Gobi matar recipe with step by step photos. This is simply a dry, lightly spiced and vegan dish of Cauliflower With Peas, the green ones. And because these 2 are the main veggies in this preparation, it is also best made with the fresh produce of cauliflower and green peas that the winters bring along in India. The recipe may look and read simple. But is delicious, comforting and fulfilling at all levels.
Gobi or cauliflower is a much loved veggie in our Punjabi household. So its not surprising that we make a Cauliflower dish at least once a week. Usually I just make Aloo gobi or Cauliflower fry or Aloo gobi matar.
Aloo or potatoes have to be added in a dish where there are cauliflower and peas. Somehow I restrain myself from adding potatoes when I prepare this gobi matar. Another similar recipe you can check is this Bandh gobhi matar made with (cabbage and peas).
The base of this Gobhi Matar ki sabji is a subtly spiced onion-tomato masala. The heat quotient of the dish is from the green chilies, ginger, red chili powder and garam masala powder. You can increase the quantities of these spice powders and the green chilies to make the dish spicier.
This is again a family recipe. Its different in the sense that whole spices aka garam masala are sauteed. Generally whole spices are not added to vegetable dishes. They are added in powdered form as garam masala powder or sabzi masala.
Its this sauteing of the whole spices with onions and tomatoes that gives this dish its distinct taste and flavor. The sabzi is lightly spiced and have a mild heat coming from the green chilies.
Here I have cooked the peas first. Since we do not get tender peas here and they take a lot of time to cook. I have used fresh peas which I shell and then freeze them. If you have green peas that cook faster, then just add them to the dish directly and no need to pre-cook them.
This dry version of gobi matar goes very well with chapatis, phulkas and even bread. It also goes well as a side veggie dish with dal-rice. This gobhi matar also goes well for tiffin box lunch with chapatis.
How to make Gobi Matar
1. This first step is optional and only if you get cauliflower which has insects. In India we get insects in cauliflowers and to get rid of them I follow this method.
If you live outside India and get clean cauliflower then there is no need to follow this method. Just add the cauliflower directly.
Chop or break the cauliflower/gobi into small florets. Rinse them in fresh water and then blanch in hot salted water for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain all the water and keep the blanched cauliflower aside.
2. Cook the green peas in water till they are almost cooked. Then drain and keep aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadai or frying pan. Then crackle the whole spices mentioned below:
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 to 3 cloves
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
- ½ of a star anise (chakra phool) – optional
- 4 to 5 black pepper
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
4. Then add 2 medium-sized finely chopped onions (about 1 cup finely chopped onions) and 2 to 3 finely chopped green chilies (or ½ to ¾ teaspoon finely chopped green chilies).
Also add 1 inch finely chopped ginger (about 1 to 1.25 teaspoon finely chopped ginger) and 1 to 1.25 teaspoon finely chopped or minced garlic.
Stirring often saute till the onions become light brown.
5. Then add 3 small sized finely chopped tomatoes (about ¾ cup finely chopped tomatoes). Mix.
6. Then add the following spices:
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder.
Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften and you see the oil releasing from the sides.
7. Add the blanched gobhi (cauliflower florets).
8. Stir well so that the onion tomato and spices mix uniformly with the cauliflower florets.
9. Cover with a rimmed lid or plate in which water is added. Cooking with this technique does not burn the cauliflower. Also you don’t need to add any water in the cauliflower. A lot of steam is formed inside the pan which helps in cooking the cauliflower.
Do check the veggie after some minutes and stir. If the water dries up in the lid/plate, then add more water.
10. When the cauliflower is almost cooked, add ¾ to 1 cup of green peas and ¼ teaspoon garam masala powder.
11. Stir and cover with the rimmed lid with water in it. Cook for a further 7 to 10 minutes on a low heat, till the cauliflower and peas have become tender and cooked well.
Once done, if there is any moisture in the pan, then cook without the lid and let the moisture dry up.
12. Garnish with chopped mint leaves or coriander leaves. Serve gobhi matar ki sabji hot or warm with chapatis or rotis or jeera paratha or plain paratha.
You can also pack it in tiffin box or serve as a side dish with dal-rice or rasam-rice or with any Indian meal. You can also use it as a stuffing for making the sandwiches. Sometimes we have it with bread slices.
For more delicious matar recipes, you can check this collection of 26 Matar recipes.
Few more tasty recipes for you!
