Generally I’m pretty lazy with side dishes…throw some cut veggies into the air fryer and call it a day. But this super easy version of aloo gobi, an Indian potato and cauliflower dish packed with warm spices, has become one of the few exceptions.
Even though it takes a few more steps than just throwing some veggies in the air fryer, it’s still not asking that much. This dish comes together easily in under 30 minutes, takes ingredients that most people already have, and doesn’t require a lot of hands-on time.
While the recipe calls for roasting the potatoes and cauliflower in the oven at a very high heat—and I do think it returns a *slightly* better flavor and texture)—I’ve also roasted them quickly in my large two-drawer air fryer when I didn’t want to heat my house up.
I do have a couple tips for making this as delicious as possible. One is that I do believe the type of potato matters. Don’t use russet. And I tried fingerling but didn’t love the texture as much…it can do in a pinch, but I do really recommend going with those little Yukon Gold ones.
The second tip is to watch your onions. I like to take them to true golden-brown-verging-on-charred to really get the most flavor, but you DON’T want them to tip over into burned. It gives the entire dish a burnt flavor that’s not nice. Using slightly lower heat helps.
How to make these Indian potatoes and cauliflower
Line a baking sheet (or two, if necessary) with aluminum foil, and place it on the rack. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Note, you can also roast the potatoes and cauliflower in the air fryer if you prefer, to save time.
Toss the cauliflower florets and diced potatoes together in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil, the cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
Spread in the hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and charred in spots and potatoes are crispy and just tender, about 20 minutes.
In my air fryer on the Roast setting at 400 F, it took 10-15 minutes.
About halfway through the vegetables roasting, heat a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat (err on the lower side).
Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, stirring occasionally, until very soft and turning golden brown.
This should take about 8 to 10 minutes…I like to get mine pretty brown, but you don’t want them to burn (it makes the flavor meh).
Add the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
Stir in the water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of skillet, then stir in the roasted cauliflower and potatoes.
Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
You can serve as-is (I usually do), or add a squeeze lemon over it.
For myself, I usually halve the recipe, and still end up with 2-3 leftover servings. A bonus is that this aloo gobi makes awesome leftovers, which is unusual for a potato dish.
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen
Other delicious side dishes you’ll love:
- Fluffy, Fragrant Turmeric Rice
- Za’atar Roasted Cauliflower with Pine Nuts, Dates, & Thyme
- Grilled Eggplant with Goat Cheese, Balsamic, & Pine Nuts
- Roasted Sicilian Cauliflower
- Another easy Indian side: Easy Onion Pakoras (No Deep Fryer) & Tamarind Chutney
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Aloo Gobi: Indian-Spiced Potatoes & Cauliflower
This delicious Indian-spiced potato & cauliflower dish is a version of aloo gobi. It's super easy to make, a great side dish, and makes awesome leftovers as well.
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower (about 1 3/4-lb), cut into small florets
- 1 1/4 lb of Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see notes on potato type)
- 5 tablespoons of avocado (or other neutral) oil
- 1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon of salt
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons of minced peeled fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne
- 1/2 cup of water
- Optional: lemon wedges as garnish
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet (or two, if necessary) with aluminum foil, and place it on the rack. Preheat the oven to 475°F. Note, you can also roast the potatoes and cauliflower in the air fryer if you prefer, to save time.
- Toss the cauliflower florets and diced potatoes together in a large bowl with 3 tablespoons of oil, the cumin seeds, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.
- Spread in the hot baking pan and roast, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is tender and charred in spots and potatoes are crispy and just tender, about 20 minutes. In my air fryer on Roast at 400 F, it took 10-15 minutes.
- About halfway through the vegetables roasting, heat a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium heat (erring on the side of lower). Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, stirring occasionally, until very soft and turning golden brown. This should take about 8 to 10 minutes...I like to get mine pretty brown, but you don't want them to burn (it makes the flavor meh).
- Add the ground cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook, stirring constantly, for 1-2 minutes.
- Stir in the water, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of skillet, then stir in the roasted cauliflower and potatoes.
- Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed. Squeeze lemon over it when serving, if desired.
Notes
- I tend to play fast and loose with the amounts of cauliflower and potatoes--they're flexible, I don't measure exactly
- Note, the original recipe also calls for 2 teaspoons of minced fresh jalapeño (including seeds), which I omit
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