Instant Pot Aloo Gobi – Curried Potato Cauliflower. 1 Pot Aloo Gobhi. Gobi Aloo Masala. Vegan Gluten-free Soy-free Nut-free Recipe. Instant Pot Pressure Cooker or Skillet.
Aloo Gobi or Gobi Aloo – Spiced Potato and Cauliflower is a favorite side with Indian meals. A simple Spiced Vegetable stir fry that is often served with Dals or curries. My mom’s version is cooked in a skillet over low medium heat until the cauliflower is just about cooked, often with just toasty whole cumin seeds to add the flavor and bit of ginger and garlic.
This version has a tomato onion sauce and is made in the Instant Pot. It takes roughly the same amount of time as on stove top as the IP takes about 8 to 10 minutes to come to pressure. IP works as you can schedule the cooking for later. Cauliflower tends to cook quickly and over cook under pressure, so be careful with the times. I usually cook the potatoes for a few minutes on saute before adding the cauliflower and bringing it to pressure. The extra time allows for the sauce to thicken slightly as well as for the potatoes to start cooking before the cauliflower. If you add them at the same time, the potatoes can tend to be a bit too al dente. 1-2 minutes under pressure for large cauliflower florets is time enough. For a restaurant style aloo gobi, toast some cumin seeds in olive oil or vegan butter and garnish, a good sprinkle of garam masala as well.
Also see skillet instructions in the Recipe notes. My Mom’s Gobi Aloo Matar here which is a dryer side with just spices. Lets make this Spiced Potato Cauliflower Curry.
This is the basic recipe for aloo gobi. I usually prefer to toast cumin seeds at step 1 before adding the blended mixture. Any whole spice toasted adds a deeper flavor profile. Try some coriander seeds, panch phoron blend, nigella seeds or mustard seeds for variation. Berbere instead of garam masala (its so good with berbere!) or some dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) also work wonders for the flavor!
There are many memories associated with aloo gobi. It is a staple side served at most events, at weddings, at festival potlucks. For the special occasions, it is cooked in a heavy bottom vessel, with copious amounts of oil used so that veggies dont stick and burn.
This version can be made without any oil as there is enough liquid in the recipe. There are recipes that benefit from stove top cooking for small serve amounts and Aloo Gobi is one of them. I personally make this in IP for a larger quantity for entertaining and the skillet version for everyday meal (which is usually half the recipe).
I usually add cayenne and garam masala as garnish. The flavors can tend to dilute a bit while pressure cooking.
Whats you favorite spice combination for aloo gobi? This a versatile recipe with various spices or veggies to use. If you make it, let me know in the comments how it turned out!
Video:
Instant Pot Aloo Gobi - Curried Potato Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1/2 small onion
- 2 tomatoes
- 6 to 7 cloves of garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- 1/2 hot green chile
- 1 tsp oil
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 to 1 tsp garam masala
- 3/4 to 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 2 medium potatoes cubed small
- 1 small cauliflower chopped into large florets
- cayenne/pepper flakes, garam masala, cilantro and lemon for garnish
Instructions
- Blend the onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, green chile until smooth.
- Put the Instant Pot on saute mode. When hot, add oil. (* At this point you can add 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and cook until they darken slightly.) Add the onion tomato puree to the pot. Rinse the blender using 1-2 tbsp of water and add to the pot.
- Add the spices and potato and mix well. Cover with a glass lid that fits the pot and cook for 4-5 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower and mix in well. Close the Pot lid to sealing. Select Manual 2 minutes for low pressure(preferred) Or 0 minutes on high pressure. (0 mins or half whistle with Stove top pressure cooker).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Instant Pot recipes from the blog
Lentil Veggie Dhansak – Lentil Veggie Stew in IP. GF
Chana Saag – Chickpea Spinach Curry. GF
Kohlapuri Veggies – Veggies in sesame coconut sauce GF
Aloo Palak Dal- Potato Spinach Lentils in IP. GF
June
Forgot to mention that I think cumin seed was not in the ingredients list.
