Instant Pot Aloo Gobi is perfectly seasoned with Indian spices and makes a wonderful vegetarian main dish or side dish for an Indian-themed meal. This Indian Cauliflower with Potatoes recipe is so quick and easy, you can have it on the dinner table within minutes.
Aloo Gobi is one of those dishes that you’ll find on any Indian restaurant menu and is a simple dish made in Indian homes every day. Aloo Gobi (pronounced aa-loo go-bee) is translated from Hindi as ‘Potatoes Cauliflower’. I love cauliflower and since I’m always looking for new recipes I can make in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, I had to figure out how to make Instant Pot Aloo Gobi.
The main challenge with making cauliflower in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker 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. Some Indian Cauliflower and Potatoes recipes have a curry or gravy and some are more dry. I like to make the drier version.
My goal was to create a drier dish without overcooking the cauliflower. 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 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.
There are a few things to watch out for. Don’t cut the cauliflower too small. Cut them into florets that are about 1 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide. Cut the potatoes into about 1-inch cubes. 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.
And 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 ‘Saute’ mode for a couple of minutes at the end. When you finish cooking the cauliflower, you might have some brown bits stuck to the bottom of the inner pot. Carefully stir the cauliflower to incorporate these bits – provided they’re not burnt – they give a caramelization effect, which is really tasty.
I love to make this as a side dish to Instant Pot Chicken Curry or Instant Pot Beef Curry served with some Instant Pot Basmati Rice or naan. If you’d like to try a non-Instant Pot version, check out my delicious Indian Roasted Cauliflower with Potatoes recipe.
If you’re new to the Instant Pot and aren’t familiar with how to use it, please read the Instant Pot Manual / Beginner’s Quick Start Guide blog post first and then come back here to learn how to make Instant Pot Aloo Gobi.
Easy Instant Pot Aloo Gobi Ingredients
Easy Instant Pot Aloo Gobi Step-by-Step Instructions
- Press ‘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.
- Turn Instant Pot off by pressing ‘Keep Warm/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 1/2 cup water and stir to scrape up all the brown bits.
- Add potatoes.
- Close Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
- Press ‘Manual’ and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘4’ (4 minutes)
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- The display will count down from 4 to 0; it will switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0;00’.
- Do a quick release: move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- It’s now safe to open the Instant Pot. (Press ‘Keep Warm/Cancel’ to turn off Instant Pot.)
- Stir in Cauliflower.
- Close Instant Pot Lid, and make sure steam release handle is in the ‘Sealing’ position.
- Press ‘Manual’ and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until display reads ‘0’ (0 minutes)
- Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
- Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
- When the time has elapsed, the display will switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’.
- Do a quick release again: Move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’.
- When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
- It’s now safe to open the Instant Pot. (Press ‘Keep Warm/Cancel’ to turn off Instant Pot.)
- Stir to incorporate any brown bits into the dish. Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Instant Pot Aloo Gobi | Indian Cauliflower with Potatoes
Cook
Total
Yield 6 servings
Instant Pot Aloo Gobi is perfectly seasoned with Indian spices and makes a wonderful vegetarian main dish or side dish for an Indian-themed meal. This Indian Cauliflower with Potatoes recipe is so quick and easy, you can have it on the dinner table within minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp ghee (or butter)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 1 Tbsp ginger, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced (optional)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp Indian chili powder or cayenne pepper (or taste)
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
- 3/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups potatoes, cubed into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small head of cauliflower, cut into 1 1/4 inch wide pieces (about 4 cups)
- 2 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Press ‘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.
- Turn Instant Pot off.
- 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.
- Cook on 'Manual' mode for 4 minutes.
- Do a quick release of pressure.
- Stir in Cauliflower.
- Close Instant Pot again and cook on 'Manual' mode for 0 (zero) minutes.
- Do a quick release again.
- Carefully stir to incorporate any brown bits into the dish.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro.
Notes
- 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.
Courses Main Dish
Cuisine Indian
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 serving (6 servings total)
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 98 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 3 g | 5% | |
Saturated Fat 2 g | 10% | |
Sodium 321 mg | 13% | |
Total Carbohydrates 14 g | 5% | |
Dietary Fiber 1 g | 4% | |
Sugars 4 g | ||
Protein 3 g | 6% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
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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