Achari gobi recipe aka achari gobi masala is a spicy, flavoured, slightly hot, and tangy Indian cauliflower curry where cauliflower florets are cooked in a spicy onion-tomato gravy with yogurt, and homemade achari masala. It is a north Indian delicacy and is served in many popular restaurants. Achari gobi can be best accompanied with any flat bread like naan, paratha, roti, etc., and even with rice items like steamed rice, jeera rice, or peas pulao.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Achari Gobi (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is Achari Gobi?
Achari gobi, the name itself expresses the complete recipe. The word ACHAR refers to Indian pickles and GOBI refers to Cauliflower. In this preparation, cauliflower florets are fried and then cooked in pickling spices which is used to prepare the achar aka Indian pickle. The combination of these two makes a spectacular Indian cauliflower curry overloaded with flavors.
Achari recipes
Achari recipes are very famous in India because of their unique taste and flavor. There are myriad recipes that are cooked in Indian cuisine with the achari flavor using the pickle masala used in achar. Achari chicken and achari gosht are the most popular recipes in it. Achari paneer is the most popular vegetarian version of achari recipes. Other than these, achari aloo masala, achari gobi, achari bainga, etc. are a few other popular variations in vegetarian dishes.
Achari gobi recipe is a spicy, flavored, hot, and tangy cauliflower curry but it could be considered a light dish because neither nut pastes nor cream is used to prepare the dish. Only the addition of achari masala aka pickle spices makes the dish flavourful and slightly spicy.
Though there is no fixed rule to prepare achari gobi but it is mostly prepared in two different ways.
- Achari gobi dry
- Achari gobi with gravy
Today, I am going to share the first version of Achari Gobi Dry with you. It is mostly accompanied as a side with chapatis, rotis, or with plain rice and dal as well.
When I was in Bangalore, I went to a north Indian restaurant for dinner with friends and we ordered achari gobi and just loved the preparation.
After that, I tried to prepare the recipe at home with readymade achari masala but couldn’t reach that point. Then I prepared the recipe with homemade achari masala and it really made a huge difference in taste and flavor. Thereafter, I never turned back and prepared achari gobi masala various times and it never disappointed me.
Achari gobi recipe is a simple and easy cauliflower recipe. Though it tastes exactly like the restaurant-bought ones, but the way of cooking it is quite easy. Honestly, it is a full-proof recipe, and nothing can go wrong with it. All the ingredients required to prepare the dish are regularly used in Indian culinary and are easily available in any Indian grocery. Achaari gobi could be a perfect option for any special occasion, family get-together, small party, or for simple weekend dinner.
Achari gobi recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section of the recipe. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you on the very first attempt. Before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the recipe and the primary ingredient of the recipe Cauliflower.
Benefits of Cauliflower
- It is a good source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
- It is full of fibre which is good for our digestive system.
- It contains antioxidants which help to get rid of many chronic diseases.
- Cauliflowers have low calories and can be your great friend during the journey for weight loss.
- It is a good source of sulforaphane which decreases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Tips to prepare perfect Achari Gobi
- Cut the cauliflower into medium florets.
- Fry the cauliflower florets separately for better texture and taste.
- Prepare fresh achari masala at home for a better aroma.
- Always cook the achari recipe in mustard oil for the best flavor.
- Add a little bit of flour or besan to the yogurt and beat it thoroughly before adding. It prevents the yogurt from curdling during the time of cooking.
- Always use tomato paste instead of chopped tomatoes for a better taste of the masala.
- If you want to prepare the dish for kids then adjust the amount of chilli accordingly.
Ingredients for Achari Gobi
Cauliflower: The primary ingredient of the recipe which adds bite and texture to the dish.
Onion and ginger-garlic: These are the most common ingredients used to give texture and to flavor the curry.
Tomatoes: I have used tomato paste for the recipe. It gives a nice flavor, taste, and texture to the dish.
Green chillies & coriander leaves: Green chillies add a heaty taste and coriander leaves add a refreshing aroma to the dish.
Yogurt: The addition of yogurt makes the dish creamy and adds a tangy taste too. Mix a little bit of flour into the yogurt thoroughly before adding.
Whole spices: I have used cumin seeds, and dry red chilli to temper the dish.
Ground spicesu: I have used turmeric powder, red chilli powder, amchur powder, achari masala, and garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices are equally important to flavor up the curry.
Salt: The most important ingredient that adds saltiness.
Mustard oil: To cook the dish. You can use any edible oil for the recipe like vegetable oil, soya oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, etc. But mustard oil gives the best result.
Water: I have added water to make the curry moist and to cook the masala properly.
How to make Achari Gobi?
To prepare the achari gobi recipe, first prepare the achari masala at home. Take a dry pan and add the whole spices Cumin seeds, Coriander seeds, Nigella seeds, Mustard seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Fennel seeds, 1 Kashmiri red chilli on the pan and dry roast them over medium-to-medium low flame for 2-3 minutes until a nutty aroma comes out. Then allow the spices to cool down completely before grinding. After this, grind the whole spices till dust and keep it aside.
Then, cut the cauliflower into medium florets, wash, and keep them aside.
Add the tomato chunks into the jar of a grinder and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
Now, take yogurt into a bowl and add some all-purpose flour to it. Whisk the yogurt thoroughly with a fork and keep it aside.
Then put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
Add the cauliflower florets to the pan. Sprinkle some salt into it and mix. Fry them over medium flame for 10-12 minutes until they lose their crunch and brown spots occur. Then strain the cauliflower florets out and keep them aside.
In the same pan, add some mustard oil. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, dry red chilli, and let them crackle. Then add hing aka asafoetida and give a quick stir.
