Aloo Gobi

Aloo gobi (potato and cauliflower curry) is a dry-style North Indian sabzi — potatoes and cauliflower cooked together in a masala of onion, tomato, ginger, garlic, and warming spices until the vegetables are tender but not mushy, and the sauce has reduced to a thick, clingy coating. The dish is deliberately dry — not soupy. It is the workhorse of the Indian vegetable repertoire.

Punjab and northern India. Aloo gobi is a staple of Punjabi home cooking, eaten daily in homes across the region. It is served with chapati (the everyday bread of North India), not rice. The simplicity of the dish belies the precision required in the bhuna base.

Chapati (whole wheat flatbread) and dal makhani — aloo gobi in North India is always served as part of a thali with bread, lentils, and yoghurt. It is a supporting dish in a composed meal, not a standalone.

Potatoes: waxy variety (Desiree or Yukon Gold), cut into 3cm cubes — floury potatoes disintegrate during cooking Cauliflower: cut into large florets (4-5cm) — small florets overcook before the potatoes are done The masala: fry onion until deep golden, add ginger-garlic paste, cook off the raw smell, add tomato and cook until the oil separates — this bhuna base is what gives aloo gobi its depth Spices: cumin seeds bloomed in oil first, then turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, Kashmiri chilli — added to the onion-tomato base Dry cooking technique: add the vegetables to the masala, toss to coat, then cover and cook over low heat — no added water. The steam from the vegetables themselves cooks them Finish: uncover for the final 5 minutes to dry out any excess moisture and develop a slight char on the potato edges