I am officially on board with the idea of a sheet pan dinner.
Perhaps it’s the dishwashing fatigue. Perhaps it’s that I’ve run out of interesting ways to get dinner on my plate and am looking for efficiency. Or maybe it’s because I have finally cracked the code on translating one of my favorite recipes from my mom into a one sheet pan meal.
I have fond memories of my mom in the kitchen every evening, stirring pots of simmering channa masala or pans of sabzi. The picture is something that will always remind me of being home. Personally though, I have no desire to stand in front of a stove these days. I want food that tastes delicious and makes me feel good with the most minimal amount of effort possible. Over the summer while I was trying to get a taste of my mom’s home cooked meals while we were apart, I learned over a FaceTime call how to make aloo gobi. And while I became fond of its relative ease and punch of flavor, as the weather cooled down and I was looking for dinner shortcuts, I wondered if I could turn this favorite into an even easier version. Spoiler alert: I did. 
For those unfamiliar, aloo gobi (literally translated “potatoes and cauliflower”) is one of my favorite sabzi’s. All it really asks of you is to chop up some potatoes and cauliflower and stir them around in a pan with a bunch of spices until it picks up some color and then, voila! It’s done. Growing up, I would only eat the potato (classic), but with time I’ve become a cauliflower fiend, and realize how versatile the vegetable is as it picks up the flavor of whatever you cook it with.
This sheet pan version is even easier. All you have to do is stir up the spices and sauce together, then toss the vegetables. Pour everything out onto a sheet pan and bake. Minimal dishes and clean up, but maximum flavor! It’s a winning combination. I riffed off my mom’s stove top version, and barely noticed a difference between the two methods.
The key is to get the char on the vegetables that you would get from letting them stick to the bottom of a stove top pan. There’s nothing quite as perfect as a spiced potato edge that is perfectly crisp and brimming with warm spices.
To serve, just spoon straight from the sheet pan over a plate of rice or serve with rotis. I like to top mine with extra cilantro and lime juice, but I’ll also get crazy and add some chopped red onions and a drizzle of yogurt if I’m feeling fancy.
This is the perfect fall dish that let’s you play around with different spices and pack in flavor with a dish that is also really good for you! So break out the sheet pan, grab your spices, and let’s get baking!
Sheet Pan Aloo Gobi
Serves 2
an easy sheet pan version of a classic Indian sabzi
Prep
10 minutes
Cook
40 minutes
Categories
Ingredients
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup tomato masala*
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 tbsp very finely grated fresh ginger
- scant 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 3/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/8 tsp red chili powder (more if desired)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 1/2 tsp tava fry masala
- Pinch of hing (optional but recommended)
- 1 head of cauliflower, stemmed and cut into small florets
- 3 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into small cubes or wedges
- to serve: lime or lemon juice, chaat masala, cilantro, salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, add the tomato masala, ginger, and spices. Stir to combine. *I have previously used the tomato masala here in this recipe, it is essentially just tomato sauce cooked down with spices, sometimes finely chopped onions and peppers. If you don't have tomato masala, I would recommend just reducing down a can of tomato sauce on the stove and using a 1/2 cup in this recipe.
- Add the cauliflower and potatoes into the spice mix and toss to combine until everything is evenly coated.
- Pour into an even layer onto an unlined sheet tray, making sure to give the vegetables enough space to allow them to crisp and not just steam.
- Bake in oven for about 35 minutes, flipping halfway through. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes on broil to char the veggies.
- Remove from oven and top with lime/lemon juice, a sprinkle of chaat masala, cilantro, and salt to taste. Serve with rice or rotis. Enjoy!
I love aloo gobi – it’s one of those underrated dishes of Indian cuisine I think, that I now appreciate being married to an Indian! It has so much more of a “home cooking” feel than some of the stews you’d commonly find at an Indian restaurant. But the use of a sheet pan for this? Genius! Thanks Suruchi!
This is SO up my alley. Making next week!
No oil? I’m afraid this will burn.
No oil? I’m afraid this will burn. And how about salt? I’m looking forward to making this recipe.