Name: Aloo Gobi Matar
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 150 g Cauliflower, cut into medium florets; 1 Potato, medium, peeled and cubed; ¼ cup Green Peas, fresh or frozen; ½ Onion, finely chopped; 1 Tomato, finely chopped; ½ inch Ginger, julienned (thin slices); 1 Green Chili Pepper, slit; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; ¼ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¾ tsp Ground Coriander; ¼ tsp Red Chilli Powder; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ½ tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed; 1 tbsp Cooking Oil, mustard oil preferred; ½ tsp Salt, to taste; 1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

40 mintotal

Prep 15 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Method

Heat a portion of the cooking oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan. Add the potato cubes and cauliflower florets. Shallow fry them with a pinch of the turmeric and salt for 5-7 minutes until their edges sear and develop light brown spots. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.
5–7 min
In the same pan, heat the remaining cooking oil. Toss in the cumin seeds and allow them to crackle to release their earthy aroma.
Add the finely chopped onions and fry continuously until they soften and turn a light, translucent golden color.
Add the ginger juliennes and the slit green chilli and sauté for a minute to take the raw edge off the ginger.
Add the chopped tomatoes with the coriander powder, red chilli powder, remaining turmeric and salt. Cook the masala down until the tomatoes break into a soft mass and the oil separates at the edges.
Return the fried potatoes, cauliflower, and the green peas to the pan. Toss everything gently but thoroughly to ensure the thick masala coats every piece of vegetable evenly.
Cover the pan tightly with a lid and drop the heat to low. Cook undisturbed for 10-12 minutes. Do not add any liquid; the vegetables must steam-cook in their own natural moisture.
10–12 min
Once the potatoes yield easily to a fork and the cauliflower is tender but not falling apart, remove the lid. Sprinkle the garam masala and crushed dried fenugreek (kasuri methi) over the top, and toss gently to distribute.
Garnish generously with freshly chopped coriander and serve immediately.

How to tell it's done

The result should be a semi-dry, clinging sabzi. Every floret and cube must be cooked through perfectly while standing distinctly apart, enveloped tightly in the spiced onion-tomato reduction.

Getting it right

Tip

Shallow-frying the potatoes and cauliflower first is a dhaba technique worth keeping. It browns and seals the outside so the vegetables hold their shape instead of collapsing into a mush during the covered steaming at the end.

What to serve it with

An absolute lunchbox champion. Best served alongside hot, puffed Phulkas or layered Parathas with a cooling side of plain yogurt.

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