Now, add the sliced onions and cook them over medium flame for around 10-12 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes.
Add tomato paste to the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 3-4 minutes until it releases oil.
Then add the yogurt mixture into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another minute.
Now add achari masala powder, amchur powder, garam masala powder into the pan and mix it well. Add some water and mix it well. Cook the masala over medium flame for some time until it releases oil.
Then add the cauliflower florets into the pan and mix it well. Add some green chillies and cover the pan. Cook it for 5-6 minutes on low flame until the cauliflower gets cooked completely. Add chopped coriander leaves and mix it well. Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Many cauliflower recipe Indian have already been shared in my previous post. You can check a few of them like
Gobi butter masala
Gobi palak
Gobi bhurji
Aloo phulkopir dalna
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
1 cup = 250ml
For achari masala
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds (Dhania)
- 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds (Kalonji)
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Sarso)
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds (Saunf)
- 1 Kashmiri red Chilli (Kashmiri lal mirch)
To fry the cauliflower
- 1 medium Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
Other ingredients for Achari Gobi
- 2 Onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
- 4 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 dry red Chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Hing aka asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Amchur powder
- 1 tablespoon Achari masala powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
- ½ cup Water for the masala to cook
Instructions:
- Take a dry pan and add the whole spices 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds, 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds, 1 Kashmiri red chilli on the pan and dry roast them over low to medium-low flame for 2-3 minutes until the spices get tossed evenly and a nutty aroma comes out.
- Transfer the spices to a separate plate and allow it to cool down completely before grinding.
- Transfer the spices to a jar of a grinder and close the lid of the jar. Pulse it to smooth dust and keep it aside.
- In a jar of a grinder, add the tomato chunks and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- On the other hand, take ¼ cup of yogurt into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour to it. Whisk the yogurt thoroughly with a fork. Make sure no lumps are there. Keep it aside.
- Cut the cauliflower into medium florets, wash and keep them aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the pan. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt into the pan and mix it well.
- Fry them over medium flame for 10-12 minutes until they lose their crunch and brown spots occur. Then strain the cauliflower florets out and keep them aside.
- In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons mustard oil and once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 dry red chilli and let them crackle. Then add ¼ teaspoon hing aka asafoetida and give a quick stir.
- Add the sliced onions and cook them over medium flame for 8-10 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
- Add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add tomato paste (Step 4) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 3-4 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add the yogurt mixture into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Add salt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another minute.
- Now add 1 tablespoon achari masala powder, 1 teaspoon amchur powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and mix it well.
- Add ½ cup water and mix it well. Cook the masala over medium flame for 3-4 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add the cauliflower florets (Step 9) into the pan and mix it well.
- Add 2-3 green chillies and cover the pan. Cook it for 5-6 minutes on low flame until the cauliflower gets cooked completely.
- Add 4 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves into the pan and mix them well. Cook it on low flame for a few seconds.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the achari gobi into a serving bowl. Serve hot or warm to enjoy its best taste. Pair up the succulent dish with your favourite rice item or flatbread and enjoy the north Indian delicacy.
Ingredients
1 cup = 250ml
For achari masala
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds (Dhania)
- 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds (Kalonji)
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Sarso)
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds (Methi)
- 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds (Saunf)
- 1 Kashmiri red Chilli (Kashmiri lal mirch)
To fry the cauliflower
- 1 medium Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
Other ingredients for Achari Gobi
- 2 Onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon Ginger-Garlic paste
- 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
- 4 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- 2-3 green Chillies
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 dry red Chilli
- ¼ teaspoon Hing aka asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Amchur powder
- 1 tablespoon Achari masala powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons Mustard oil for cooking
- ½ cup Water for the masala to cook
Instructions
- Take a dry pan and add the whole spices 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon Coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon Nigella seeds, 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds, 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds, 1 Kashmiri red chilli on the pan and dry roast them over low to medium-low flame for 2-3 minutes until the spices get tossed evenly and a nutty aroma comes out.
- Transfer the spices to a separate plate and allow it to cool down completely before grinding.
- Transfer the spices to a jar of a grinder and close the lid of the jar. Pulse it to smooth dust and keep it aside.
- In a jar of a grinder, add the tomato chunks and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- On the other hand, take ¼ cup of yogurt into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of all-purpose flour to Whisk the yogurt thoroughly with a fork. Make sure no lumps are there. Keep it aside.
- Cut the cauliflower into medium florets, wash and keep them aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the pan. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt into the pan and mix it well.
- Fry them over medium flame for 10-12 minutes until they lose their crunch and brown spots occur. Then strain the cauliflower florets out and keep them
- In the same pan, add 2 tablespoons mustard oil and once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 dry red chilli and let them crackle. Then add ¼ teaspoon hing aka asafoetida and give a quick stir.
- Add the sliced onions and cook them over medium flame for 8-10 minutes until they become soft and translucent.
- Add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it on low flame for another 2-3 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add tomato paste (Step 4) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 3-4 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add the yogurt mixture into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it in low flame for another couple of minutes.
- Add salt, 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another minute.
- Now add 1 tablespoon achari masala powder, 1 teaspoon amchur powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and mix it well.
- Add ½ cup water and mix it well. Cook the masala over medium flame for 3-4 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add the cauliflower florets (Step 9) into the pan and mix it well.
- Add 2-3 green chillies and cover the pan. Cook it for 5-6 minutes on low flame until the cauliflower gets cooked completely.
- Add 4 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves into the pan and mix them well. Cook it on low flame for a few seconds.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
