Au Gratin is a french delicacy served with warm toasted bread. Au Gratin has all your favorite vegetables dunked in a cheesy white sauce with a crusty golden top. Learn to make Veg Au Gratin Recipe the perfect way with step by step pictures and video.
Au Gratin is a french dish made with mixed vegetables, white sauce base and of course cheese. Vegetable Au Gratin or Veg Au Gratin has all the vegetables dunked in white sauce with lots of cheese, its very creamy with a perfect crusty top.
What is Au Gratin?
Au Gratin : ‘Gratin’ is a French word used for a technique in which the top has a golden brown crust achieved by using breadcrumbs or grated cheese. A gratin is baked or grilled to form a golden crust on top so that describes Au Gratin.
Veg Au Gratin is a French delicacy can be had as a main course or as a side dish for bread toasts. Veg au gratin is very easy to make with less effort you can serve your family a hearty dinner. Kids love au gratin because of the special ingredient cheese so with vegetables it tastes so delicious too.
Originated from France this dish has become popular through out the world now. Au gratin can be made Indian too with our regular spices and masala then topping it up with cheese and baking it till crispy and golden.
Veg au gratin can be made perfectly by baking until cheese melts and gives a crusty golden top. There are many popular Au gratin recipes like potato au gratin, french breans au gratin or pasta au gratin etc.
Au Gratin Video
Au Gratin – 2 ways
I have shared 2 versions here :
- Baked Au Gratin – Generally Au Gratin dishes are baked to get the perfect golden crusty top. I definitely prefer the baked version to stove top.
- Stove top Au Gratin – Usually vegetable Au gratin is baked but few readers and friends asked for a stove top version so here it is for those who don’t have oven. Do try this easy stove top version of roasted vegetable Au gratin and enjoy!
I love crusty top grilled it for the last few mins, the taste was absolutely delicious. It had a crusty top with a creamy inside perfect Au gratin.
Similar Recipes
Au Gratin Ingredients
- Vegetables – I used a mix of vegetables which includes carrots, potato, cauliflower, beans and peas. Each take different time to cook so have cooked accordingly.
- Cheese – You can use cheddar cheese or mozzarella cheese or even processed cheese. Cheese can’t go wrong right?! So use cheese of your liking or as per the availability.
- Milk – Use thick full cream milk preferably boiled.
- Flour – I used maida this time but have tried with wheat flour and there is no difference at all.
- Spices and Herbs – I used salt, pepper, nutmeg powder
How to make Au Gratin Recipe – Step by Step
Baked Au Gratin
1.Boil water add salt to it. Add 3/4 cup carrot, 1 cup potato and 1/2 cup beans. Cook for 3 mins.
2.Then add 1/4 cup peas and 1/2 cup cauliflower. So the vegetables comes to 3 cups in total.Cook for 2 mins.
3.Drain and remove the vegetables. Do not overcook.
4.Drain water completely and set aside. You can use the drained water as vegetable stock for making soups.Set this aside.
5.Heat 1/4 cup butter – Let it melt. If you prefer you can add finely 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic and 2 tablespoon finely chopped onion.
6.Add 1/4 cup flour.
7.Keep whisking until no dry flour is seen.
8.Add 2 cups milk and keep whisking simultaneously to avoid lump formation.
9.Keep stirring until it starts to thicken.
10.Starts to thicken as you can see.
11.Within few mins the sauce will start to thicken.Cook in low flame, Keep stirring. Once it starts to thicken switch to a spatula.
12.The sauce will will coat the ladle like shown below.
13.Add salt to taste, 1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder and 2 tablespoon cheese.
14.After adding cheese it bubbles up and becomes more creamy and thick. This white sauce is called Bechamel sauce. Bechamel sauce is ready now.
15.Now add cooked vegetables.
16.Mix it well, cook for a minute then switch off.
17.The vegetables should be well coated with the sauce, the sauce should not be very thick it should still be goey like shown below.
18.Vegetables in bechamel sauce ready.
19.Preheat oven at 200 deg C for 10 mins. Transfer it to a baking dish.
20.Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated cheese to cover the top. Bake in preheated oven at 200 deg C for 20 mins. Change to grill mode for the last 2-3 mins to get a golden crusty top.
21.Veg Augratin ready to be served. You can sprinkle italian or pizza seasoning and serve hot!
22.Perfectly done augratin ready. Crusty top with a goey white sauce with vegetables tastes out of the world.
23.Do try and enjoy. You can enjoy au gratin as such or with crisp toasted bread.
Enjoy Au gratin hot!
Stove Top Veg Au Gratin
Veg Au Gratin in stove top method just in case you don’t have an oven. Au gratin made in stove top version is soft and goey.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon butter + to grease
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely chopped
- 1/4 cup onion roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup capsicum roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon mixed herbs
- 1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
- salt to taste
Mixed Vegetables(1.5 cups in total)
- 1/2 cup carrot roughly cubed
- 1/2 cup potato roughly cubed
- 1/4 cup beans 1 inch long
- 1/4 cup cauliflower small florets
For white sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon wheat flour
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoon cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
- salt
For seasoning:
- chilli flakes
- mixed herbs
- piri piri masala powder
Stove Top Au Gratin Recipe Video
Stove Top Veg Au Gratin Recipe – Step by Step
- Heat a pan add 1 teaspoon butter, 1 teaspoon oil add garlic,onion capsicum and saute for 2 mins.Then add veggies along with chilli flakes, mixed herbs and salt.
- Saute for 2 mins then add 1/4 cup water.
- When it starts to boil cook covered for 5-7 mins or until the vegetables are 3/4th cooked. Switch off and set aside.
- To another pan melt butter add wheat flour whisk it well immediately add milk, whisk continuously.
