This incredibly tasty Indian dish is a longtime favorite of mine, and I've finally cracked the code on how I can best make it at home. Aloo Gobi, a naturally vegan cauliflower and potato curry scented with turmeric and cumin, is a perfect candidate for sheet pan cooking.
This simple recipe for Aloo Gobi requires just a handful of inexpensive ingredients and is best served over rice with warm naan and cool raita. It's the rent week meal of my dreams!!
Table of contents
Why You Should Make This Recipe Right Now
Bright in color (beautiful sunshine yellow!) and in flavor, Aloo Gobi is extra comforting this time of year. Garam masala, ginger and turmeric lend warmth to this traditional Indian dish, and the zing of fresh lime juice is vibrant enough to wake up even the sleepiest of senses.
Right about now, smack in the midst of winter weather, I'm almost always cold. It doesn't matter that I bundle up, wear socks and leg warmers, crank a space heater under the desk and cuddle with the doggies as often as possible. I'm just *chilly.* So it should come as no surprise to you that I'm basically always itching for a reason to turn the oven on.
This recipe for aloo gobi is near and dear to my heart because the veggies are prepared on a sheet pan. Not only does that mean I get to crank my oven - thus heating my eco-mode house a few degrees - it also means that the cauliflower and potato end with with perfect caramelized edges that send my flavor tasters to nirvana.
The prep time is minimal, requiring just a few minutes with a chef's knife and cutting board. And the sauce cooks in the same amount of time that it takes your veggies to roast. Oh! Did I mention that it costs just about a dollar per serving? Yep, this meal is yummy and cheap. Which is just one reason that it's become a staple in our house as of late.
How to Make Cumin Scented Rice
While I was living in Philadelphia, I had the pleasure and privilege of meeting Vivek Shah. Born and raised in Mumbai, he is one of the kindest souls I've ever met and I'm so grateful to be able to count him among my friends. He also happens to be one helluva cook, and we spent many an evening bonding over our mutual love of food.
Vivu taught me a boatload about Indian cuisine, but the one trick that will never escape me was his way of cooking rice. Turns out that if you add a bit of cumin seed and whole peppercorn to the rice with the salt, the entire pot takes on heightened flavors and your meal will be that much more delectable. And those bites where a whole peppercorn live? They're the best.
While any type of long grain rice will do, I generally lean towards either basmati or jasmine rice for their light, almost perfumed flavor. Following package directions (because some types of rice require more liquid than others), stir together rinsed rice, water, salt, cumin seeds and peppercorns.
Bring the whole pot to a boil, give it a final stir, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and simmer undisturbed for about 12-15 minutes. There should be no water left when you tip it to one side. If there is, let it continue cooking a few minutes longer.
Remove from heat and leave the lid on. This will keep the rice nice and hot in the meantime. When you're ready to serve everything up, remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Yum!
How to Roast Potatoes and Cauliflower
Roasting vegetables is one of my favorite ways to prepare them. Not only is it incredibly easy, but it also does a wonderful job of coaxing the most flavor out of just about any kind of veggies without risking that they'll go mushy on you.
First, line your sheet pan with some parchment or a Silpat. This will aid in a fast and painless cleanup process. Preheat the oven to 450F.
Next, add your sliced potatoes and cauliflower florets to the sheet pan. Drizzle with a few glugs of olive oil, sprinkle with a 2-3 five-finger pinches of kosher salt and about a teaspoon each of cumin seeds and red pepper flakes, then mix everything together. I usually use my hands for this process, but feel free to use a spatula if that's more your style.
TIP: If you used your hands, be sure to wash them thoroughly before touching your eyes or using the restroom. God forbid you get a red pepper flake where it doesn't belong!
Once the oven is nice and hot, place the sheet pan around the middle of the oven. Roast for about 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and flip all the veggies. Return for another 10-15 minutes, until cauliflower and potatoes are golden brown and fork tender.
How to Make Aloo Gobi Sauce
While the veggies are roasting, it's time to make that delicious aloo gobi sauce. Yet another trick I learned from sweet Vivu is the process of tadka, or tempering herbs and spices in oil. The fat does a wonderful job of pulling out all of the nuanced flavors of the spices, plus has the added benefit of getting your kitchen smelling yummy ASAP.
In your sauté pan, heat the oil until it's shimmering but not smoking. Add the cumin seeds, turmeric and garam masala. Stir frequently for about a minute, until the cumin seeds are beginning to turn slightly brown.
Tip in the finely chopped onions and add a hefty pinch of salt to encourage sweating. Stir everything together, then sauté the onions until they are beginning to soften and become translucent. This takes about 4-6 minutes.
Next, stir in your ginger, garlic, chili powder and asafoetida, cooking until fragrant. That should only take about a minute. Remove the pan from heat and squeeze the juice from a lime all over, using the juice to help loosen anything that stuck to the pan.