Vegan Richa Support
thanks June
June
I made this tonight in the Instant Pot and I think it’s one of the most amazing dishes I’ve ever had. The spices were perfect, and I did use a little sesame oil in the beginning, and I did have to add some water to it. It was so easy in the Instant Pot. We are three people and we devoured it. Next time I’d double it for three. I think I might also add a couple more tomatoes. I made the lemon juice/cilantro/spice mix on top, and that is fantastic. Everyone loved it. Thank you.
Vegan Richa Support
yummy!! that’s great
Jody
I made this tonight and it came out ok, but definitely seemed to be missing something. Even did toasted the cumin seeds in the sauce and lemon at the end. I second the person that mentioned sauce being a bit bitter. I almost think the garlic/onion didn’t cook enough in 5 min to mellow. As far as what was missing, I checked a few other recipes around the web including your non IP aloo gobi and they all seemed to have ground coriander which isn’t in the spice list here. Is that a typo? I did add some ground coriander to the remainder and that seems to help a bit.
Aloo ghobi almost always seems more yellow (turmeric and/or curry?) and less tomato based when I have it at a restaurant, Maybe this is a different version?
Fawn
I doubled this recipe. I was surprised that there was a strong bitter taste in the sauce. Where does the bitter come from? Did I add too much ginger (~2″)? Too much garlic (~12 cloves)? Is it coming from my garam masala spice blend (2 tsp.)?
I have had this bitter problem with Indian dishes in the past and I think maybe it’s the amount of fresh ginger that I use. What do you think? I had to add some honey to this dish to make it a bit more palatable. And, let me just say that I’ve been eating and making Indian food for 25 years, so I’m not new to the taste of exotic spices.
Thanks!!
Richa
It’s probably the garam masala. Ginger might add some too depending on the type. Fresh juicy ginger is usually more astringent flavor, older ginger Flavor can be interpretted as bitter in large amounts. What garam masala do you use?
FAwn
I use Simply Organic garam masala. I used a fairly old somewhat dried out piece of ginger (had been in my fridge for a couple of weeks). I also thought that maybe it was the turmeric? Maybe 1 heaping tsp. of ground turmeric (Simply Organic brand) was too much for a doubled recipe?
Thanks!!
Richa
It’s prob all of the above. I haven’t tried the simply organic garam masala, but if it has a lot more cardamom and cinnamon compared to coriander and cumin, Which is what non-Indian brands usually do, that along with turmeric which also has a bitter after profile, will add that flavor to the dish.
I suspect these two, if you’ve had the flavor in other dishes as you mention. Use a lesser amount. You can also make your own gram masala I have a quick garam masala recipe on the blog which is much more balanced flavor wise for indian food
Janine
Home run! Left the oil out, cooked the potatoes a bit longer, love it love it love it. Added a bit more water and spices because I prefer a little bit more sauciness. Thank you for sharing your Genius!
Kartik
Hi Richa,
I have always liked this dish , in the past I have made this dish more Bengali style with just the gobi & aloo. Tried your recipe in the instant pot and had some questions for you:
1. The paste / sauce of onion, tomatoes, green chilli and ginger garlic, in spite of sauteing with the potatoes and spices I could still feel the raw onion taste. Is there something that I am missing ?
2. The “0” mins on high pressure is not working for me, am trying to do 2 mins and NPR. I guess it is more to do with the type of potatoes , cauliflower. Is that a fair assumption ?
Looking forward to hearing from you. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Regards,
Kartik
Vegan Richa Support
Hi Kartik thanks. I suggest sauteing the paste before adding the potatoes for a couple of minutes. NPR ? did the potatoes and cauliflower turn out undercooked or are you having an issue with the pressure settings?
Kartik
I will try the approach again.
