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Indian cooking / Dishes / Rajasthani Gobi Rajwadi
Rajasthani Gobi Rajwadi (Spicy Cauliflower with Chilli & Tomato)

Rajasthani Gobi Rajwadi

Spicy Cauliflower with Chilli & Tomato
VegetarianOrigin Rajasthan

Gobi Rajwadi is a dry, spiced cauliflower dish cooked with onion, tomato and a warm chilli kick. It tastes tangy, savoury and gently hot, with fresh ginger and coriander stirred in at the end.

Whole spices for the ghee

9 gAdded to the hot ghee at the start (step 2)
01
2.1 g1 teaspoon
spice
02
5 g1 tablespoon
spice
Add them together to the hot ghee; the coriander is already coarsely crushed.

Ground spices for the sauce

4.3 gStirred in with the tomatoes (step 5)
Add both powders together to the pan with the tomatoes.

Finishing spice

3 gStirred in after the heat is off (step 8)
01
3 g1 teaspoon
spice blend
Keep as is; sprinkle it in at the end.

Everything else

01
26 g2 tablespoons
oil/fat
02
Green bird's eye chilli · Kantharislit lengthways (don’t slit all the way through)
1.5 g1 chilli
vegetable
03
150 g
vegetable
04
Garlic · Lehsunfinely chopped
18 g6 cloves
aromatic
05
Tomato · Tamatarfinely chopped
160 g
vegetable
06
Cauliflower · Phool Gobhicut into bite-sized florets
550 g
vegetable
07
to taste
salt
08
Fresh ginger · Adrakcut into matchsticks
20 g5 cm
aromatic
09
to taste
herb

Method

  1. Heat 26.4 g ghee in a saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Add the whole spices for the ghee (2.1 g cumin seed, 5.1 g coarsely crushed coriander seeds and 2 g dried mild red chilli) and fry for a few seconds.
  3. Add 2 g green bird's-eye chilli, slit lengthways, and 150 g finely chopped white onion; stir well and cook for 7 minutes until softened.
  4. Stir in 18 g finely chopped garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  5. Add the ground spices for the sauce (1.3 g kashmiri chilli powder and 3 g ground turmeric) and 160 g finely chopped tomato; fry for 5 minutes until the tomato softens.
  6. Add 550 g cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets, and salt to taste; mix for 1 minute so the florets are coated with the masala.
  7. Lower the heat, cover and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring once halfway, until the cauliflower is tender through.
  8. Take the pan off the heat; stir in 10 g ginger root cut into matchsticks, the finishing spice (3 g chaat masala) and chopped coriander to taste.

Don't have something?

Ghee
  • Unsalted butter

    Use 120% of the weight; melt gently over low heat to avoid burning the milk solids, which will yield a softer, creamier richness rather than a nutty aroma.

  • Vegetable oil

    Use 85% of the weight; holds high cooking temperatures without smoking, but the final dish will lack traditional dairy depth.

  • Mustard oil

    Use equal weight; heat to smoking point and cool slightly before cooking, bearing in mind it introduces an assertive, pungent edge.

Cumin seed
  • Ground cumin

    Use 70% of the weight; add with ground spices or sauce bases rather than hot oil tempering, where it scorches quickly and turns bitter.

  • Black cumin seeds

    Use equal weight for oil tempering. Delivers an earthy profile with an additional musky, smoky, and slightly bitter edge.

  • Fennel seed

    Use 60% of the weight for tempering; offers comparable warm aroma, but leans sweet and liquorice-like rather than savoury and earthy.

Coriander seeds
  • Ground coriander

    Use 75% of the weight; stir in along with wet masala or tomato purée rather than frying in hot oil, as the fine powder burns instantly.

  • Cumin seed

    Use 50% of the weight for tempering in hot oil. Lacks the floral, sweet citrus flavour of coriander, introducing warm, pungent earthiness instead.

  • Fennel seed

    Use 50% of the weight in tempering; provides pleasant aromatic sweetness, though noticeably aniseedy rather than citrusy.

Mild dried red chilli
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Use the same weight; similar mild heat and good colour. Remove seeds if you want it milder.

  • Kashmiri red chilli powder

    Use half the weight of whole chilli (1 g powder for 2 g whole); add to hot oil briefly so it does not burn.

  • Paprika

    Use the same weight; sweeter and milder, good for colour. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper if you need heat.

Green bird's eye chilli
  • Bird's eye green chilli

    Use the same weight; heat and flavour are very close.

  • Green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; deseed for less heat. Larger chillies are more watery.

  • Fresh green chilli

    Use 1.5 to 2 times the weight; chop finely and adjust heat by tasting.

White onion
  • Brown onion

    Use the same weight; it is the closest everyday match, with a slightly deeper sweetness when fried.

  • Red onion

    Use the same weight; it is sharper and will tint the dish pink, so cook a little longer for sweetness.

  • Shallot

    Use the same weight; it is milder and sweeter, so reduce frying time slightly to avoid burning.

Garlic
  • Garlic paste

    Use equal weight. Fry gently in oil or ghee with the ginger; incorporates smoothly into curries without visible minced bits.

  • Garlic powder

    Use 15% to 20% of the weight (about 1 g for every 5 to 6 g fresh cloves). Whisk into sauces; gives a savoury, toasted garlic flavour without raw pungency.

  • Shallot

    Use 1.5 times the weight, very finely minced. Sauté until golden; provides savoury allium sweetness, though it lacks garlic's pungent sulphur bite.

