Gobi matar without onion garlic aka cauliflower and peas curry is an exotic cauliflower recipe which is frequently prepared in northern Indian houses during the winter season. In this preparation, cauliflower florets and green peas are cooked with tomato puree, coriander leaves and some spices. It is a versatile curry that can be accompanied by flatbreads like roti, chapati, and paratha or you can also pair it up with rice items like steamed rice, jeera rice etc. It is a very simple and easy recipe which makes it easily adaptable to a regular diet.
Table of Contents
About the recipe
Health Benefits of Cauliflower
Tips and Suggestions
How to make Gobi Matar (step wise photos)
Recipe Card
What is Gobi Matar?
Gobi matar is a very delectable no onion no garlic cauliflower curry. It is considered one of the most comforting winter curries in northern India. Gobi matar is a Hindi name where ‘gobi’ stands for ‘cauliflower’ and ‘matar’ stands for ‘green peas’.
Though there is no fixed rule to prepare gobi matar ki sabji but it is mostly prepared in two different ways.
- Gobi matar dry
- Gobi matar with gravy
Today, I am going to share the first version of gobi matar dry with you. It is mostly accompanied as a side with chapatis, rotis or plain rice and dal.
Gobi matar ki sabji is prepared in myriad ways in different parts of India using different combinations of spices and other ingredients. Many people prepare it without onion without garlic and many use onion-garlic. Many use coconut or coconut milk in it for extra flavour and richness.
During my childhood days, matar gobi ki sabji was considered a winter delicacy because fresh green peas and cauliflower were only available in the winter season during those days. But nowadays both vegetables are easily available throughout the year.
Gobi matar without onion garlic 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 is 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 quickly without investing much time.
I had this gobi matar ki sabji for the first time in one of my North Indian friend’s houses and I loved it. After that, I prepared the dish at home and everyone loved it, especially my daughter who always refuses to eat cauliflower. Since then, gobi matar has become one of the regular dishes on our weekday lunch table.
Gobi matar recipe with step-by-step photos and instructions has 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.
Tips to prepare perfect Gobi Matar
- Cut the cauliflower into medium florets.
- Fry the cauliflower florets separately for better texture and taste.
- 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.
- Don’t skip the ground spices from the recipe. It gives a nice flavour to the dish.
Ingredients for Gobi Matar
Cauliflower: The primary ingredient of the recipe which adds bite and texture to the dish.
Green peas aka matar: Another most important ingredient of the recipe which adds sweetness. You can use either fresh or frozen peas for the recipe.
Tomatoes: I have used tomato paste for the recipe. It gives a nice flavour, taste and texture to the dish.
Ginger: I have used grated ginger for the recipe. It is used to flavour up the curry.
Green chillies & coriander leaves: Green chillies add a heaty taste and coriander leaves add a refreshing aroma to the dish.
Whole spices: I have used cumin seeds to temper the dish.
Ground spices: I have used turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, chaat masala powder and hing for the recipe. All the spices are equally important to flavour up the curry.
Salt: The most important ingredient which adds saltiness.
Oil: To cook the dish. You can use any edible oil for the recipe like vegetable oil, soya oil, sunflower oil, olive oil etc.
How to make Gobi Matar without onion garlic?
To prepare the gobi matar ki sabji, first, 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.
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 and turmeric powder into it and mix. Fry them over medium flame for 10-12 minutes until they lose their crunch and brown spots occur on them. Then strain the cauliflower florets out and keep them aside.
In the same pan, add some oil and once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, hing aka asafoetida and let them crackle.
Add grated ginger and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
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.
Add salt, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another minute.
Now, add green peas to the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 3-4 minutes.
Add green chillies, coriander powder, cumin powder and chaat masala powder, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it on the lowest flame for another 2 minutes until the raw smell of the spices goes away.
Then add the fried cauliflower florets into the pan and give a nice mix. Add a little bit of water and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower gets cooked completely. Stir in between.
Add garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it for a few seconds. Then add chopped coriander leaves and mix them 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
To fry the cauliflower
- 1 medium Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
Other ingredients for gobi matar
- 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
- ¾ cup green Peas (Fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon grated Ginger
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 4 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon Hing aka asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil for cooking
- 2 tablespoons Water
Instructions:
- First, cut the cauliflower into medium florets, wash and keep them aside.
- Add the tomato chunks into the grinder jar and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the pan.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 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 1 tablespoon of oil and wait until the oil is hot.
- Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon hing aka asafoetida into the pan and let them crackle.
- Add 1 tablespoon grated ginger and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add tomato paste (Step 2) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 3-4 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another minute.
- Now, add ¾ cup green peas to the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 2-3 green chillies, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it on the lowest flame for another 2 minutes until the spices’ raw smell disappears.
- Add the fried cauliflower florets (Step 6) into the pan and give a nice mix.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower gets cooked completely. Stir in between.
- Add 1 teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it for a few seconds.
- Add 4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix them well.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
Serving Instruction
Transfer the gobi matar without onion garlic 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
To fry the cauliflower
- 1 medium Cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon oil
Other ingredients for gobi matar
- 2 Tomatoes, deseeded and diced for paste
- ¾ cup green Peas (Fresh or frozen)
- 1 tablespoon grated Ginger
- 2-3 green Chillies
- 4 tablespoons Coriander leaves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon Hing aka asafoetida
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red Chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon Cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon Garam masala powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon Oil for cooking
- 2 tablespoons Water
Instructions
- First, cut the cauliflower into medium florets, wash and keep them aside.
- Add the tomato chunks into the grinder jar and close the lid. Pulse it to a smooth paste and keep it aside.
- Put a pan on flame and allow it to become completely dry. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and wait until the oil is hot.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the pan.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 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 1 tablespoon of oil and wait until the oil is hot.
- Once the oil is hot, add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon hing aka asafoetida into the pan and let them crackle.
- Add 1 tablespoon grated ginger and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for 1-2 minutes until the raw smell goes away.
- Add tomato paste (Step 2) into the pan and give a nice stir. Cook in medium to low flame for 3-4 minutes until it releases oil.
- Add salt, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and mix it well. Cook it over low flame for another minute.
- Now, add ¾ cup green peas to the pan and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for 3-4 minutes.
- Add 2-3 green chillies, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder, one by one into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it on the lowest flame for another 2 minutes until the spices' raw smell disappears.
- Add the fried cauliflower florets (Step 6) into the pan and give a nice mix.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of water and mix it well. Cover the pan and cook it on low flame for another 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower gets cooked completely. Stir in between.
- Add 1 teaspoon garam masala powder into the pan and give a nice mix. Cook it for a few seconds.
- Add 4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves and mix them well.
- Switch off the flame and put the pan down.
