Learn how to make Instant Pot Aloo Gobi recipe– a delicious classic vegetarian Indian dish also known as cauliflower and potato curry. Serve as a side, over rice or with a side of naan bread. It’s vegan and gluten-free friendly.
What Is Aloo Gobi?
Aloo Gobi is a vegetarian Indian dish also known as potatoes (aloo) and cauliflower (gobi), in which these vegetables are cooked with onions, tomatoes and spices.
Potatoes and cauliflower are a great match! Cooking with herbs and spices brings out potatoes’ earthy flavours and cauliflower’s nuttiness, and that delicious sauce gets absorbed into the vegetables while they are in the pan. Plus, you have that beautiful contrast of textures: soft potatoes and slightly crunchy cauliflower.
It’s a one-pot, comforting dish that’s a little bit like a curry but less saucy.
Instant Pot Aloo Gobi
In our Aloo Gobi Instant Pot recipe, you first saute the cauliflower to get golden brown skin. You then make the curry sauce of onions, garlic, ginger, spices and tomatoes (also on Saute and follow that with pressure cooking the potatoes in that sauce. The final step is to mix the cauliflower with the potatoes and the spiced sauce. It’s easy and turns out very aromatic and full of flavor.
What To Serve With Aloo Gobi?
This dish can be served as a vegetable side or as a main dish. Oftentimes, it will be served as part of the mains on an Indian dinner table. Cauliflower and potatoes are great over rice or with a side of naan bread or roti.
Aloo Gobi Ingredients
Here are the key ingredients you will need to make this dish. See the recipe card below for the full list and amounts.
- Cauliflower – you will need a medium head of cauliflower cut into small florets. Make sure to cut the larger florets into halves to make sure they all cook evenly.
- Potatoes – any potatoes can be used, something like Russets will be perfect. Choose two large ones or three smaller ones, they can be peeled or otherwise washed and well-scrubbed.
- Aromatics – onions, ginger and garlic are a classic trio of aromatics in many Indian dishes. Fresh garlic and ginger are best but you can use pre-minced stuff out of a jar or tube.
- Spices – cumins seeds are they main spice and it is authentic to use the seeds and high recommend getting those; other spices include garam masala, turmeric and coriander see powder, and a little chili. These are all easy to find in most supermarkets.
- Diced tomatoes – you can use a few ripe tomatoes but a can of sweet diced tomatoes or fire-roasted tomatoes is just as good and much more convenient.
Variations & Additions
For extra protein – add a can of strainer chickpeas or pan-fried tofu cubes for a vegetarian dish or stir in some pre-cooked chicken or shrimp if you’re an omnivore.
Potato swap – avoiding white potatoes, use sweet potatoes instead.
Cauliflower swap – Broccoli could be used instead of cauliflower if the other isn’t available or out of season. Shredded cabbage works quite well with potatoes and spiced tomato sauce.
Make it coconuty and creamy – stir in a cup of coconut cream or thickened part of coconut milk to turn this into a creamier, saucier curry, it’s quite delicious! Regular cream can be used instead of coconut cream.
You will find the full recipe with ingredients and nutritional breakdown in the recipe card below.
There are four simple parts to making Aloo Gobi in the pressure cooker. The first part is to Saute the cauliflower to get a little golden brown crust. The second part is to cook the onions, tomatoes and spices into a sauce. The third part is to pressure cook the potatoes in this sauce. And the final step is to stir the cauliflower back into the dish.
Let’s break it down with step-by-step photos and video. You can use a 6-quart or 8-quart Instant Pot.
Step 1. Prepare the vegetables. Cut cauliflower into small florets and potatoes into small cubes.
Step 2. Turn the Instant Pot on and choose the Saute setting. Add two tablespoons of olive and add cauliflower. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple of times, they should get a little golden crust. Remove from the pot.
Step 3. Add another tablespoon of oil followed by cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes till translucent.
Step 4. Add the minced ginger and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes or till the raw smell goes away.
Step 5. Follow with the spices: turmeric, chili, garam masala and coriander seed powder. Stir through briefly and add the chopped tomatoes. Cook together for 1 minute.
Step 6. Add the diced potatoes, salt and1/2 cup water and stir everything through well.
Step 7. Secure and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook for 1 minute on HIGH pressure. Once the timer is done, quick release the pressure and open the lid.
Step 8. Set the Instant Pot back to Saute mode and add back the cauliflower florets and sugar. Stir through and cook for 3-4 minutes together with potatoes and sauce or until the cauliflower texture is to your liking (it should be more crunchy than the potatoes).
Finish the aloo gobi with fresh cilantro sprinkled on top. Serve with rice and naan bread or roti.
How To Store Leftovers
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
Reheat: You can use a microwave or a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally, and if needed, add a splash of water or broth to thin out the sauce.
Freeze: Leftover Aloo Gobi is great for freezing for 2-3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Instant Pot Indian Recipes
- Instant Pot Spinach Rice (Indian Palak Pulao)
- Instant Pot Tikka Masala With Chickpeas & Sweet Potato (Vegan)
- Instant Pot Lamb Curry With Tomato & Coconut
- Easy Instant Pot Butter Chicken
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Instant Pot Aloo Gobi Recipe
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 3.5 tbsp olive oil
- 1 head cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 potatoes large, peeled and cubed
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp grated garlic 2 cloves
- 2 tsp grated ginger thumb-size piece
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp coriander seed powder
- ¼ tsp red chili powder
- 1 can diced tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Cut cauliflower into small florets and potatoes into small cubes.
- Turn the Instant Pot on and choose the Saute setting. Add two tablespoons of olive and add cauliflower. Fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring a couple of times, they should get a little golden crust. Remove from the pot.
- Add another tablespoon of oil followed by cumin seeds and let them crackle. Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes till translucent.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for another 2 minutes or till the raw smell goes away.
- Follow with the spices: turmeric, chili, garam masala and coriander seed powder. Stir through briefly and add the chopped tomatoes. Cook together for 1 minute.
- Add the diced potatoes, salt and 1/2 cup water and stir everything through well.
- Secure and lock the lid. Set to Pressure Cook for 1 minute on HIGH pressure. Once the timer is done, quick release the pressure and open the lid.
- Set the Instant Pot back to Saute mode and add back the cauliflower florets and sugar. Stir through and cook for 3-4 minutes together with potatoes and sauce or until the cauliflower texture is to your liking (it should be more crunchy than the potatoes).
- Finish the aloo gobi with fresh cilantro sprinkled on top. Serve with rice and naan bread or roti.
Although the dish tasted good I was never able to get the instapot to pressurize because it would go to burn. By the time I cleaned out the pot three times the potatoes were already cooked. So I would not consider this an instapot recipe but a regular stovetop recipe.