The potatoes and cauliflower turned out under cooked, when I cooked them again at “0” high pressure, they turned out mushy. The long and short of it was that I had to plan an alternative on that day. Will try the dish again, and hope it turns out better. Thank you for responding. Kartik
Claudine
Ahhhhh-mazing!!! I never thought that I could top restaurant aloo gobi, but since it is one of my absolute favorites it was worth a try… you nailed it! Thank you!! I’ve been using my IP, but since reading the comments I think I will try the skillet version next time (I’ve made 3 or 4 times in the IP).
I double the recipe and I’m super lazy, so I use a can of tomatoes (drained). I also use the cumin seed at the beginning and fresh turmeric (I blend with the other blendables). My family loves it! I alternate between serving with rice and garlic naan (based on time), but it stands on its own.
Truly, thanks for a great recipe!!
Hank
Was the first recipe I tried in my new Insta Pot. Turned out great. Usually I like meat dishes, but have been looking for vegetarian options. Thanks for the recipe!
Richa
yay
lucy
Great recipe – thank you! I’m new to instant pot and made this in mine tonight. added some coriander to the tomato mix as i had it in fridge and used 1/2 tin tinned tomatoes instead of fresh. worked out perfectly served with store bought naan breads.
Riya
Will make it for tomorrows lunch … 🙂
nice and easy recipe…
Vidya
Wonderful recipe Richa! Made this yesterday with some green peas and coconut milk added in. It was a hearty meal with wholewheat parathas. Thanks for the recipe!
Richa
awesome
Karen
Hi Richa – I have your Vegan Richa cookbook. I absolutely love it and use it a lot. Delighted that you offer IP Recipes online too. I just purchased an Instant Pot and I am trying things out. Your Aloo Gobi recipe came out perfect. I tried some recipes from an Indian IP cookbook for which I am grateful, but it offers limited dishes. However, it is good practice with the machine. For the past 20 years, my diet is 90% Indian.
So if you come up with an IP book of your own, Richa, I would be thrilled.
Karen
Richa
Thats awesome! I am currrently writing one. It takes a while to finish up a book, but keep your eyes out for when it goes for pre-order
Jane Clay
Delicious! Just wish I had cooked double, or triple. This will become a staple.
Richa
awesome!
Heather
Looking forward to making this for a big group! Question: Can I use canned tomatoes?
Richa
cauliflower in larger amounts will turn to mush under pressure. Use my skillet version or baked version for a big serving size. veganricha.com/?s=gobi+aloo
Bea
Followed the recipe exactly and ended up with hard potatoes, soggy cauliflower and the burn warning from my instant pot. I’ve never had anything burn in the instant pot before. Ended up wasting a whole head of fresh cauliflower. Even if I hadn’t gotten the burn notice and undercooked potatoes, the resulting sauce was bland. The amount of recommended spices are not enough for the recipe. I’ll be going back to my step-mother’s recipe. It may take hours but I guess it goes to show you can’t rush quality.
Richa
The potato cubes might have been too large. Veggies in Instant pot are tricky and this dish is easier in a skillet. If you got a burn signal, that could have thrown off the heating and hence the potatoes didnt cook. but the heat was enough to cook the cauliflower. Some Instant pot models are more sensitive, so you have to mix well to pick up any stuck bits, use slightly more liquid content and let the pot cool for a few mins after saute, before closing. also the mixture is still veggies. You can cook it on the stove top with additional water until potatoes are tender, the cauliflower will become mush. Just blend it up for a soup. Add more spices to taste. Or mix the blended potato cauliflower into any dal or curry. it adds volume and creamyness.
Julia
Made this tonight! This was SUPER delicious! Really quick and easy to make!❤️
Richa
awesome!
ErinVeg
Such a quick easy recipe. I’ve tried to make other Indian recipes in the past that never came out quite right. This is spot on and smells and tastes amazing. Thanks for the no fail recipe and I can’t wait to try your other ones.
Richa
yay
Dawn
How long would this last in the fridge? I wouldn’t freeze it because of the potatoes but guessing it would be okay for a few days?
