make a different version with white basmati rice. will give a try to your recipe. thanks again and happy cooking.
I will get those ingredients though and can’t wait to taste the full flavour of your original recipe. Enjoy the rice!
Good
I have tried this and loved it so much l. Would you suggest tripling the proportion of ingredients mentioned if i have to make it for 15 ppl?
thanks R. usually for gravy recipes ingredients have to be added in approximation. so recipe doubling or tripling does not want as many spices are used. so for this gobi masala recipe too, the ingredients have to be added in approximation and tripling won’t work.
Hi Dassana,
Tried this already twice n both times hubby dearest just loved it… I have tried quite a few of ur “xyz” masala recipes…. But this seems to stand out the most….
Love ur cooking style. if I want to try any new recipe I preferably look for ur link and follow it blindfolded….
Thanks for ur efforts…
Welcome Tanushree. Glad to know this. Thanks for sharing your positive feedback and kind words.
I made this recipe and thought it was excellent.
I have started cooking many of your recipes in my small Indian Restaurant in Mexico. I think they are fantastic. Thank you.
Welcome Jacque. Glad to know this. Wishing all the best to you.
Agree with all the above comments. Needed a delicious recipe for cooking Cauliflower and it was personal hit!
I used fresh Methi instead of kasuri methi because I Didn’t have the latter. I sautéed the chopped Methi in little ghee until very dry! Outstanding flavor!
Thank you Amit.
thanks a lot khushbu for the feedback on the recipe. lovely idea of sautéing methi leaves in ghee and then adding. thanks for sharing.
I’ve been following your page for years now and I’ve to tell you this,you truly are amazing cook 🙂 every recipe that I’ve tried till now have turned out to be great. Keep up the great work.
Thanks Sneha for your kind words and positive feedback on recipes.
Hi.. I have tried so many recipes of yours – paneer, gobi, aloo matar and so many other recipes.. All your recipes have always come out well when I had tried at home and my family have also always loved it.. Thanks a lot for such detailed recipes with detailed step by step photos..
thanks a lot nour for this lovely comment. btw you have a beautiful name 🙂
Turned out very tasty…. my son asked for a second serving! 🙂
Thanks Preethi. Glad to know this.
Thanks Dassana..First time i cooked cauliflower, and i chose yours .. it really turned well.. Thank you. Your website is really useful for everyone especially beginners.
glad to know this thank you divya for your positive words and you are welcome 🙂
Can I replace the yoghurt in the recipe with something else ?
skip yogurt. an option is to add a bit of lemon juice towards the end. but just to give a hint of sourness and not to make the gravy sour. a few drops of lemon juice is fine. add once the entire gravy is done towards the end. but you can easily skip the yogurt.
I used coconut milk. It was delicious!
thanks linda for sharing this 🙂
Awesome Amit! I tried many other gobhi masala recipes from other blogs but none turned out to be this “masaledar”. Thanks a lot! 🙂
welcome rahul thankyou so much and you are always welcome.
Urs each n every recipe I try at home. Urs the only blog with pics makes us to cook
pleased to know this thankyou so much mridula 🙂
Is it necessary to add yougurt
rashmi, you can skip if you want.
Can I use somthing else if shah jeera is not at home?
use cumin seeds/jeera or skip shah jeera.
This is a very helpful cooking site n pictures makes it so easy. I’ve an question can i add crushed rice in Sheer Khurma? coz I’ve tried it in earlier Eid n it turned Mashaallah dat i ate all alone ha ha ha.
yes you can add crushed rice in sheer kurma. thank you again aafrin 🙂
I tried this recipe and it turned out to be a big hit. My husband asked me to do it for the second time within a week. And lo, I did it again and he ate more chappathis than usual both times.
I think we had to exercise more if I refer to this site for recipes.
I should say you are an awesome cook. The way you clarify the doubts says that you have a good understanding of the subject and
experienced cooking skills and also so much dedicated in your cooking. God bless you to add more and more recipes to this blog this year and for many years to come.
firstly shruthi god bless you thankyou for your kind and honest words 🙂 you touched my heart thanks once again.
Made this recipe today simply awesome. I have tried dozens of recipes from ur site all are amazing. Bought all ingredients for making pound cake. Will let u know after making this week. God bless u dear 🙂
surely try the pound cake chandana and let us know how it was? thankyou for your positive words and god bless you too 🙂
Yummmmmy
thankyou shalini 🙂
Easiest and tastiest recipes… … ?
thankyou Aqsa
Hello Darshana-pacchi. I tried your cauliflower bhaji ambat as above, but by my own fault, did not follow your directions faithfully. As a result, my bhaji came out with mixed results. It was good enough to be eaten, but not superlatively scrumptious. I was confused about the Caraway seeds/shah jeera. I thought they were two different spices. After much ‘research’, I have learnt that they are the same. But Kala jeera is an altogether different ‘animal’.
Following their botanical Linneaus names makes it easier to follow ;-
1. Caraway seed/Shah jeera is Carum carvi, or in German, Kummel ( u has an umlaut above it – ).
2. Cummin is Cuminum Cyminum or Kreuz Kummel
3. Black jeera ( ‘A’ type ) is Kalonji, = Nigella Sativa or Schwarz Kummel and finally,
4. Black jeera ( ‘B’ type) is real Kala jeera = Bunium Persicum or Versa Schwarz Kummel. ( Schwarz is german for ‘black’).
I hope and trust you both are doing well and happy and moving to even greater successes. Good luck.
seeing your comment after a long time. we are good and hope the same for you.
thanks for the detailed listing of the various jeeras. many readers get confused between shahjeera and kala jeera and between kala jeera and kalonji. this listing from you will help. i will also update this info in the spices glossary section in some days. thanks again.
Hi Dassana,
Thank for this lovely recipe. Can I use this gravy and add paneer instead of cauliflower the next time I make it. What other vegetables could I use instead of cauliflower with the exact same gravy?
Many thanks for your help.
welcome pam. you can use mix vegetables like carrots, peas, broccoli, potatoes, french beans. but they need to be steamed or sauted well before you add them to the gravy. yes you can add paneer also.