Aloo Gobi Matar translates to “Potato Cauliflower Peas”. This dish is a complex dish made using these three simple ingredients. In India, this version of aloo gobi is often served at celebrations by professional caterers for special occasions such as weddings. It is often made in large vats to serve many people.
About This Recipe
Aloo Gobi Matar is traditionally cooked by deep-frying each vegetable individually, then slow-cooking them together in a sauce. To keep this recipe simple but maintain the rich flavors, I use the Instant Pot and saute the vegetable individually, then cook them together under pressure.
With this Instant Pot method, this dish becomes something practical you can make for your family for an excellent weeknight vegetarian entree that is packed with flavor.
Ingredients
Potatoes – Aloo. They are cut into large chunks to retain shape through sauteeing and pressure cooking.
Cauliflower – Gobi, also cut into large pieces for the same reason. Cut them even larger than I’ve shown to maintain big chunks is you like the texture.
Peas – Matar, add some protein and additional variation in texture to this dish.
Tomatoes – form the sauce
Turmeric
Kasoori methi
Chili powder
Dhana jeeru – Dhana jeeru is a blend of coriander and cumin. If you don’t have dhana jeeru use 1 part cumin to 2 parts coriander.
Garam masala
Serving
Aloo gobi matar is restaurant food and goes well with a nice, thick flatbread like naan, kulcha, or paratha. Serve it with rice, jeera rice or turmeric rice to dress it up a bit. And serve it with a simple cucumber raita.
Cooking Tip
- This recipe uses a lot more oil than many of my other shaak/sabzi (curries). It needs the oil to get all of the ingredients adequately sauteed (“bhunao” in Hindi), to get the right flavors and textures. Don’t skimp on the oil.
- Cut the cauliflower into larger pieces, especially if you don’t want tiny disintegrated pieces of cauliflower. 2” chunks.
- Individually sauteeing the cauliflower and potato beforehand helps to create caramelization and prevent that undesired boiled vegetable flavor that would happen if they were pressure cooked from raw.
- I use fresh English peas in this recipe. You can use frozen, but I would not add them before pressure cooking if using frozen. Instead, add them after the pressure is released. Boil on saute mode for 2 minutes after adding. Fresh English peas have more texture and are not cloying like frozen peas..
Variations
- Frozen peas
- Canned tomato in place of fresh
- Many people add a little beet to the recipe to give it a bright red color which is authentic to halwai or dhaba styles. Half a chopped-up beet will do; add it before pressure cooking.
Refrigerating
Refrigerates well for up to 4 days. It freezes beautifully, and works great as a meal prep lunch, served with some whole wheat roti or paratha and brown basmati rice.
Recipe
Aloo Gobi Matar
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cauliflower cut into 2” florets
- 2 medium potatoes cut into 2” pieces
- ½ cup peas
- 3 Tbsp ghee or oil
- 2 medium onions finely chopped
- ½ cup yogurt whisked
- 2 cups tomatoes pureed
- 2 green chilies
- 1 Tbsp dhana jeeru
- 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ cup cilantro
- 1 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ Tbsp kasoori methi dried fenugreek leaves
- ½ cup water
- 1 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Lemon juice
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Heat 1/2 tablespoon of ghee or oil. Saute cauliflower florets until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Heat another 1/2 tablespoon of ghee. Sautee the potatoes until lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
- Heat the remaining ghee. Add cumin seeds, and let them sizzle for a few seconds. Then add the onions. Cook until the onions are softened.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste. Cook for about a minute until the paste is golden.
- Add turmeric, garam masala, dhana jeeru, and chili powder. Stir and cook for about 10 seconds to let the spices bloom.
- Add the tomato puree and deglaze, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and oil floats on top.
- Add the whisked yogurt. Stir and reduce until thickened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and cauliflower. Stir until well-coated with the sauce. Add peas, green chilies, salt, and water. Stir.
- Pressure cook on high pressure for 7 minutes, followed by natural pressure release for 10 minutes, and remove the lid.
- Add kasoori methi, cilantro, and lemon juice. Stir to combine and serve.