If you told me last year that I would soon have an obsession with potatoes, I think I would have laughed at you. They’ve just never been my thing before. I find baked potatoes dull and most mashed potatoes completely flavorless, which has led me to never really experiment with potatoes further. But this year I’ve realized how delicious roasted potatoes can be, with their crisp edges and buttery texture on the inside. Roasted potatoes can be so versatile – I love adding them to salads and also love giving them a spicy kick, like in this roasted Aloo Gobi dish.
Aloo Gobi is a classic Indian side dish made with potatoes, cauliflower, and a wonderful combination of spices. It has a bit of heat from cayenne, a beautiful color from turmeric, and plenty of flavor from ginger, coriander, and cumin. While this is traditionally a fried dish, I’ve been able to come up with a roasted version after a bit of experimentation. Not only is it healthier, but it’s much less messy and actually cheaper (peanut oil is pricey – you don’t want to be wasting a ton of it on frying). I wholeheartedly think the roasted version tastes better, too, since the potatoes and cauliflower crisp up instead of getting mushy.
I’ve written before about how many Indian dishes can be a bit daunting. But like my biryani dish, this Aloo Gobi is extremely approachable. All of these spices are available at most grocery stores, as is peanut oil (really try to use peanut oil with this dish, as it adds so much flavor). There aren’t any complicated steps, either: you simply roast the potatoes and cauliflower, then add them to a pan to coat them in the spices. Although this is usually served as a side dish, you could make this into a meal with some rice or naan and a salad. I promise you won’t look at potatoes and cauliflower the same way again!
- About one pound potatoes, washed and diced into bite-size pieces (I use baby red potatoes with the skin on)
- About one pound cauliflower, washed and cut into small florets
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- Salt
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger (or 1 teaspoon ginger powder)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Add the potatoes and cauliflower to a large baking dish and toss with the 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Stir well and lightly salt. Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through so that the potatoes and cauliflower roast evenly.
- Add the other tablespoon of peanut oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Add all of the spices and the roasted potatoes and cauliflower. Stir well to coat the vegetables in the spices, then add in the water and cook for about two more minutes.
- Serve immediately with the cilantro sprinkled on top.
Note: Recipe adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian.
I was lucky enough to sample this delicious dish and can honestly say that it was one of the best combination of Indian spices I’ve ever had. Potatoes and cauliflower are great for taking it all in, too. The roasting turned out perfectly — not overly oily. But it was the powerhouse spice mix that was the highlight for me.
I’m so glad you enjoy this dish as much as I do! I really want to use coriander more often, as I think it’s responsible for a lot of the great flavor in this dish.
What a wonderful idea! This will be making an appearance on my menu for next week- love that you can pop it into the oven and cook “unsupervised”. Awesome recipe, Julia!
I love that aspect of roasting too, Emma! I’m sure with little James you need to find as many unsupervised cooking options as you can!
Oh wow, this is totally appealing to me at 5;30 am! Oh my! Love the Indian dishes you’ve been serving up lately and can’t wait to see more! I’ll be picking up some peanut oil next time I go to the store. Thank you for this delicious, approachable recipe, Julia! Oh and that last close up photograph has my mouth watering! YUM!!
Haha, love the 5:30 am comment! Maybe you can try it for a breakfast sometime 🙂 And thank you for the sweet compliment!
Looks warm and comforting! I agree – roasted is the way to go!
Thanks, Michelle! Hope you enjoy it!
This looks great, Julia. First – your photos look wonderful. The close up and prep photos are making me hungry. Second – love that this is not fried. Roasting the veggies is the way to go – and then mixing them with these inspiring spices makes a warm and comforting dish. Can’t wait to try it, Julia.
Thank you so much, Geraldine! I really love roasting veggies lately. It can really transform the most boring of veggies into something crispy and flavorful! Hope you enjoy the dish.
Julia, I love your practical approach to Indian dishes. It’s one of my favorite cuisines and I’m always cooking something with Indian spices. 😉 And I’m not a potato person either, but combine it with cauliflower and give it Indian flavors, and I’ll probably gobble it up! Lovely dish!
I’m glad you’re an Indian food fan too, Katie! It’s one of my favorite cuisines. I still have a lot to learn with cooking it, but I’m easing into it with approachable dishes like these 🙂
I’ve been pretty obsessed with potatoes for a long time now! I don’t eat many baked potatoes, because they are kinda bland but I love roasted flavorful potatoes like this! I’ve never heard of aloo gobi before, but this looks amazing! Thank you for introducing me to something new 🙂
Thanks, Izzy! I have become obsessed with roasted potatoes, so I can definitely see why you’ve loved them for a long time. You’ll definitely have to try out this dish if you like Indian food!
This sounds and looks lovely! PINNED.
Thanks, Alison! I hope you enjoy it!
Great recipe, quick and easy. Mild and flavorful. I substituted coconut oil since I did not have peanut oil but it was still delicious. My husband was a little dubious, but gobbled up every bit. He normally has the dish with lamb at our favorite Indian restaurant. I will certainly be checking out your other Indian cuisine recipes.
Alysa, I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe! Coconut oil sounds like a great substitute. I have an Indian biryani and cucumber raita recipe on the blog, which you might enjoy too!
Can this dish be made ahead and reheated?
Thanks!
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