Pakistani Aloo Gobi Sabzi is a simple vegetarian curry made of potato and
cauliflower cooked in spices with tomatoes. This authentic Aloo Gobi
recipe is my mother's, and it's bold balanced flavours remind me why Aloo Gobi is such a classic dish.
It is so hard to cook like someone else, but for people like me who grew up only eating their mothers cooking so much of our sense of what food ought to taste like comes from mama.
Most of my Pakistani recipes are if not hers, then inspired by her. I love the idea that through them I am continuing a version of my family's tastes and traditions.
My mothers Aloo Gobi is spicy, tangy with tomatoes, salted just right and with the mellow undertones of turmeric. It gets a hit of freshness from the lemon and cilantros at the end and smokiness from that little bit of pepper. With a hot chapati and some cold thick yoghurt there's nothing quite like it.
Sabzi Awards: best kinds of Veg for Aloo Gobi
I've experimented widely with the different varieties of tomatoes, potatoes, and onions available here and these are the ones that work best for Pakistani food.
- Best Onions for Pakistani Food: Yellow cooking onions. They have a milder flavor and cook down faster than red onions, but red onions work too.
- Best Potatoes for Pakistani Food: Yukon Gold or Yellow flesh, hands down. Their firm yet creamy texture holds up to and perfectly absorbs Pakistani spices and flavors. White potatoes aren't absorbent enough with an almost waxy textures while russet are more suitable for baked potatoes.
- Best Tomatoes for Pakistani Food: Roma tomatoes or Italian plum tomatoes are my favourite. They have a robust flavour closest to the always in season tomatoes in Pakistan. If those are unavailable then hothouse tomatoes work as they break down easily. However, they don't have quite the same richness of flavour (IMHO).
A Tip for making the quickest Aloo Gobi
For the longest time I would cook my potatoes for a while before adding the gobi in, but then I realized that this simple Pakistani Aloo Gobi recipe doesn't need that. Providing the cauliflower florets aren't kept large they cook in the same time as the petite potatoes.
Insider tips for cooking sabzi
- heat your pan before your add oil for faster heating
- NEVER heat it on high, stick to medium high to avoid damaging the pan and to avoid the oil getting too hot and burning spices
- golden is key. when your edges turn colour your onions are ready and that's what's going to make them flavorful but not sweet in a taking over the sabzi kinda way. .
- ratios of sizes are important: don't make your potato chunks huge if your cauliflower isn't. I am not just saying this because my grandma told me it doesn't look pretty otherwise. They also won't cook at the right rate
- Cook the veggies low and slow, adding water only if absolutely necessary because the veggies that cook in their own steam are always more flavorful!
- Seasoning. It is all in the seasoning. Taste, adjust, always.
Use homemade or frozen ginger and garlic paste or fresh ginger and garlic for maximum oomph. The jarred stuff often has vinegar in it and that is so noticeable in sabzis.
Looking for more Gobi (Cauliflower) Recipes?
Hope you enjoy this simple home style dish as much as we do! Do rate the recipe below!
Pakistani Aloo Gobi Sabzi (Potato Cauliflower Curry)
Equipment
- saute pan
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ cup onion, finely diced
- 3 cups potatoes diced into 2 cm pieces
- 2 cups cauliflower (half a small one)
- 2-3 chopped tomatoes
- 5-6 cloves garlic or 1 tsp garlic paste
- ½ tsp ginger paste of freshly grated ginger
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- ⅓ tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ¾ tsp salt (minimum)
Finishing Touches
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3 sliced green chilies (or adjust to taste)
- a squeeze of lemon juice
- a pinch of pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saute pan and add the cumin seeds, cook for 30 seconds
- Add your onions and cook on medium high heat till the edges start to turn golden
- Reduce the heat a little and add the ginger and garlic
- Saute for a 30 seconds and add the ¾ tsp salt. If it starts to stick immediately add a small splash of water
- Now in go your tomatoes and spice, mix them and cook on medium high heat stirring often until the excess water sautes out and you are left with a rich spice paste with oil rising above it (i..e bhunna) tip: expedite this by covering the pot with a lid for a minute or two.
- Stir in your potatoes and then add the cauliflower on top. Mix gently and cook covered on low till both vegetables are tender - 20 to 25 minutes.
- If at any point the veggies start to stick/burn add a tiny splash of water but not too much.
- When the vegetables are cooked through taste a piece of cauliflower and potato together and adjust seasoning (I always add more salt at this stage)
- Turn the stove off, top with the garnishes and cover for a minute or so to infuse aromas. Eat with chapati or naan.
Video
Notes
- I used to do two things differently: one is that I added spices to the onion base before adding the tomatoes. However, depending on heat levels masalas can burn easily which is why I switched it to adding with tomatoes. If you were comfortable with the first approach and heat levels then absolutely stick to it. The second change is that I now dice my potato a little smaller and add it with my gobi for convenience. I was starting to find that my potatoes would be done and my gobi wouldn't.
- A little update: I find that the flavour is much clearer if I take away the coriander powder, but since this recipe has it's fanbase I am not changing the recipe card! Also if you are in a rush you can absolutely skip the sautéing tomatoes step and add it all together. You will get delightfully juicy chunks of tomatoes in the final dish.
