This Instant Pot Aloo Gobi recipe is a classic Indian dish perfectly seasoned and it makes a wonderful vegetarian main dish or a side dish for an Indian-themed meal. This Instant Pot Cauliflower with Potatoes recipe is so quick and easy, you can have it on the dinner table within minutes.
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Table of Contents
Introduction
Aloo gobi is a very popular dish at Indian restaurants and it’s a simple enough to be made in Indian homes every day. Aloo Gobi (pronounced aa-loo go-bee) is translated from Hindi as ‘Potatoes Cauliflower’ and is a cauliflower curry that’s generally eaten with Indian flatbread called roti.
I love cauliflower and since I’m always looking for new recipes I can make in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker, I had to figure out how to make Instant Pot aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes). I also have a recipe for air fryer cauliflower and oven roasted cauliflower.
The main challenge with making pressure cooker cauliflower is that it can easily be overcooked. Cauliflower releases liquid and cooks very quickly in the Instant Pot. So it has a tendency to get soggy.
You can make an aloo gobi curry with more gravy or you can make it drier. I like to make the drier version. My goal was to create a perfect aloo gobi without overcooking the cauliflower. And the key to that is deciding how much water to add.
I had to add enough water to allow the Instant Pot to pressurize, without making the dish too watery. And I had to cook the Instant Pot cauliflower just right, so that it was neither mushy nor under-cooked.
It took a few tries, but I think I found just the right combination. I am super pleased with how it turned out.
TIPS AND SUBSTITUTIONS
Vegetables
In order to avoid overcooking, don’t cut the cauliflower too small. Cut them into large florets that are about 1 ¼ inches long and 1 inch wide. And when you wash the cauliflower florets, let them dry out a bit. I use a salad spinner to dry them out. The less water, the better, for this recipe.
Cut the potatoes into about 1 ¼ inch cubes.
If you wish to add green peas, add about ½ cup of frozen peas with the cauliflower. The Instant Pot may take a bit longer to come to pressure.
Cook time
Yes, you do cook the cauliflower for 0 minutes. After cooking the cauliflower, if you find that it’s not cooked enough, just close the Instant Pot again and let the cauliflower steam in the residual heat, or cook the aloo gobi in sauté mode for a couple of minutes at the end.
If your Instant Pot doesn’t have the option of pressure cooking for 0 minutes, you can pressure cook the cauliflower for 1 minute on high pressure or 2 minutes on low pressure.
If you want to try cooking both the potatoes and cauliflower together, rather than doing it in two steps, use small diced potatoes and pressure cook both vegetables for 1 minute on high pressure.
Deglazing
When you finish cooking the Instant Pot cauliflower, you might have some brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Carefully stir the cauliflower to incorporate these bits – provided they’re not burnt – they give a caramelization effect, which is really tasty.
Thickness
If you wish to make the dish less dry, add more water when you add the cauliflower. If there’s excess water at the end, heat the cauliflower and potato cubes in saute mode to let the liquid evaporate.
Spices
If you’re a fan of spicy food, feel free to increase the quantity of cayenne pepper or Kashmiri chili powder to 1 teaspoon.
I’ve had readers use curry powder instead of individual spice powders, and that’s a perfectly acceptable option.
Garam masala
If possible, use a homemade garam masala, preferably ground fresh. If you don’t have your own garam masala, here’s a quick recipe:
- 1 ½ tsp whole cloves (1 tsp powdered)
- 2 inch piece of cinnamon stick (1 tsp powdered)
- 30 cardamom pods (1 tsp powdered)
- ¼ nutmeg (½ tsp powdered)
- 1 tsp fennel seeds (1 tsp powdered)
- 2 pieces star anise (1 tsp powdered)
Grind in a coffee grinder or mix powders together and store in a cool dry place. The aroma is heavenly!!
Avoiding the Burn Message
I have not had any issues with the ‘Food burn’ message but it’s possible for some people to get the Burn message when making this recipe. Do the following to avoid the issue:
- After sauteing onions, deglaze really well. There should be nothing stuck to the bottom of the inner pot.
- Turn off the Instant Pot for a few minutes after sauteing.
- Add an extra ¼ cup of water.
FAQs
Double all ingredients but keep the cooking time.
You can add more chopped or sliced green chillies, more cayenne pepper or chili powder. You can also increase the flavor by increasing the quantity of all powdered spices.
Pressure cook the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes only.
Pressure cook the cauliflower for an additional minute or cut the cauliflower into smaller pieces or close the lid and let the cauliflower steam for a bit in the residual heat after cooking is complete.
To get more gravy, add extra water – about ¼ cup.
Yes, you can add about ½ cup of diced tomatoes on top of the potatoes, without stirring them in. You may need to add an extra ¼ cup of water to help you avoid the burn message.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, you might find it helpful to first read one of the following guides and then come back here to learn how to make this recipe.
- Instant Pot DUO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot ULTRA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO EVO PLUS Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO NOVA Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO GOURMET Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot DUO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO Beginner’s Manual
- Instant Pot PRO CRISP Beginner’s Manual
Instant Pot Aloo Gobi – Ingredients List
- Tomato paste
- Cumin powder
- Salt
- Red chili powder
- Coriander powder
- Potatoes
- Onions
- Garam masala
- Turmeric powder
- Ghee
- Ginger
- Cauliflower
- Cilantro
More details in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post
How to Make Aloo Gobi in the Instant Pot (Step by Step Instructions)
- Heat oil and add cumin
- Saute onions
- Saute spices and add potatoes
- Pressure cook
- Do a quick pressure release
- Add cauliflower
- Pressure cook
- Do a quick pressure release
Heat oil and add cumin
- Select Saute mode.
