Cauliflower and potato
Aloo gobi is one of the best known of Punjabi dishes, perhaps because it's quite straightforward to cook and the many mentions in media like the film Bend it like Beckham.
Despite it's simplicity, things can easily go wrong, when I was first learning how to make it I would find that the cauliflower would get mashed or the spicy paste would get stuck to the pan. It's worth getting right because the texture of this curry is also part of it's overall experience. Follow the instructions carefully to avoid the common mistakes.
Ingredients
- 1 kg Cauliflower
- 520 grams Potatoes
- 3 tbsp Butter
- 1 tsp Black Mustard seed
- 1 tsp Cumin seed
- 2 Onions Finely chopped.
- 4 wedges Garlic Grated or finely sliced.
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1.5 Green chilli Finely chopped.
- 30 grams Ginger Grated or Finely chopped
- 3 tsp Dried fenugreek leaf
- 2.5 tsp Turmeric powder
- 1.5 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Garam masala
- 6 sprigs Fresh coriander
- 60 ml Water
Instructions
Prepare the vegetables
- Choose a cauliflower that's not too dense. Wash it and break it into pieces of approx. 5 cm, make sure to only cut the pieces lengthwise. If the leaves are soft you can cut them up as well. Dry well.
- Peel the potato and cut it into sizes of approx 3x3cm.
Make the spicy paste
- Prepare the onions and garlic
- In a large frying pan. Add the Butter/ghee into a pan and bring to a sizzle on a medium heat. Turn the heat to a simmer. Add the mustard seeds and the cumin.
- Add the onion and garlic when you start to hear the cumin and the seeds crackle.
- Continue simmering and stirring regularly to make sure that the mix is evenly cooking.
- Add salt to the mixture, it will help the onions to soften.
- When the onions have become soft. add the ginger and the chillies to the mix.
- The ginger sometimes likes to stick to the pan so keep a good eye on it and stir regularly. Add some more butter if you feel it might help.
- Add the dried fenugreek leaves and the turmeric.
Mix the vegetables into the paste
- When the onions are soft and brown add the cauliflower and potato. Mix them in so that they are nicely covered with the paste.
- To prevent sticking you can add a little water, but just a little else you risk the vegetables from becoming mushy.
- Add salt. Adjust quantity to your preference.
- Place lid over the saucepan. Continue to simmer until the cauliflower and potatoes soften.
- Check regularly approx every 5-10 minutes to give it a little stir and some more water if required.
- When vegetables are almost cooked, add the Gharam masala and gently stir.
- When the vegetables have finished cooking then take off the fire, and stir in chopped fresh coriander.
- It's ready to serve!