Nana
You should never cover your instant pot while in Sautee mode. The instructions say that.
Richa
Its not fully covered, the lid has a steam hole.
Julia
much better than the premade aloo gobi seasoning packets. not as oily and delicious as restaurant aloo gobi- probably for the better. it hits the spot and I’m glad that it uses such a low amount of oil. much healthier and still super tasty. definitely will remake- i will try a diff variation of timing bc i did find the cauli mushier but potatoes perfect (used low pressure for 2 min). might try baking the cauliflower first and adding in last because i do like a crispy cauli. thank you!
Richa
Awesome! Yes baked cauliflower at the end will be perfect in it.
Prasan
when you say “Blend the onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, green chile until smooth” just to confirm, you have to put it in a blender?
Thanks
Richa
yes
Alison
The ingredient list says ground cumin but the directions say cumin seeds. I’m confused. Help!! 🙂
Richa
its ground. The cumin seeds are optional, hence the instruction is in brackets. if you use them, they are in addition to the listed spices. Otherwise just add the ground cumin and other spices on the step where it says to add all spices.
Alison Mengali
Great! Thank you so much! Can’t wait to make this!
Marion
Made it this evening in the IP. Came out perfect. I added a can of coconut milk because my husband likes creamy Indian dishes and it was very delicious. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Richa
awesome!
Sonya
What if you don’t have a glass lid?
Vegan Richa Support
You could try a lid from another pot
Kylie Glessing
I made this, and it turned out really well. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Richa
Awesome!
Sunita
You are so right – using IP creates a depth of flavors that’s not obtained in the skillet. I’m so glad I tried it in IP. It was so easy and husband declared it to be the best Aloo Gobi ever and I’ve been making it in the skillet for 20 years. Only adjustment I will make is to reduce the Manual pressure time. It was just slightly overcooked even though I released the pressure right away.
Richa
I think i meant the other way around, that certain dishes are better made in a skillet, like aloo gobi. I like it much more in a skillet cooked at low temperature for maximum flavor infusion 🙂
Sunita
Hah – 🙂 then my brain must have switched it around because it certainly was better in IP than in the skillet. And I used a teaspoon of EVOO in IP along with some vegetable broth.
Monica
Richa, Richa, Richa! My husband loves aloo gobi and I have never been able to make it to perfection until now. Thank you so much!
Elodie
Hi Richa,
I’ve already did this recipe but i’d like to double it with my IP. How should i adjust the time?
Thanks in advance for your answer
Richa
I would still do 0 minutes With the larger amount the pot will take longer to come to pressure and the food will cook in that time.
Wout Thielemans
Made it today, first instant pot recipe ever! And it turned out great (I didn’t really measure the spices precisely, but the end result was full of flavor and very satisfying). I made it with organic red and violet potatoes. It would probably also work very well with sweet potatoes, I think.
Nicole
Love this recipe! I only wished it was a little creamier. Maybe add some coconut milk? Or pureė some potato to add to the liquid? Will experiment when I try this again…. and again…. and again…. ????
Richa
Great! Yes, you can add in some cashew cream or coconut milk/ream. Traditionally Aloo Gobi doesnt have any a creamy sauce. it is usually a dry side or just slightly wet with a tomato or onion sauce, mainly because it is served with curries or dals which is very soupy. But you can adjust the recipe to preference.
Nicole
Gotcha! I need to make new friends that can show me how to eat all this delicious food the right way! I made it as the main dish. Love trying your recipes!
Shawna
Turned out really well! So easy and quick, I can make it during the weekday after work. I used my usual blend of Indian spices instead of garam masala, and it worked just fine. Any idea when I might be able to throw in some frozen peas? Thanks for another great instant pot recipe.
Richa
It depends on how you like the peas. I would add them with the cauliflower as i like them well cooked. For greener just cooked peas, that them while the IP is cooking and then add to the pot immediately after opening and mix in, then close the lid or just cover. The heat in the pot will cook them in 2 to 3 minutes.
