Dahi gobi aka dahi wali gobhi is a healthy and comforting cauliflower recipe Indian which is frequently prepared in northern Indian houses during the winter season. In this preparation, boiled or steamed cauliflower florets are cooked in a spicy yogurt-based gravy. It is a versatile gravy recipe that can be accompanied by flatbreads like roti, chapati, paratha or you can also pair up the healthy curry with rice items like steamed rice, jeera rice, etc.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Dahi Gobi (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is Dahi Gobi?
Dahi gobi is a Hindi name and its name itself explains the recipe. The word dahi means yogurt and gobi means cauliflower.
In a nutshell, dahi gobi is a cauliflower yogurt curry where cauliflower florets are first boiled till al dente and then cooked in a spicy gravy prepared with onion, tomato, ginger-garlic, a generous amount of yogurt, spices, and coriander leaves.
During my childhood days, dahi wali gobhi was considered a winter delicacy because fresh cauliflowers were only available in the winter season during those days. But nowadays it’s easily available throughout the year.
I am a big fan of cauliflower and always try to prepare something new with this fleshy vegetable. One day, I went to one of my friend’s house and she prepared dahi aloo gobi for us. I just loved the preparation and then came out with an idea to prepare dahi wali gobhi at home. A few more improvisations, and then I got the perfect dish on the dining table.
Dahi gobi is a very simple and easy-to-make recipe. The difficulty level of cooking this recipe is very low which is perfect for beginners. It gets prepared with minimal ingredients. All the ingredients are very common and readily available in an Indian kitchen pantry. The best part of the recipe is that it gets prepared very quickly without investing much time.
Ingredients for Dahi Gobi
Cauliflower: The most important ingredient of the recipe which adds bite and texture to the dish.
Yogurt & chickpea flour: Yogurt is another important ingredient of the recipe which provides creaminess and tangy taste to the gravy. The addition of besan aka chickpea flour prevents the yogurt from curdling.
Onion & Ginger-Garlic: These are the most common ingredients used to give texture and to flavour up the curry.
Tomato: The addition of tomatoes adds a slight tanginess and enhances the taste of the dish.
Green chillies: It adds a heaty taste and refreshing flavour to the dish.
Coriander leaves: The addition of coriander leaves makes it a green-rich curry and adds a soothing aroma to the gravy.
Whole spices: I have used bay leaf, cumin seeds for the tempering of the dish and kasuri methi at the final stage of cooking.
Ground spices: I have used turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, and garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices are equally important to flavour up the curry.
Water: Water is used to blanch the cauliflower and for the gravy to adjust consistency.
Salt: The most important ingredient that adds saltiness.
Sugar: It helps to balance the tangy taste of the yogurt and enhances the taste of the dish.
Oil: To cook the dish. You can use any edible oil for the recipe like vegetable oil, soya oil, sunflower oil, olive oil, etc.
Dahi gobi with step-by-step photos and instructions have been provided in the ‘Instructions’ section. I have included all the tips and tricks below to make the recipe easier for you. But before directly jumping into the recipe, let me share a few interesting facts about the recipe and the hero 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.
How to resist yogurt from curdling while cooking Dahi Gobi?
- It is very important to whip the yogurt very properly.
- Always make sure that the yogurt is at room temperature while cooking and not chilled.
- Add a little bit of besan aka chickpea flour or all-purpose flour into the yogurt and mix it thoroughly.
- Always cook the Yogurt at the lowest flame and don’t overcook it.
Tips to prepare perfect Dahi Gobi
- Boil the cauliflower florets for 3 minutes but not more than that. Or else the florets may break at the end of cooking the dish.
- Always use finely chopped onions for a better texture of the gravy.
- If you want to prepare the dish for kids then adjust the amount of chilli accordingly.
- The addition of sugar balances the taste of the dish. Try not to skip it.
- Don’t skip kasuri methi from the recipe. It gives a nice flavour to the dish.
How to make Dahi Gobi?
To prepare the dahi gobi, first, cut the cauliflower into medium florets and finely chop onions, coriander leaves and keep them aside.
Now add some water to a pan and put it on high flame. Once the water starts boiling, turn the flame low and add some salt and cauliflower florets into it. Cover the pan and cook it over high flame for 3 minutes and then strain the florets. Keep them aside.
Take a jar of a grinder and add tomato chunks, roughly chopped ginger, garlic cloves, and green chillies, one by one into it. Close the lid and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
Take yogurt (at room temperature) into a bowl. Add some chickpea flour aka besan and mix it thoroughly with a fork. Make sure no lumps are there. Keep it aside.
Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add oil into the pan and wait until it is hot. Once the oil is hot, add the whole spices bay leaf, cumin seeds, and allow them to crackle.
Then add the chopped onions and cook them over medium flame for 10-12 minutes.
Now, add the tomato paste and cook it over medium flame for 5-6 minutes until the masala releases oil and the raw smell goes away.
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder one by one into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a minute.
Then add cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder into the pan and mix it. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes.
