Gobi butter masala | Butter cauliflower | Gobi makhani

Gobi butter masala aka gobi makhani is a lip-smacking, rich, creamy, flavoured and slightly tangy Indian cauliflower curry recipe. In this preparation, cauliflower florets are fried and then simmered in buttery smooth onion-tomato-cashew nut gravy with some cream and minimal spices. Butter cauliflower is mostly accompanied by butter naan, kulcha or with rice items like pulao, jeera rice and sometimes with plain basmati rice.

About the recipe
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Gobi butter masala (step wise photos)
Recipe Card

Gobi makhani, the name itself expresses the complete recipe. It is a Hindi name where the word GOBI means Cauliflower and MAKHANI means BUTTERY. The word makhani is obtained from the word makhan which means butter.

Gobi butter masala is a spectacular cauliflower curry where cauliflower florets are fried till crispy and then cooked in smooth and buttery gravy. It is adapted from the worldwide popular recipe Chicken butter masala.

Chicken butter masala is very popular in India and many other Asian countries. This dish is available in almost every Indian restaurant. Paneer butter masala is the most popular vegetarian version of the makhani recipe. But you will hardly get gobi butter masala on any restaurant’s menu card.

If you are craving for makhani gravy but at the same time, want to consume some veggies then nothing can be a better option than this gobi makhani and I promise you won’t regret it. I have prepared this dish multiple times and always get lots of appreciation and empty plates.

The best part of preparing this scrumptious dish at home is that you will have full control to make it less rich and healthier. There is no doubt that any makhani gravy is a rich dish because cashew, cream and a generous amount of butter are used in the recipe. Nobody eats it on a regular basis. But if you prepare it at home then you can manipulate the amount of butter, cream and cashew nuts according to your choice without compromising its taste.

• It is a vegetarian dish which is perfect to trigger the taste buds of both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
• It is known for its inimitable taste and unique flavour. The mild gravy with a buttery and mildly tangy taste has won the hearts of millions all around the world.
• As it is a mild curry, so it is completely kids friendly.
• It is one of the most versatile dishes which can be accompanied by any rice items or flatbreads.
• It is a very easy-to-make recipe prepared using minimal ingredients.
• Gobi makhani could be a part of any celebration. It is a perfect dish for any anniversary or birthday party.

Gobi butter masala aka gobi makhani is a simple and easy cauliflower recipe Indian. Honestly, it is a full-proof recipe, and nothing can go wrong with it. All the ingredients required to prepare the dish are very common which are regularly used in Indian culinary and are easily available in any Indian grocery.

Cauliflower: The most important ingredient of the recipe which adds bite and texture to the dish.

Cashew nuts: The addition of cashew nuts enhances the taste and flavour of the dish and makes the curry richer.

Cream: It provides rich texture and creaminess to the gravy.

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 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 and garam masala powder for the recipe. All the spices are equally important to flavour up the curry.

Water: Water is used to cook the masala and for the gravy to adjust consistency.

Salt: The most important ingredient which adds saltiness.

Sugar: It helps to balance the tangy taste of the yogurt and enhances the taste of the dish.

Oil & butter: I have used both oil and butter to cook the dish. Please don’t try to skip the butter from the recipe. It enhances the taste of the dish. You can use any edible oil for the recipe like vegetable oil, soya oil, sunflower oil, olive oil etc.

Gobi butter masala 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’.

• 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.

• Don’t skip bay leaf during the time of cooking the onion and tomatoes. It induces a nice aroma to the dish.
• Discard the bay leaf before grinding the masala paste or else it will overpower their flavour and make the gravy darker in shade.
• Always sieve the onion-tomato masala after grinding to get a smooth velvety restaurant-like gravy texture.
• Don’t replace butter with other cooking oil. Butter enhances the taste and flavour of the dish.
• Don’t skip Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) into the curry. It will give the exact restaurant-like flavour to the dish.

To prepare the gobi butter masala, first, wash and cut all the vegetables and make them ready for use.

Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add oil and some butter to the pan and wait until it is hot. Add the cauliflower florets and sprinkle some salt on it. Give a nice stir and fry them over medium flame for around 10-12 minutes until they lose their crunch and golden brown spots occur on them. Strain the cauliflower florets out and keep them aside.

In the same pan, add some more butter and allow it to melt. Add a bay leaf to the pan and stir it for 10-15 seconds.

Add the onion chunks into the pan and cook it on a medium flame for 5 minutes till the onions turn translucent. Add ginger-garlic into the pan and cook it for another 3 minutes on low flame. Then add the tomato chunks, soaked cashew nuts and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 2 minutes. Then take off the lid of the pan and add some water to it. Cover the pan and cook it for 12-15 minutes on low flame until the tomatoes get mushy. Switch off the flame and put the pan down. Discard the bay leaf from the mixture.

Allow the mixture to cool down completely to room temperature. Transfer the mixture to the jar of a grinder and grind it till smooth. For an extra smooth restaurant-like gravy, sieve the masala. Add some water into the jar of the grinder and sieve it too for zero wastage. Keep it aside.

For the gobi butter masala gravy, put a pan on flame and add butter to it. Add the strained masala paste into the pan and give a nice mix. Now add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook the masala on low flame for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cauliflower florets into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 7-8 minutes until the cauliflower gets completely cooked.

Add water to the pan and give a nice stir. Add sugar, cream and mix it well. Cover the pan and put the flame on high until the gravy starts bubbling. Then turn the flame low and cook it for 2 minutes.