When the cauliflower and potatoes are done, tip the contents into the pan with the aloo gobi sauce. Gently fold everything together, then taste and adjust the seasonings as needed. At this point, I'd venture to say that salt and/or lime juice should be all that needs adjusting.
Serve by dishing out cumin rice, top with finished aloo gobi, then garnish with green onions, cilantro and a wedge of lime for each bowl. If you really wanna do it up right, I also recommend offering some warmed naan and a bowlful of raita on the dinner table for everyone to help themselves. If you happen to use your naan as a spoon, I promise I won't tell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Known as hing in Hindi, asafoetida (also spelled "asafetida") is the dried latex gum of an herb in the celery family. It is sold as a coarse yellow powder that smells mildly sulfurous, kind of like eggs. Don't go getting cold feet on me though - this spice is unlike anything I've ever tried before.
One pinch of asafoetida in a recipe is enough to change the flavor of a dish from good to "holy smokes!" The flavor is similar to alliums like onion or garlic, but much more distinctive.
It's hard to describe accurately, so just trust me on this one. If you can get your hands on a bottle, definitely get it. While you can definitely omit it from this aloo gobi recipe, just know that asafoetida will make your dish taste better.
PLEASE NOTE: Many commercially available brands of asafoetida are processed with wheat. If you are gluten free, be sure to check the ingredient label.
I don't know about you, but carbs on carbs is one of my favorite ways to chow down. Serving this starchy mix of cauliflower and potatoes over cumin-pepper rice with a warm piece of naan? That's basically everything I could want from a bowl of comfort food, and I'll enthusiastically recommend you do the same.
I also like to serve this yummy curry with a healthy dollop of raita (or store bought tzatziki in a pinch), a hefty sprinkling of sliced green onions and a full handful of fresh cilantro to round everything out. I also usually set out some sriracha and either red pepper flakes or ghost pepper flakes for Joe to spice things up. He likes it hot, people!
I personally like this dish fresh from the sauté pan, but any leftovers will keep quite well covered in the fridge. For best results, eat within a week of cooking. Reheating can be done (gently) on the stovetop or in the microwave.
As a word of advice, keep some cilantro and green onions to the side to serve with your leftovers. Not only are they a beautiful visual contrast, they also offer a bit of freshness to the cooked veggies.
Need more rent week meals? Check out these other yummy recipes that won't break the bank:
- Fried Rice with Chinese Sausage
- Instant Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup
- Pantry Sweet Potato Salmon Cakes
- Easy Sheet Pan Cauliflower Tikka Masala
- Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup
If you tried this yummy recipe for Aloo Gobi, please rate and review it below! I'd love to know how it turned out.
If you'd like more recipe inspiration delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for my email newsletter here. You can also follow me on the socials like Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook to see what I’m cooking. Until next time, friends!
Sheet Pan Aloo Gobi | Vegan Cauliflower and Potato Curry
Ingredients
Roasted Veggines
- 1 ½ lb Wax Potatoes cut into wedges
- 1 ½ lb Cauliflower cut into bite-sized florets
- 2-3 glugs Olive Oil
- large pinch Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Aloo Gobi Sauce
- 1-2 glugs Olive Oil
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Ground Turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 1 Yellow Onion chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon Grated Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- Kosher Salt and Pepper to taste
For Assembly
- 2-3 Limes
- ½ C Cilantro roughly chopped
- 2-3 Green Onions thinly sliced
Optional Serving Suggestions
- Cumin Scented Rice recipe below
- Toasted Naan
- Raita
- Sriracha
Instructions
- Cover your sheetpan with parchment or a Silpat sheet for easy cleanup. Preheat oven to 450F.Toss potato wedges, cauliflower florets, oil, cumin seeds, red pepper flakes and salt together until well coated. Spread in a single layer on baking sheet.Roast for about 10-15 minutes, remove from oven to flip all pieces, then return to oven to roast for another 10-15 minutes. Vegetables should be golden brown and fork tender.
- Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add cumin seeds, turmeric, and garam masala to oil. Cook until cumin seeds are beginning to brown lightly and the oil smells aromatic, about 1 minute.Add onion with a five-finger pinch of kosher salt to encourage sweating. Sauté for 4-6 minutes, until onions are beginning to soften and become translucent.Add fresh ginger, asafoetida (if using) and chili powder. Cook for another 1-2 minutes, stirring to combine. Remove from heat.
- Squeeze the juice of one lime into saucepan with onions. Stir to scrape up any fond.Using the corners of the parchment, pick up the veggies and add them to the sauce. Fold gently to incorporate. Taste and season with salt and lime juice as needed.Serve over rice, garnished with cilantro, green onions and lime wedges for squeezing at the table. Enjoy!
Notes
- To make cumin scented rice, bring 1C rinsed jasmine rice, 1.5 C water, 1 teaspoon cumin seed, ¾ teaspoon whole peppercorn and ½ teaspoon salt to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until rice is cooked, 12-14 minutes. Fluff with fork and enjoy!
- Nutrition Facts do not include any optional serving suggestions.
- Aloo Gobi will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week.
