Gobi Masala Recipe (Cauliflower Masala)

This Gobi Masala is creamy, delicious and full of North Indian flavors. It is a popular restaurant dish where cauliflower is sauteed and cooked in a fragrant onion tomato masala. This better than restaurant dish is easy to make and I am sure you will love it. Serve it over Basmati Rice, or with Tandoori Roti, Naan, Jeera Rice or plain Paratha.

About Gobi Masala

“Gobi” is a Hindi word for cauliflower and Masala usually refers to spices but here it means onion tomato masala. Like in many other Indian dishes – onions, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, chilies and garam masala form the base of this masala. To make this dish, restaurants usually deep fry the cauliflower to bring out the great unbeatable aroma.

They have a premade onion tomato masala into which goes the fried cauliflower. However for the homemade version I avoid that and instead saute gobi in a pan or bake or air fry before adding to the masala. This little tweak makes this dish healthier yet it tastes delicious & creamy due to the addition of cashews. Lastly kasuri methi is fantastic here and it imparts great North Indian flavors.

This recipe yields a good amount of sauce/masala to serve over rice or with flatbreads like Roti, naan etc. However if you are not a fan of saucy dishes, you may simply double the amount of cauliflower and omit the cashews in the recipe. To keep it dairy-free I have not used cream but a lot of restaurants finish the dish with a little fresh cream for more richness.

This homemade gobi masala has a slightly chunky gravy from the chopped onions. If you want a super smooth sauce blend the sautéed onions with the tomatoes and cashews. Make sure you use yellow onions or shallots if you decide to blend.

More Similar Recipes
Cauliflower Stir Fry
Aloo Gobi
Cauliflower Curry
Navratan Korma
Mixed Vegetable Curry

Photo Guide

How to Make Gobi Masala (Stepwise Photos)

I made 2x recipe so you will find higher quantities in the pictures.

Preparation

1. You need the following ingredients:

• 250 grams (½ pound) cauliflower / gobi florets (rinsed, drained or blanched if needed)
• ½ cup onions very fine chopped
• ¾ teaspoon ginger grated or minced
• 2 garlic cloves pressed or minced
• 1 green chili slit optional (deseeded if preferred)
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (adjust to taste)
• ½ to ¾ teaspoon garam masala (more to adjust if you want)
• ¾ to 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• ¼ teaspoon cumin powder (bhuna jeera)
• ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
• ⅓ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste)
• 1 teaspoon kasuri methi (dried fenugreek)

2. Add the following ingredients to a blender:

• ¾ to 1 cup (150 grams) ripe tomatoes (2 medium diced, avoid sour tomato)
• 10 cashew nuts (soaked in water for 10 mins or almonds soaked for 4 hrs in hot water)
• 1 tablespoon coriander leaves with tender stalks fine chopped (optional, 1 sprig)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom (green cardamom powder)

3. Make a smooth puree without adding water.

4. Heat 1½ to 2 tablespoon oil in a pan and add the cauliflower florets. Saute on a medium high heat until the gobi is slightly golden and begins to smell aromatic. This takes about 7 to 8 mins. Remove to a plate. Alternately you can also broil the gobi in oven for 10 minutes.

Make the Masala

5. Pour 1½ to 2 tablespoons oil to the pan and add onions. Saute until golden, for about 6 to 7 mins. Saute ginger garlic and green chili for a minute.

6. Pour 2 tablespoons water and deglaze.

7. Stir in salt and all ground spices – turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, coriander and cumin.

8. Pour the tomato puree and stir well.

9. Cover partially and cook down until the raw smell of tomatoes is gone or until the gravy turns thick.

10. Pour ⅓ cup water and add the sauteed cauliflower. Taste test and add more salt if you want at this stage else the gobi will taste bland.

11. Bring to a rolling boil on a high heat and reduce to medium. Cover and cook until the gobi is fully cooked, yet crunchy. If the masala turns too thick, you may add more water.

12. Add kasuri methi. Taste test and adjust salt or garam masala if needed. If it is too tart for your taste, add little maple syrup or sugar.

Garnish gobi masala with coriander leaves & optionally with heavy cream. Basmati rice, Tandoori roti, chapati, plain roti make some good choices.

Pro Tips

• Avoid using sour tomatoes or canned tomatoes with citric acid. If you do so, you need to balance the sour taste with additional spices, cashews and sometimes with maple syrup or sugar.
• Peeling and deseeding tomatoes can cut down the sour flavor and taste. If you have only tart tomatoes you may peel and deseed.
• To cut down oil in the recipe you may simply omit frying the gobi in oil. 
• If you don’t like coriander leaves flavor, simply omit them. Make sure you don’t use mature and fibrous stalks as they can impart soapy smell. Too much coriander leaves can break your dish so stick to the quantity mentioned in the recipe.

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This post is from the archives, first published in March 2013. Updated in April 2024