At the final stage, add garam masala powder, mash some kasuri methi in your palm and sprinkle it on the gravy. Mix it evenly and switch off the flame. Now your gobi butter masala is ready to serve.

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…

1 cup = 250ml

• 2 Onions, diced
• 2 large Tomatoes, diced
• 3 large cloves of Garlic, peeled
• 1 inch Ginger, peeled and diced
• 10-12 Cashew nuts
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• ⅓ cup Water for the masala to cook

• 1 Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
• ½ tablespoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
• 4 tablespoons Cream
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 cup Water for the gravy

1. Wash and cut the cauliflower into medium florets and roughly chop onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes for the curry.
2. Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter into the pan and wait until it is hot.
3. Add the cauliflower florets and sprinkle some salt on it. Give a nice stir and fry them over medium flame for around 10-12 minutes until they lose their crunch and golden brown spots occur on them. Strain the cauliflower florets out and keep them aside on a plate.
4. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Add a bay leaf to the pan and stir it for 10-15 seconds.
5. Add the onion chunks into the pan and cook it on a medium flame for 5 minutes till the onions turn translucent.
6. Add ginger-garlic into the pan and cook it for another 3 minutes on low flame.
7. Add the tomato chunks, soaked cashew nuts (Step 1) and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 2 minutes.
8. Take off the lid of the pan and add ⅓ cup water to it. Cover the pan and cook it for 12-15 minutes on low flame until the tomatoes get mushy.
9. Switch off the flame and put the pan down. Discard the bay leaf from the mixture. Allow the mixture to cool down completely to room temperature.
10. Transfer the mixture to the jar of a grinder and close the lid. Grind it till smooth.
11. For extra smooth restaurant-like gravy, you can sieve the masala. Add some water into the jar of the grinder and sieve it too for zero wastage. Keep it aside. This step is completely optional.
12. For the gobi butter masala gravy, put a pan on flame and add 1 tablespoon of butter to it.
13. Add the strained masala paste into the pan and give a nice mix.
14. Now add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook the masala on low flame for 2-3 minutes.
15. Add the cauliflower florets (Step 3) into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 7-8 minutes until the cauliflower gets completely cooked.
16. Add 1 cup water to the pan and give a nice stir.
17. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, 4 tablespoons of cream and mix it well. Cover the pan and put the flame on high until the gravy starts bubbling. Then turn the flame low and cook it for 2 minutes.
18. At the final stage, add 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, mash ½ tablespoon kasuri methi in your palm and sprinkle it on the gravy and mix it evenly.
19. Check the salt and turn off the flame. Now your gobi butter masala is ready to serve.

Transfer the gobi butter masala aka gobi makhani 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.

Gobi butter masala | Butter cauliflower | Gobi makhani

Serves: 4 Prep Time: 10 Minutes Cooking Time: 30 Minutes 30 Minutes

Nutrition facts: NA calories NA fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

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Ingredients

1 cup = 250ml

For the masala paste

• 2 Onions, diced
• 2 large Tomatoes, diced
• 3 large cloves of Garlic, peeled
• 1 inch Ginger, peeled and diced
• 10-12 Cashew nuts
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• ⅓ cup Water for the masala to cook

Other ingredients for gobi butter masala

• 1 Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
• ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala powder
• ½ tablespoon Kasuri methi (Dried fenugreek leaves)
• 4 tablespoons Cream
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons Butter
• 1 tablespoon Oil
• 1 cup Water for the gravy

Instructions

1. Wash and cut the cauliflower into medium florets and roughly chop onions, ginger, garlic and tomatoes for the curry.
2. Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Then add 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter into the pan and wait until it is hot.
3. Add the cauliflower florets and sprinkle some salt on it. Give a nice stir and fry them over medium flame for around 10-12 minutes until they lose their crunch and golden brown spots occur on them. Strain the cauliflower florets out and keep them aside on a plate.
4. In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and allow it to melt. Add a bay leaf to the pan and stir it for 10-15 seconds.
5. Add the onion chunks into the pan and cook it on a medium flame for 5 minutes till the onions turn translucent.
6. Add ginger-garlic into the pan and cook it for another 3 minutes on low flame.
7. Add the tomato chunks, soaked cashew nuts (Step 1) and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 2 minutes.
8. Take off the lid of the pan and add ⅓ cup water to it. Cover the pan and cook it for 12-15 minutes on low flame until the tomatoes get mushy.
9. Switch off the flame and put the pan down. Discard the bay leaf from the mixture. Allow the mixture to cool down completely to room temperature.
10. Transfer the mixture to the jar of a grinder and close the lid. Grind it till smooth.
11. For extra smooth restaurant-like gravy, you can sieve the masala. Add some water into the jar of the grinder and sieve it too for zero wastage. Keep it aside. This step is completely optional.
12. For the gobi butter masala gravy, put a pan on flame and add 1 tablespoon of butter to it.
13. Add the strained masala paste into the pan and give a nice mix.
14. Now add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook the masala on low flame for 2-3 minutes.
15. Add the cauliflower florets (Step 3) into the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 7-8 minutes until the cauliflower gets completely cooked.
16. Add 1 cup water to the pan and give a nice stir.
17. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar, 4 tablespoons of cream and mix it well. Cover the pan and put the flame on high until the gravy starts bubbling. Then turn the flame low and cook it for 2 minutes.
18. At the final stage, add 1 teaspoon garam masala powder, mash ½ tablespoon kasuri methi in your palm and sprinkle it on the gravy and mix it evenly.
19. Check the salt and turn off the flame. Now your gobi butter masala is ready to serve.