Eileen says
Deelicious! Thanks for the helpful conversational style. So many recipes assume you will know to do certain things at the right moment - not!! Funny how we try to live up to family standards. Many years ago in Scotland my Aunt Agnes was the family baker par excellence. After sampling my first few attempts she told my mother "She'd better marry well for she's no hand wi' the pastry." I didn't bake again for years!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
your story made me laugh out loud! I think Scottish families must display the frankness of Pakistani ones. My aunt whose a plastic surgeon would regularly tell me "it's a pity we can't do anything about your small eyes".
thanks for sharing and for your comments. Both made me really happy 🙂
Mary Lou says
i usually get take out at our Indian restaurant but wanted to learn how to cook Indian food myself. All I can say is "Dee-ee-ee-licious"!!! I cooked with coconut oil. I'm vegan and this dish is definitely a recipe I will frequently use. I'm even having it for breakfast today! Thanks for sharing and I'm looking forward to cooking your other recipes. Take joy!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Mary Lou! Thank you thank you thank you both for drying this recipe and for taking the time to share your thoughts! You have made my day 🙂
Sara Hage says
I just made this. Great recipe - tasty and great the second or third day!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Awesome! That's great to hear - thanks for letting me know 🙂
Janet says
My first time to make/eat aalu gobi, but since I'm eating a whole food plant based diet, I had all the ingredients on hand! Very yummy - I cut the recipe in half and cooked with no oil. Thanks!
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Thank you so much for trying this Janet and I am SO SO happy you enjoyed it!!!
Lu @ SuperNummy says
Ahhhh this is one of my favorite dishes EVER. I need to make it asap! Thanks for sharing your mom's recipe 🙂
sarahjmir says
thanks for stopping by Lu!!!
Sadaf F K. says
Being the fan of both aloo and gobi, this dish is kinda winner for me. Thanks for sharing another great cuisine! 🙂 xx
sarahjmir says
You are always so sweet! 🙂
Divya @ Yum'e'licious says
One of my all time favourite... You version looks gr8!
sarahjmir says
Thanks Divya!!!!
dedy oktavianus pardede says
wow, i love aloo goby and i think this aalu gobi is totally must try!!!
ps: your photograph is stunning too my friend!!!
sarahjmir says
Thank you so much!! SO glad you stopped by 🙂
MyNinjaNaan says
Aaah, I'm all too aware of the infamous post-its with mom's recipes lol!
This looks great! I didn't grow up eating many sabziyaan, mostly because my father is a true karachiite and loves meat, but as of the past few years my tastes have been evolving and I'm growing to love veggies. One of my friend's mom makes AMAZING allu gobi, and I've been pulling at her to give me the recipe, but it's one of those "andaza" recipes. Yours looks very similar to that! Yeeeee so excited! 🙂
sarahjmir says
stupid andaza. I hate it. lol. let me know if you try this 🙂
Namrata says
we make it the same way too! Aloo gobhi is my absolute comfort food. I can have it with anything... roti, rice and even a slice of bread. A big thumbs up to your mom 🙂
sarahjmir says
🙂
Aruna Panangipally says
The best compliment I ever received for my cooking was "it tasted just like Amma's" Cooking and eating is such a sensory experience, isn't it? And so laden with elusive memories.
I make a very similar aloo gobi, just more gobi and less aloo;and sometimes a handful of peas. 🙂 and ever since I saw Bend It Like Beckham, the name aloo gobi has become synonymous with the movie.
sarahjmir says
Aruna I love you!!! I was dying to make a bend it like beckham reference in this piece but didnt know how many people would get it!!!!
Aruna Panangipally says
🙂 🙂
Faaiza.O says
Yum, yum, yum! I love cauliflower and I love the word florets, I'm weird like that!
sarahjmir says
hahaha me too. I was pinning all these recipes for a while because they used the word florets in their description!
radhikasethi says
It looks so tempting! I went through an aloo gobhi phase when I was in school. I ate only aloo gobhi everyday for quite some time....lol. Yep...It does taste heavenly with lemon 🙂
sarahjmir says
That's such a healthy thing to eat every day! You know unlike me... when I go through phases its usually pizza or ice cream lol
radhikasethi says
Hahaa.... I seem to be in an ice cream phase these days...lol. Will try your aloo gobi recipe Tom! Take care.
Anjana @ At The Corner Of Happy & Harried says
I miss my mama's cocking all the time. We just never measure up, do we?!
I love aloo-gobi, like you said there are numerous versions of it. I make a slightly more curried dish. Yours looks lovely. Shall try it soon 🙂
sarahjmir says
Hopefully through our blogs our kids will always know how to cook like mama! fingers crossed 🙂 Is yours on your blog? Would love to try it
Anjana @ At The Corner Of Happy & Harried says
True that!
I don't have the recipe on the blog, but it is very similar to this one with mushroom and peas. Like I said, I do a more curried version.
http://happyandharried.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/mushroom-peas-masala/
Laurel says
I'm Canadian but I love these foods and I'm going to try this tonight. I just wanted to let you know that where you miss your mama's cooking, you accidentally put a naughty word in by spelling cooking wrong. you have a 'c' in the the third place. I don't know if you can change it....just thought I would let you know.
Laurel
Sabeen Faruqui says
Just made it for lunch! So sooo good!! Tasted just like my mama cooks it! Thanks for always sharing the best recipes Sarah ❤️
Sarah Mir says
Aww i am SO SO happy to hear that Sabeen! thank you!!!!
Radha says
So instead of us meeting for a playdate, you do this and I sit in boring office talking about client issues 🙁 going to make this in the next day or 2 will let you know 🙂
sarahjmir says
Please do 🙂
Mekenzie says
The video link is not working..!
Sarah Mir says
Thank you for catching that! I just redid it! Hope you like the dish!