Easy Gnocchi Recipe Indian-Style

In 20 minutes with a few store-bought items, this easy gnocchi recipe delivers deep, rich Indian flavors with a creamy tomato-based sauce. Soak it up with Naan for a simple, but decadent Indian style pasta.

I used two shortcuts in this recipe – a good bottled tomato sauce and pre-made fresh gnocchi. You can, of course, make your own but most people would never notice the difference.

The semi-homemade sauce is delicious and way better than the Indian bottled sauce you buy in the store. And you can pretty much add anything you want to it – chicken, vegetables, tofu, etc. Here’s an easy Naan recipe for scooping up the sauce if you want to step it up a notch.

I used the same sauce from our Indian Butter Chicken recipe My daughter Jenna, the other kook, begged me to make a vegetarian version because she loves Indian food so much. So I used gnocchi, another favorite of hers. (She was pregnant at the time and I found myself doing whatever she asked).

I think gnocchi is a good choice for this dish because the soft pillowy dumplings soak up the sauce so well. I bought a classic potato gnocchi, the most common type for this Italian pasta.

Tailor To Your Taste

• Add a 1/2 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger while cooking the onions (several recipes used ginger)
• Add a tablespoon of brown sugar if you like some sweetness.
• Instead of gnocchi, toss the sauce with any pasta, tofu, legumes and/or cooked vegetables.
• You can use any variation of gnocchi you like such as ricotta, pumpkin, spinach etc.
• Vary the spiciness with as much or little cayenne pepper as you like.

Substitutes you can use for this Indian style pasta

• For seasonings
  • If you don’t have Tandoori or Garam Masala, use curry powder instead.
  • To make 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala, combine: 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/8 teaspoon crumbled bay leaves.
• For a dairy-free version, replace the half and half cream with 1/2-1 cup of coconut milk. And replace the butter with margarine.
• For homemade gnocchi: Here’s a recipe if you prefer to make homemade potato gnocchi.

Shortcuts

Both these shortcuts are used in this recipe.

• Store-bought tomato sauce such as White Linen Marinara Sauce from Costco.
• Store-bought fresh gnocchi, available in most grocery stores.

Make Ahead

• The sauce for this Indian vegetarian dish can be made several days ahead. I suggest adding the spinach just before serving (to maintain it’s bright green color). It is also best to boil the gnocchi just before serving as well. But don’t get me wrong. Leftovers are great too, even straight out of the fridge.

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Easy Gnocchi Recipe Indian-Style

In 20 minutes with a few store-bought items, this easy gnocchi recipe delivers deep, rich Indian flavors with a creamy tomato-based sauce. Soak it up with Naan for a simple, but decadent Indian style pasta.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: Main Course, vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 3

1x2x3x

Author: Cheryl

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 400 grams (3/4 lb) fresh Gnocchi in package, store-bought (I used potato)
• 3 cups roughly chopped fresh baby spinach (or kale)
• Garnish: chopped parsley or cilantro

Indian Sauce

• 3 tablespoon butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 3/4 cup tomato sauce - 15 oz. (bottled or homemade)
• 1/2 cup - 1 cup half & half cream

Seasonings for Sauce (Note 1)

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more if you like very spicy)
• 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
• 1 tablespoon Tandoori Masala (or curry powder)
• 1 teaspoon Curry powder

Instructions

• BOIL GNOCCHI: as per package instructions (e.g. put in lightly salted boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes until they float to top). Drain and set aside.
• MAKE SAUCE: While Gnocchi are boiling, melt butter in skillet on Medium. Add onions and garlic and cook 4-5 minutes until onions are soft. Stir in seasonings for sauce. Add tomato sauce and cream and cook on medium for 5 minutes to develop flavors. Stir in spinach until it wilts (30-40 seconds).
• FINISH DISH: Stir in cooked gnocchi until heated through (2 minutes). Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt if needed or more spices. Garnish with parsley or cilantro and serve with warm Naan (Indian bread) if desired.

Notes

1. Substitutes
   • For seasonings
     • If you don't have Tandoori or Garam Masala, use curry powder instead.
     • To make 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala, combine: 1/4 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/8 teaspoon crumbled bay leaves.
   • For a dairy-free version, replace the half and half cream with 1/2-1 cup of coconut milk. And replace the butter with margarine.
   • For homemade gnocchi: Here's a recipe if you prefer to make homemade potato gnocchi.
2. Make Ahead: The sauce for this Indian vegetarian dish can be made several days ahead. I suggest adding the spinach just before serving (to maintain it's bright green color). It is also best to boil the gnocchi just before serving as well. But don't get me wrong. Leftovers are great too, even straight out of the fridge. 

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy Gnocchi Recipe Indian-Style

Amount Per Serving

Calories 526 Calories from Fat 252

% Daily Value*

Fat 28g43%

Saturated Fat 17g106%

Cholesterol 84mg28%

Sodium 1342mg58%

Potassium 724mg21%

Carbohydrates 63g21%

Fiber 8g33%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 4504IU90%

Vitamin C 22mg27%

Calcium 117mg12%

Iron 7mg39%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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This recipe, originally posted in 2018, has been republished with updated pictures and information. The old recipe was previously called Easy Indian Butter Gnocchi with Spinach.