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Gobi Matar | Gobhi Matar ki Sabji
Ingredients
- 450 to 500 grams cauliflower or 1 medium cauliflower
- ¾ to 1 cup peas – fresh or frozen (check notes on when to add tender or frozen peas)
- 120 grams onion or 2 medium sized onions – about 1 cup finely chopped onions
- 1 large tomato or 3 small sized tomatoes – about ¾ cup finely chopped tomatoes
- 2 to 3 green chillies or ½ to ¾ teaspoon finely chopped green chilies – reduce the amount of green chilies if making for kids
- 1 inch ginger – about 1 to 1.25 teaspoon finely chopped or minced/grated ginger
- 6 to 7 medium sized garlic or 4 to 5 large garlic – about 1 to 1.25 teaspoon finely chopped or minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2 green cardamoms
- ½ of a star anise (chakra phool) – optional
- 4 to 5 black pepper
- 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ¼ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder (optional)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 to 3 cloves
- 2 to 3 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
- some chopped mint leaves or coriander leaves for garnish
Instructions
preparation
- Chop or break the cauliflower/gobi into small florets.
- This step is optional and only if you get cauliflower which has insects. In india we get insects in cauliflowers and to get rid of them I follow this method. If you live outside india and get clean cauliflower then there is no need to follow this method. Just add the cauliflower directly.
- Rinse them and then blanch in hot salted water for 15 to 20 mins. Drain and keep aside.
- First cook the peas in water till they are almost cooked. Then drain and keep aside.
making gobi matar
- Heat oil in a kadai or a frying pan and crackle the whole spices viz – cinnamon, cloves, caraway seeds, star anise, black pepper and indian bay leaf (tejpatta).
- Add the finely chopped onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic. Stirring often saute the onions till they become light brown.
- Then add the finely chopped tomatoes.
- Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften and you see the oil releasing from the sides.
- Add the blanched gobi/cauliflower florets.
- Stir well so that the onion tomato and spices mix uniformly with the cauliflower florets.
- Cover with a rimmed lid in which water is added. Cooking with this technique does not burn the cauliflower.
- Also you don’t need to add any water in the cauliflower. A lot of steam is formed inside the pan which helps in cooking the cauliflower.
- Do check the veggie after a some minutes and stir. If the water dries up in the lid, then add more water.
- When the gobhi is almost cooked, add the peas/matar and garam masala powder.
- Stir and cover with the rimmed lid with water in it. Cook for a further 7 to 10 minutes on a low flame, till the cauliflower and peas have become tender and cooked well. Once done, if there is any moisture in the pan, then cook without the lid and let the moisture evaporate.
- Garnish with chopped mint leaves or coriander leaves. Serve gobi matar hot or warm with chapatis or phulkas or plain paratha or jeera paratha or bread.
- This gobhi matar ki sabji can also be packed in tiffin box or serve as a side dish with dal rice or rasam rice or with any Indian meal.
Notes
- If adding tender or frozen peas which cook faster, then add them when you add the cauliflower florets.
- The amount of spices can be altered as per your taste preferences.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Gobi Matar post from the blog archives first published in August 2014 has been updated and republished on December 2022.
Excellent article. Simple , clear and does the job.
Thanks Ankit
Hi dasana..ur recipez r 2 good..i love it..can i prerpare diz recipe without garlic..using the same method..
yes tanusha you can make this gobi matar without garlic too, thanks.
Thank u soo much .aap ki recipes dekhar khana banana mere liye bhaut esy hogya .bhaut hi delicious .thanks
welcome deepa 🙂 thanks for positive views glad you found our recipes easy.
Very good, as all the recipes I tried. Thank you.
welcome sari
Dassana,
All of your recipes that I’ve tried are very good, and so well presented. You make it easy to follow. I have learned a lot from you and visit your site often, giving you lots of clicks!
I never make “comments” on line…but your website is head and shoulders above most of what is out there.
Thank you for being excellent.
Peace,
Crislyn
welcome crislyn. glad to know this. thanks for sharing positive feedback. peace and love.
Hello Dassana,
Thank you for excellent recipes!
I’m curious on how water placed in the rimmed plate can create steam in the pot.
Thanks again,
Harshad
Welcome Harshad. This particular technique is used in many households. The water which is on the lid helps in condensation of the steam escaping from the vegetables and this collects on the inside of the lid and then falls back into the pan. Thus creating a cycle and cooking the vegetable in its own moisture or water content. I hope this helps.