- Add ghee and heat till melted.
- Add cumin seeds and saute for 10 seconds, till fragrant.
Saute onions
- Stir in onion, ginger, jalapeno (if using).
- Cook until onion is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Turn Instant Pot off by pressing ‘Cancel’.
Saute spices and add potatoes
- Stir in turmeric, chili powder, coriander, garam masala and salt, and fry on residual heat till fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn.
- Deglaze with ½ cup water and stir to scrape up all the brown bits.
- Add potatoes.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 3 minutes
- Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in Sealing position
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads 3 (3 minutes).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 3 minutes
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 3 minutes (00:03).
Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Add cauliflower
- Add the cauliflower pieces to the Instant Pot.
Instant Pot Duo Pressure Cook 1 minute
- Close the lid and make sure the steam release handle is in the Sealing position.
- Press Manual (or Pressure Cook) and + or – until the display reads 1 (1 minute).
Instant Pot Ultra Pressure Cook 1 minute
- Close the lid.
- Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 1 minute (00:01).
- Press Start.
Pressure Cooking Process (Duo and Ultra)
- Instant Pot display will change to On.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down to 0; it will then switch to Keep Warm mode and display L0:00 or 00 00 and begin to count up the number of minutes since pressure cooking completed.
* You can also pressure cook for zero minutes, which will make the cauliflower tender but firm. Some Instant Pots allow you to program the cook time to 0 minutes. If you don’t have this capability, program the pressure cook to 1 minute and as soon as the display goes from On to 00:01, press Cancel.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the DUO
- Move the steam release handle to Venting. Steam will come out of the steam release handle.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
How to Quick Release Pressure (QR) on the ULTRA
- Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.
[Find out more about the pressure release methods and how and when to use them. ]
Instant Pot Aloo Gobi | Indian Cauliflower with Potatoes
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ghee or butter
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cup onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and sliced (optional)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Kashmiri chili powder or cayenne pepper (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
- ½ cup water
- 2 cups potatoes cubed into 1 ¼ inch pieces
- 1 small head of cauliflower cut into 1- inch wide pieces (about 4 cups)
- 2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Select Saute, add ghee, and heat till melted.
- Add cumin seeds and saute for 10 seconds, till fragrant.
- Stir in onion, ginger, jalapeno (if using).
- Cook until onion is golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Press Cancel.
- Stir in turmeric, chili powder, coriander, garam masala and salt, and fry on residual heat till fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn.
- Deglaze with water and stir to scrape up all the brown bits.
- Add potatoes and close Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook on High Pressure for 3 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Stir in Cauliflower.
- Close Instant Pot again and pressure cook on High Pressure for 0 minutes or low pressure for 2 minutes. *
- Do a quick release again.
- Carefully stir to incorporate any brown bits into the dish.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Prep time does not include steps that are already accounted for in the ingredient list, e.g. chopped onions, minced garlic, cubed potatoes, etc.
- Optional: squeeze lime juice over aloo gobi at the end of cooking to give it a slightly tart flavor.
- If your cauliflower is large, you can increase the spice quantities as needed.
- This recipe is quite dry. If you like aloo gobi to have some gravy, add an extra ¼ cup of water.
- * If your Instant Pot doesn’t have the option to pressure cook for zero minutes, program it for 1 minute, and as soon as the display goes from On to 00:01, press Cancel.
- See the blog post for more detailed recipe tips, including homemade garam masala.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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More Cauliflower Recipes
Air Fryer Cauliflower Recipe
Indian Roasted Cauliflower
Maria
This is delicious!!! I had this at a restaurant a little bit ago and fell in love with it. Thanks for such a well written recipe. I will definitely add it to my dinner rotation.
Paint the Kitchen Red
I’m so glad you liked it – thank you for taking the time to comment and rate the recipe. Much appreciated.
Rose duBois
Thank you for this wonderful techniques Neena. I’ve not had much luck prior with veggies in the Instant Pot. I like them Al dente and they always came out too mushy for my taste. I wanted to do a S Indian dish so I modified the spices and added cabbage (with the cauliflower). I also added carrots with the potatoes. Absolutely delicious!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Rose! I’m glad you liked it.
Barbara Aquaro
This was a very good Instant Pot recipe
for Gobi Aloo. Thank you!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Barbara, thank you so much for commenting. I’m very glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Mona
Hi! If I make this without aloo, how would you cook the cauliflower?
Paint the Kitchen Red
Mona, I would just cook it for 0 to 1 minute, depending on how well done you like it.
Saaz pettitt
Finally I found an aloo gobhi recipe which
Cooks both aloo and gobhi perfectly. Thanks Neena, for your superb instructions. I can only imagine how much effort you must be putting in to get these instructions so perfect!
Paint the Kitchen Red
Thank you, Saaz! Your comment really makes it worthwhile, because sometimes I wonder if I put too much detail into my directions 🙂
Shristi
This was delicious! I was intimidated and put off trying this recipe for a while. I have such a hard time getting cauliflower to taste great on the stove top, plus it takes forever. But this will be my new favorite way to cook cauliflower!
I added a little extra water at the end because I like it a little mushier, but besides that, I followed everything else. Thank you Neena for the last few years of great IP recipes! 🙂
Paint the Kitchen Red
Hi Shristi, you’re one of my first readers and I hope you know how much I appreciate you! Insert heart emojis here 🙂