Kashmiri chilli powder
  • Dried kashmiri chilli

    Grind deseeded dried pods to an equal weight of powder; gives identical vivid red colour and gentle warmth.

  • Red chilli powder

    Use 25% of the weight mixed with sweet paprika for colour; straight red chilli powder is substantially hotter and will make the dish fiery.

  • Chilli powder

    Use one-third of the weight; the sauce will be less intensely red and notably sharper in heat.

Ground turmeric
  • Ground ginger

    Use 50% of the weight. Mimics turmeric's warm, earthy, rhizome background, but provides none of the golden-yellow colour.

  • Saffron

    Steep a tiny pinch (0.1 g per 2 g turmeric) in 2 tbsp warm water; use to match the rich golden hue. Contributes an aristocratic, honeyed floral flavour rather than earthy bitterness.

Tomato
  • Tomato purée

    Use 40% to 50% of the fresh tomato weight mixed with a splash of water. Imparts a deeper red colour, thicker sauce, and slightly sweeter cooked flavour.

  • Plain yogurt

    Use 60% of the weight, whisked smooth and added on low heat. Provides rich body and sourness, though the gravy becomes paler and creamier.

Cauliflower
  • Broccoli

    Use the same weight; cut into similar florets and cook 2–3 minutes less. It is greener and slightly stronger in flavour.

  • Cauliflower floret

    Use the same weight and break into even florets. This is essentially the same vegetable, so cooking and flavour change little.

  • Cabbage

    Use the same weight; cut into wedges and cook 3–5 minutes less. It becomes much softer and sweeter, so the dish loses cauliflower's bite.

Fresh ginger
  • Ginger paste

    Use equal weight. Sauté in hot fat until the raw allium smell disappears; slightly wetter, but provides identical warmth and pungency.

  • Ground ginger

    Use 20% to 25% of the weight (1 g for every 4 to 5 g fresh). Stir into the gravy; adds peppery heat and warmth, though it misses the crisp, zesty kick of raw root.

Chaat masala
  • Tandoori snack spice mix

    Use the same weight; taste first as it can be smokier and saltier. Add lime or amchoor if the dish needs more tang.

  • Dried mango powder

    Use about half the weight, mixed with black salt and a pinch of ground cumin. It gives tang and saltiness but lacks the minty, asafoetida notes.

  • Black salt

    Use about half the weight and add lime juice to taste. It gives the salty, sulphurous edge but not the full tangy blend.

Coriander
  • Coriander leaf

    Use equal weight, chopped fresh and stirred in off the heat or used as garnish. Matches the citrus-herbal profile identically.

  • Mint

    Use 40% to 50% of the weight; chop finely and add at the very end. Adds fresh herbal brightness, but shifts the aroma toward cool menthol.

Similar dishes

Gobi Tandoori (Tandoori Home Cooking)
Whole Roasted Cauliflower in a Creamy Coconut & Chilli Sauce
Gobi Tandoori is rich and coconut-forward with gentle heat, while this dish is tangy, savoury and more directly hot from green chilli and tomato.
  • Same: Gobi Tandoori shares cauliflower, ghee, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, garlic, ginger and coriander with this dish.
  • Different: Gobi Tandoori roasts a whole cauliflower in a marinade and coconut milk sauce with almonds, cumin, nutmeg and saffron, while this dish is a dry onion-tomato cauliflower cooked with cumin seeds, coriander seeds, green chilli and chaat masala.
Achari Gobi
Cauliflower in Pickling Spices
Achari Gobi tastes tangy from amchoor and pickle oil with pungent mustard and nigella notes, rather than this dish's tomato tang, ghee richness and fresh ginger-coriander finish.
  • Same: Achari Gobi shares cauliflower, cumin and coriander seeds, dried red chilli, garlic and salt with this dish, and both are dry cauliflower preparations.
  • Different: Achari Gobi lacks this dish's ghee, onion, tomato, ginger, green chilli, turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder and chaat masala, and instead uses vegetable oil, mustard seed, nigella seed, amchoor and pickle oil.
Tamil Cauliflower Milagu Peratu
Spicy Cauliflower with Black Pepper, Curry Leaves, Fennel and Turmeric
Tamil Cauliflower Milagu Peratu tastes pepper-forward and aromatic from curry leaves and fennel, while this dish tastes tangier from tomato and chaat masala with a warm chilli kick.
  • Same: Tamil Cauliflower Milagu Peratu shares with this dish a dry cauliflower base cooked with onion, tomato, cumin, garlic, turmeric and coriander leaf.
  • Different: Tamil Cauliflower Milagu Peratu uses vegetable oil instead of ghee and adds black pepper, fennel, cinnamon, poppy seeds and curry leaves, while this dish uses ghee, ginger, chaat masala, Kashmiri chilli powder and fresh green chilli.
Gobi Kali Mirch
Peppery Cauliflower Curry
Gobi Kali Mirch tastes peppery and lightly spiced, without this dish's tangy tomato-and-chaat-masala sourness or its layered chilli heat and fresh ginger-coriander finish.
  • Same: Gobi Kali Mirch shares cauliflower as the main ingredient, cumin seed, salt and a dry cooking style with this dish.
  • Different: Gobi Kali Mirch uses vegetable oil instead of ghee, adds mustard seed, urad dal and ground black pepper, and lacks this dish's onion, tomato, garlic, ginger, green chilli, Kashmiri chilli powder, turmeric, chaat masala and fresh coriander; it has no tomato or chaat masala souring agent and is a stir-fry with toasted lentils rather than an onion-tomato masala.