- We need a thick sauce for this so keep cooking until it coats the ladle -when you draw a line it should stand firm as shown.
- Add pepper powder,salt and cheese mix well, the sauce will be creamy and thick. At this stage add roasted vegetables.
- Mix well,cook for 2 mins and switch off.This should be done off the stove : Now take a heavy base pan preferably iron, transfer the veggie mixture to it.spread it well. Cover the top by sprinkling cheese.Add chilli flakes,mixed herbs and piri piri masala powder.
- Now keep on stove and switch on. Cook covered for 5-7 mins(low medium flame) or until cheese starts to bubble. Cut and serve hot with toasted bread.
Stove top au gratin is ready!
Expert Tips
- Always use soft tender juicy vegetables and avoid hard vegetables like yam etc. The vegetables used is of your choice,but do not use vegetables that leave out more water, choose hard vegetables that cook easily.
- I used carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower and potato.
- Use good quality cheese. You can use cube cheese or mozarella cheese.
- I added italain seasoning while serving.
- The vegetables needs only to be 3/4 th cooked else it will become mushy.
- You can even steam the veggies and directly add into white sauce.
- Cut the vegetables into bite sized pieces.
- You can make the white sauce well ahead and store it.
- Do not make the vegetables mushy, it should be crunchy.
Variations
- You can replace cheese with breadcrumbs for topping and bake it until golden and crisp too. This is for those who want a low fat version of augratin.
- If you wish to skip white flour or maida you can make white sauce with wheat flour also. But adjust milk accordingly.
- If you like a cheese goey top you can opt to skip grilling.
Storage and Serving Suggestion
Enjoy hot augratin for best taste. However if you like to store and use it within a day, cling wrap the baking dish and store in fridge. While serving you can reheat and serve hot.
Augratin is a wholesome dish so you can eat it as such. However you can serve Augratin with crisp toasted bread too.
FAQS
1.What is Veg Au gratin?
Veg Au gratin is nothing but gratin with a mix of vegetables drowned in a cheesy white sauce, with a generous sprinkle of cheese on top and baked until golden. The recipe can be altered to make Chicken Au gratin, Potato Au gratin, Beans Au gratin and likewise.
2.What are the vegetables to use for Au Gratin?
You can use vegetables like carrot, peas, french beans, potato, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower etc.
3.What kind of dish do we need to make Au gratin?
A slightly shallow baking dish will be perfect for making Au gratin. If you do not have a glass baking dish you can use ceramic or aluminium or nonstick baking tins too. Baking tins are an excellent replacement for Au gratin dishes.
If you have any more questions about this Au Gratin Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .
Tried this Au Gratin Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
Au Gratin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup potato
- 3/4 cup carrot
- 1/4 cup green peas
- 1/2 cup cauliflower
- 1/2 cup beans
- 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon cheese
*I used carrot, beans, potatoes, cauliflower and peas – 3 cups in total
For the white sauce:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 cups milk
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper crushed
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil water add salt to it. Add 3/4 cup carrot, 1 cup potato and 1/2 cup beans. Cook for 3 mins.
- Then add 1/4 cup peas and 1/2 cup cauliflower. So the vegetables comes to 3 cups in total. Cook for 2 mins.
- Drain and remove the vegetables. Do not overcook.
- Drain water completely and set aside. You can use the drained water as vegetable stock for making soups. Set this aside.
- Heat 1/4 cup butter – Let it melt. If you prefer you can add finely 1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic and 2 tablespoon finely chopped onion.
- Add 1/4 cup flour.
- Keep whisking until no dry flour is seen.
- Add 2 cups milk and keep whisking simultaneously to avoid lump formation.
- Keep stirring until it starts to thicken.
- Within few mins the sauce will start to thicken. Cook in low flame, Keep stirring. Once it starts to thicken switch to a spatula.
- The sauce will will coat the ladle.
- Add salt to taste, 1/2 teaspoon crushed pepper, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg powder and 2 tablespoon cheese.
- After adding cheese it bubbles up and becomes more creamy and thick. This white sauce is called Bechamel sauce. Bechamel sauce is ready now.
- Now add cooked vegetables.
- Mix it well, cook for a minute then switch off.
- The vegetables should be well coated with the sauce, the sauce should not be very thick it should still be goey like shown below.
- Vegetables in bechamel sauce ready.
- Preheat oven at 200 deg C for 10 mins. Transfer it to a baking dish.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup grated cheese to cover the top. Bake in preheated oven at 200 deg C for 20 mins. Change to grill mode for the last 2-3 mins to get a golden crusty top.
- Veg Au gratin ready to be served. Perfectly done au gratin ready. Crusty top with a gooey white sauce with vegetables tastes out of the world.
- Do try and enjoy. You can enjoy au gratin as such or with crisp toasted bread. Enjoy Au gratin hot!
Video
Notes
- Always use soft tender juicy vegetables and avoid hard vegetables like yam etc. The vegetables used is of your choice,but do not use vegetables that leave out more water, choose hard vegetables that cook easily.
- I used carrot, beans, peas, cauliflower and potato.
- Use good quality cheese. You can use cube cheese or mozarella cheese.
- I added italain seasoning while serving.
- The vegetables needs only to be 3/4 th cooked else it will become mushy.
- You can even steam the veggies and directly add into white sauce.
- Cut the vegetables into bite sized pieces.
- You can make the white sauce well ahead and store it.
- Do not make the vegetables mushy, it should be crunchy.
Srigouri
Hi Sharmi,
Please let us know which cheese is used.
Rgds,Srigouri
Sharmilee J
I used mozarella cheese
unknown
Hi
My sauce is very thick…how do i mend it….
Sharmilee J
Add warm milk and keep cooking until saucey and thick