Aloo Gobi-Style Cauliflower & Turnips
The beloved North Indian dry curry with turnip standing in for the potatoes: cauliflower and turnip cooked with cumin, ginger, turmeric and tomato until tender and golden at the edges.
Nutrition per serving
¾ cup- Net carbs
- 6.2g
- Calories
- 85kcal
- Protein
- 2.7g
- Fat
- 4.9g
- Total carbs
- 9.5 g
- Fiber
- 3.3 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
All cauliflower (gobi masala): Skip the turnip and use a little more cauliflower for classic gobi sabzi, with slightly fewer carbs.
- Leave out the turnip and add all the cauliflower at once; it needs only 10–12 minutes covered.
With paneer: Golden cubes of seared paneer folded in at the end make it a satisfying vegetarian main.
- Before the cumin seeds, sear the paneer in the extra ghee over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, turning, until golden on several sides. Set it aside and fold it back in with the lemon juice and cilantro.
Vegan: Avocado oil in place of the ghee — the spices carry all the flavor, and the dish becomes completely plant-based.
- Bloom the cumin seeds in the avocado oil instead of the ghee and carry on as written.
-
1 large turnipleave out
- Also add
Estimated cost $6.22 for 6 servings ($1.04 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the ghee in a large, lidded skillet over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for 30–45 seconds, until a shade darker and fragrant.
-
Add the onion and cook 4–5 minutes, until soft and golden at the edges. Stir in the garlic, ginger and chile for 1 minute.
-
Add the turmeric, coriander and chili powder and stir for 20–30 seconds, then add the tomato and salt. Cook 3–4 minutes, mashing with the spoon, until the tomato collapses into a thick paste and the ghee starts to separate at the edges.
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Add the turnip and toss for 2 minutes so it gets a head start — it is denser than the cauliflower. Add the cauliflower and turn gently until every floret is coated in the spice paste.
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Pour in the water, cover and cook over medium-low heat for 12–15 minutes, stirring gently once or twice, until a knife slides easily into the turnip and the thickest cauliflower stems.
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Uncover, raise the heat to medium-high and cook 3–5 minutes more, turning occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated and the edges are browned in spots. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro and taste for salt.
Tips for success
-
Turnip plays the potato here: it holds its shape, soaks up the spices and has about a quarter of the carbs. Cut it slightly smaller than the cauliflower so both finish together. - Stir gently and not too often — cauliflower breaks up if handled roughly, and the best bits are the ones that brown against the pan.
- Serve with butter chicken, chicken tikka masala or palak paneer and cauliflower rice.
Nice to have, not needed
- A pinch of garam masala stirred in at the end adds warmth — the dish is fragrant without it.
- A heavy, lidded 12-inch skillet keeps the vegetables in one layer — a Dutch oven works with a little more stirring.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 2 months
Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat for 3–4 minutes, or microwave 1–2 minutes.
Prep tip: It packs well with leftover curry or tandoori chicken — the spices taste even better on day two.
Refrigerate up to 4 days; the flavors deepen overnight. Freezes for up to 2 months, though the cauliflower softens.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosAll cauliflower (gobi masala)
SwapSkip the turnip and use a little more cauliflower for classic gobi sabzi, with slightly fewer carbs.
- cauliflower → cauliflower
- no turnip
5.8 g net · 84 kcal · 2.9 g protein · 5 g fat · ≈$1.09 per serving (−0.4 g net carbs vs the original)
With paneer
ProteinGolden cubes of seared paneer folded in at the end make it a satisfying vegetarian main.
- + 8 oz paneer
- + 1 tbsp extra ghee
7.6 g net · 226 kcal · 12 g protein · 17 g fat · ≈$1.76 per serving (+1.4 g net carbs vs the original)
Vegan
DietAvocado oil in place of the ghee — the spices carry all the flavor, and the dish becomes completely plant-based.
- ghee → avocado oil
6.2 g net · 87 kcal · 2.7 g protein · 5.3 g fat · ≈$1.02 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
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