Creamy and delicious Mughlai Gobi Musallam (Whole Cauliflower Curry) is a great centerpiece dish for festive or special meals. Make it using my easy traditional recipe (vegetarian).

About Gobi Musallam

Gobi Musallam is a delicious Mughlai-inspired curry where the whole cauliflower head is blanched, fried, and drenched in a luscious and creamy sauce.

This curry is rich, buttery, and fantastic for special meals.

The Mughal word “Musallam” means whole, and gobi means cauliflower, and thus, the dish includes the whole gobi without cutting it into the florets.

The addition of the whole gobi is what makes this gobi musallam recipe unique from other similar curries.

This recipe is vegetarian and can be easily made gluten-free. You can easily double or triple the recipe, too. Just make sure not to use large heads of cauliform. Instead, use multiple small heads.

Try some more gobi recipes.

• Aloo Gobi
• Gobi Paratha
• Aloo Matar Gobi
• Achari Gobhi
• Gobi Pulao
• Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients

Cauliflower – This recipe uses an entire cauliflower head. It is blanched, shallow fried, and then added to the gravy. Select a small or medium-sized cauliflower head.

The whole cauliflower makes it unique, but if you do not like to put whole cauliflower, you can cut it into florets and add them to the makhani sauce.

Oil – I used oil and butter to prepare the gobi musallam gravy. Adding butter adds a slight richness, which enhances the flavor, too. You can also use ghee (clarified butter) instead of butter or make the entire curry in oil.

Green Bell Pepper (Capsicum) – Finely chopped capsicum adds texture and taste to the gravy.

Whole Spices – You will need bay leaves (tejpatta), black peppercorns (kali mirch), green cardamoms (hari elaichi), cumin seeds, and dry red chilies.

Cashew Nuts Paste – This is my favorite non-dairy ingredient to add creaminess to my rich gravies. Soak the cashews in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes, then blend them into a smooth paste.

Spice Powders – To add a little more color and taste, I used some basic spice powders such as coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, and Roasted Cumin Powder.

I prefer Kashmiri red chili powder, which adds a nice red color to the gravy without making it too spicy. You can also add regular red chili powder, but then add only 1 tsp.

Unsweetened Heavy Cream and Plain Yogurt (Dahi, Curd) – Cream and yogurt make the gravy creamier. They also settle down the overpowering taste of the spices.

Others – You will also need salt, red onions, fresh ginger, garlic, green chilies, fresh tomatoes, Kasuri methi, freshly squeezed lime juice, and cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).

How To Make Gobi Musallam

Blanch The Gobhi

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over medium heat.

Once it comes to a boil, add 2 teaspoon salt and a whole cauliflower head (head side up).

Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes until the cauliflower is slightly tender.

Don’t overcook; otherwise, it will become mushy.

Drain the water and wipe the cauliflower using a kitchen towel.

Shallow Fry The Cauliflower

Heat 2 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoon oil in a large pan over high heat.

Once they are hot, add the cauliflower, head side down, and fry on high heat until it turns golden brown (5-6 minutes).

Slightly turn the cauliflower on its sides while frying.

Drain on a plate and keep aside.

Make The Curry

To the same pan, add

• 2 whole bay leaves
• 2-3 whole black peppercorns
• 2 whole green cardamoms
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 2-3 broken dry red chilies

and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds.

Add

• 1 cup chopped red onions
• 2 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 2 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies

and cook until the onions are nicely browned (8-10 minutes), stirring frequently.

Add 1 cup of chopped tomatoes and cook for another 4-5 minutes.

Now add

• 2 teaspoon coriander powder
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon roasted cumin powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

and cook until oil starts to separate from the sides of the pan (3-4 minutes), stirring continuously.

Add

• ½ cup finely chopped green bell peppers
• ½ cup plain yogurt (whisked with 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour)
• ¼ cup cashew nut paste
• 1 cup of water

and bring the curry to a boil.

Add

• ¼ cup unsweetened heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon Kasuri methi
• ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice

and mix well.

Check for salt and add more if required.

Reduce the heat to low.

Transfer the fried cauliflower to the pan and coat it with the curry.

Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 12-15 minutes until the cauliflower is nicely cooked. Stir the gravy a few times while cooking.

Garnish with 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro and serve.

Serving Suggestions

To serve, transfer the head of the cauliflower to the center of the serving bowl using 2 large spoons. Pour the gravy on the side. Keep a knife and a fork to cut the cauliflower into pieces.

Gobi Musallam can be served with Indian bread such as Naan, Garlic Naan, Tandoori Roti, Missi Roti, Phulka, Plain Tawa Paratha, Lachha Paratha, or any other Indian bread that you prefer.

It also tastes great with Steamed Rice, Jeera Rice, Peas Pulao, or any other lightly spiced pulao recipe.

Serve roasted papad, sliced onions, and lemon wedges on the side. A flavorful raita will complete the meal.

Storage Suggestions

Gobi Musallam will last in the fridge for 2 to 3 days when stored in an air-tight container. Reheat it in a pan or microwave until nice and warm before serving.

If you feel the curry has become thick while refrigerating, add water and heat properly.

Also, reheat only the amount you want to serve. Reheating again and again can decrease its shelf life.

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