aloo gobi sabzhi | homestyle indian taters
I first made this for my sister-in-law, who was visiting us in London for the first time. It was bland and having never made a roti before, I probably served it with sliced bread. Clearly I wasn't trying to impress her now looking back on this frightful attempt. Sorry Sim! As a slightly more seasoned cook, I've adapted the recipe for a less embarrassing outcome.
INGREDIENTS
serves 3-4
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp grated ginger
1 tsp ground onion
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1/2 tbsp kashmiri masala (or any red chili powder)
5 dried curry leaves
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp turmeric
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
2 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (similar size to the florets)
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup water
METHOD
In a large pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Once it simmers, add the grated ginger, ground onion, ground coriander, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, kashmiri masala and curry leaves.
Let this cook and fragrance the oil for about 1-2 minutes. The spice mix (masala) will thicken and the color will deepen.
Turn down the heat to medium.
Toss in the potatoes, and allow the masala to coat the vegetable. You want the potatoes to be cooked half way before adding the cauliflower as the cook times are different.
Add the tomato paste and cook the potatoes for about 6-7 minutes. If you feel that the spices and paste are sticking to the pan, you can add about 1-2 tbsps of the reserved water to help release the aromatics off the bottom of the pan.
Add the cauliflower and sprinkle the turmeric on top of all the vegetables. Let it all pan fry for about 4-5 minutes.
Season with salt and add the rest of the water.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat slightly. Let the vegetables cook for 10 minutes giving it a stir once in between.
Remove the lid and allow the vegetables to cook further another 2-3 minutes until fully cooked through.