Next, add the yogurt mixture to the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 2-3 minutes.
Then add the cauliflower florets and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 5-6 minutes until the cauliflower gets cooked completely.
Add hot water into the pan for gravy and stir it nicely. Add sugar and mix. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.
Then take off the lid and turn the flame low. Crush some kasuri methi in hand and sprinkle it into the pan. Add chopped coriander leaves and give a mix.
Cook the curry for 10 seconds and then switch off the flame. Dahi Gobi is ready to serve now.
Many gobi recipes have already been shared in my previous post. You can check a few of them like
Punjabi style aloo gobi
Gobi palak
Cauliflower bhurji
Tandoori gobi
Hariyali gobi
..And Many more…
Ingredients:
1 cup = 250ml
For yogurt mixture
- ⅓ cup Yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Besan aka chickpea Flour
For the tomato paste
- 1 large Tomato, deseeded and diced
- 1 inch Ginger, peeled and chopped
- 3 large Garlic cloves, peeled
- 1-2 green Chillies
Other ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- 2 Onions, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera powder)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhania powder)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tablespoon Oil, for Cooking
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup of Water for Gravy
Instructions:
- Wash the cauliflower and cut them into medium florets.
- Add some water into a pan and put it on high flame. Once the water starts boiling, turn the flame low and add 1 teaspoon salt, and cauliflower florets into it.
- Cover the pan and cook it over high flame for 3 minutes and then strain the florets. Keep them aside in a bowl.
- Take a jar of a grinder and add tomato chunks, roughly chopped 1-inch ginger, 3 garlic cloves, and 1-2 green chillies, one by one into it. Close the lid and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
- Take ⅓ cup yogurt (at room temperature) into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon chickpea flour aka besan and mix it thoroughly with a fork. Make sure no lumps are there. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and wait until it is hot.
- Once the oil is hot, add the whole spices 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds, and allow them to crackle.
- Add the chopped onions and cook them over medium flame for 10-12 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste (Step 4) and cook it over medium flame for 5-6 minutes until the masala releases oil and the raw smell goes away.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, one by one into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a minute.
- Add 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder into the pan and mix it. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the yogurt mixture (Step 5) into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower florets (Step 3) and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 5-6 minutes until the cauliflower gets cooked completely.
- Add 1 cup hot water into the pan for gravy and stir it nicely.
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar and mix it nicely. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.
- Take off the lid and turn the flame low. Crush 1 teaspoon kasuri methi in hand and sprinkle it into the pan. Add 4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and give a mix.
- Cook the curry for 10 seconds and then switch off the flame. Dahi Gobi is ready to serve now.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the dahi 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 yogurt mixture
- ⅓ cup Yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Besan aka chickpea Flour
For the tomato paste
- 1 large Tomato, deseeded and diced
- 1 inch Ginger, peeled and chopped
- 3 large Garlic cloves, peeled
- 1-2 green Chillies
Other ingredients
- 1 Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- 2 Onions, finely chopped
- 4 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 1 Bay leaf (Tejpatta)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera powder)
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder (Dhania powder)
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
- 1 tablespoon Oil, for Cooking
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup of Water for Gravy
Instructions
- Wash the cauliflower and cut them into medium florets.
- Add some water into a pan and put it on high flame. Once the water starts boiling, turn the flame low and add 1 teaspoon salt, and cauliflower florets into it.
- Cover the pan and cook it over high flame for 3 minutes and then strain the florets. Keep them aside in a bowl.
- Take a jar of a grinder and add tomato chunks, roughly chopped 1-inch ginger, 3 garlic cloves, and 1-2 green chillies, one by one into it. Close the lid and pulse it to a smooth paste. Keep the paste aside.
- Take ⅓ cup yogurt (at room temperature) into a bowl. Add 1 teaspoon chickpea flour aka besan and mix it thoroughly with a fork. Make sure no lumps are there. Keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and wait until it is hot.
- Once the oil is hot, add the whole spices 1 bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds, and allow them to crackle.
- Add the chopped onions and cook them over medium flame for 10-12 minutes.
- Add the tomato paste (Step 4) and cook it over medium flame for 5-6 minutes until the masala releases oil and the raw smell goes away.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, and 1 teaspoon red chilli powder, one by one into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for a minute.
- Add 1 teaspoon of cumin powder, 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, 1 teaspoon of garam masala powder into the pan and mix it. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes.
- Next, add the yogurt mixture (Step 5) into the pan and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower florets (Step 3) and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it over low flame for 5-6 minutes until the cauliflower gets cooked completely.
- Add 1 cup hot water into the pan for gravy and stir it nicely.
- Add 1 teaspoon sugar and mix it nicely. Cover the pan and turn the flame high until the gravy starts boiling.
- Take off the lid and turn the flame low. Crush 1 teaspoon kasuri methi in hand and sprinkle it into the pan. Add 4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and give a mix.
- Cook the curry for 10 seconds and then switch off the flame. Dahi Gobi is ready to serve now.
