Instant Pot Aloo Gobi curry that makes for a delicious potato and cauliflower in a tangy, spiced tomato and onion sauce or gravy as served in the Punjabi Dhabas.
Firstly chop cauliflower in medium-sized florets. Rinse them in running water.
Then boil 2.5 to 3 cups of water in a pan with salt. Close the burner.
Add the cauliflower florets in the salted hot water and keep covered for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, drain all the water and set the blanched cauliflower florets aside.
This blanching step is optional and can be skipped.
Rinse peel and dice the potatoes in medium-sized cubes or pieces. Place the potatoes in a bowl of water so that they do not discolor.
Make a smooth paste in a blender with the onion, tomato, ginger and garlic. No need to add water while making the paste.
Making instant pot aloo gobi
Switch on the 6 quart instant pot. Press the sauté button on less mode for 10 minutes.
When you get the sign of hot on the display, add 3 tablespoons oil in the steel insert. Then add the ground onion-tomato paste. The paste may splutter so be careful.
Mix and stir well.
Now press the sauté button again so that the mode becomes normal. This will increase the heat in the instant pot.
Sauté the onion-tomato masala paste stirring often. A lot of steam will be felt while stirring so if sensitive to heat, then use a long spoon or wear oven mittens.
Sauté on normal mode for 8 to 10 minutes till the masala paste thickens. Stir often while sautéing. You will see oil leaving the sides of the masala paste. You have to continue to stir and sauté the masala till it thickens, comes together and changes color with some oil leaving the sides.
When the masala paste gets cooked and is sauteed well after 8 to 10 minutes, press the cancel button.
Add the green chillies and all the ground spice powders one by one - turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam masala powder. Keep the spice powders ready on the kitchen countertop before you begin to add them.
Mix very well. The spice powders will get cooked with the residue heat.
Add cauliflower, potatoes, water and salt as required. Mix very well.
Close the instant pot with its lid and turn the valve to the sealing position. Press the pressure cooker button and set the timer for 3 minutes. Use high-pressure mode.
Do a quick pressure release (qpr) once you hear the beep and the timer goes off.
If the consistency looks thin to you, then press the sauté button and simmer for a few minutes till you get the desired consistency. Mashing a few potatoes with the spoon will also help to thicken the curry.
Lastly, add ½ teaspoon of crushed kasuri methi (dry fenugreek leaves) and 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves. Mix very well.
Serve instant pot aloo gobi gravy hot with roti, naan or steamed rice or jeera rice or rumali roti. While serving you can add a few chopped coriander leaves for garnish.