Sarah
Hmm, I used even more tomatoes, so more liquid, and have tried three times to put it on manual, but each time it overheats and the pot shuts off, because there’s not enough liquid. How do you avoid that?
Richa
Hmm. Maybe try a smaller amount of veggies. Like half the recipe. I havent had that problem with this recipe as there is enough liquid. Maybe the liquid is evaporating too much during the simmering as the lid isnt fitting or something. You can add some liquid back. Try half the recipe, simmer the potatoes for only 2 minutes,add a 1/4 cup water back.
Kathie Rose
I loved this but I felt like it was missing something. Next time I’ll make more sauce and maybe add ?? for richness. Any suggestions? My husband added raisins to his and everything was cooked perfectly. 0 minutes, qpr
Richa
Adjust away to preference. Add more tomatoes and sauce ingredients or add some cashew cream in the end
Estelle
Loving the fact that it’s an Instant Pot recipe!
This will be made as soon as i can get my hands on the ingredients. It’s not cauliflower season in part part of the world yet but soon, very soon 🙂
Cassie Autumn Tran
I love aloo gobi! It’s delicious! Funny, because it is the only way I love my white potatoes!
Kristen Stycket
Could anyone let me know who has the sufficient expertise / experience the following:
How do Crock Pots work for making curries? Thanks in advance.
Sabine
“I would make this in IP for a larger quantity for entertaining and such.” Uh, I think making this entire recipe in my IP will be quite entertaining for me, myself, and I. Aloo gobi is my favourite! Many thanks. Off to make it right now.
Richa
😀 On an average day for a smaller portion 🙂 . Coz it takes the same amount of time. Let me know how it turned out!
Sabine
It turned out fantastic! As soon as I caught a whiff of the blended tomatoes, ginger, and garlic I knew it was going to be delicious. And I’ve got leftovers for another meal. Thank you.
Richa
Awesome!
Rashmi
Richa, I followed the exact same method except that after adding gobi, I selected Manual 1 min HP since I like Gobi not cooked completely but turned out my Gobi had become extremely mushy 🙁 I hardly could see any pieces even after QR ! I did not add too much water too while grinding. What might have gone wrong ?
Richa
Did you release the pressure immediately? Larger cauliflower florets work better under pressure, maybe they were a bit small. The time the IP or pressure cooker is coming to pressure also adds to the cook time. Sometimes it might take longer to come to pressure which overcooks the food. So cooking the potatoes helps with increasing the temperature and reducing the time it takes to come to pressure. Maybe the potato mixture needed another few minutes of cooking to evaporate more moisture, you can cook it 1-2 minutes without the cover. Also, try 0 minutes on manual and release the pressure immediately.
For the current mush, if its too mushy :(, you add add a pav bhaji tadka and mash into a pav bhaji :).
Rashmi
I released the pressure as soon as it was done.. maybe next time I will try without the cover. Yes you read my mind 🙂 mushy aloo gobi turned out to be tasty pav bhaji and I loved it 🙂
Richa
Yes Pav Bhaji for the win! Let me know if 0 minutes work out. Also note the time the IP is taking to come to pressure. Maybe we can troubleshoot whats happening.
Tom
I’ve discovered that tomatoes retard the softening time of potatoes when you cook them together in the same pot. It takes a very long time to soften the potatoes. Tomatoes may affect the cooking of some beans (e.g. kidney) in a similar way. Has anyone noticed this?
Thanks for the aloo gobi recipe, it’s one of my favorites, and thanks for including the recipe for cooking in a skillet, which is my preferred method.
Richa
Yes, its more about the acidic environment. So a large amount of tomatoes or vinegar or other acidic ingredient might do it. The quantity of the tomatoes have to be quite a lot to affect the cooking time of potatoes. In recipes like this one, there is more vegetable than tomato, so it works out fine.
Meera
My mom used to say that if you add tomatoes, lemon juice etc, (anything sour) you need to increase cooking time.