Aloo gobhi sabzi (Dry curry of cauliflower and potato)

Aloo gobhi sabzi is a classic Indian vegetable dry curry dish, cooked with potatoes and cauliflower. This version from Gunjan Aylawadi was passed down from her grandmother, to her mother, to her. Serve the aloo gobhi sabzi with boondi (tiny deep-fried chickpea balls) raita and roti.

• serves

  2

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• ghee, for cooking
• 1 tsp asafoetida
• 2 - 3 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 ½ cm x 3 cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 3 small green chillies, slit
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 cauliflower, cut into medium florets (leaves chopped roughly)
• 1 ½ tbsp salt
• 500 g potatoes, cut into 2 cm wedges, parboiled
• 200 g defrosted peas
• ¼ cup roughly chopped coriander
• garam masala, to taste
• roti, to serve

For the boondi raita 

• ¼ cup boondi (see Note)
• full-fat natural yoghurt
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• chilli powder, to taste

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick heavy bottomed saucepan, heat some ghee over medium heat. Add the asafoetida, cumin seeds and fry for a minute. Add the ginger and green chillies and fry for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the turmeric and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant.

2. Add the cauliflower florets and season well with salt and toss to coat the cauliflower well in the spices for 1-2 minutes. Add the parboiled potato wedges and toss well to coat the potato in the spices.

3. Add the cauliflower leaves and peas, then cover and cook on medium-low for 10-15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Open the pan, sprinkle with the coriander and garam masala to taste, then cover and cook for a further 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, to make the boondi raita, soak the boondi in warm water for 5 minutes, drain and combine with the yoghurt. Season to taste with salt, pepper and chilli powder.

6. Serve the aloo gobhi sabzi with the boondi raita and roti.

Note 

• Boondi (tiny, deep-fried balls made from chickpea flour) are a commonly used Indian ingredient to add crunch. They are available at your local Indian supermarkets.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.