Aloo Gobi

Aloo Gobi is one of those dishes that you're almost certain to find on the menu of any Indian restaurant-- that's just how popular it is.

It's one of the simplest Indian dishes to make, yet hearty with the robust flavors of cauliflower and potatoes woven through with the delicious spice of cumin, coriander, chili powder and ginger. Aloo Gobi is also a supremely versatile dish-- it goes beautifully with some parathas, chapatis, or just some dal-chawal (dal and rice).

I adapted this recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's World Vegetarian. Jaffrey deep-fries the cauliflower and the potatoes separately, but I can't be bothered with the fat and the time and fuss required to do this, so I just put my ingredients in one after the other. The result was delicious and healthier minus all the fat.

I've been rather busy these last few weeks, so I've been less chatty than usual. But keeping these posts short is not easy because I just love to vent at the keyboard :)

I didn't want to let too many days lapse, though, before I shared another recipe, so here goes another short post.

Trust me, if at all you miss all the chatting (although I can't imagine why you would!), it'll be back soon!


Aloo Gobi

Ingredients:

3 medium russet potatoes, cut lengthwise into thick fries

1 medium cauliflower, florets separated

1/2 tsp  red chili powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/4 cup coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped

1 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

In a cast-iron or any other heavy skillet, heat the oil

Add the potatoes and stir-fry over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the potatoes are almost golden-brown and barely tender.

Add the ginger and stir-fry for 10 seconds.

Add the cauliflower and heat, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Add the coriander, cumin, turmeric and chili powders and salt to taste. Mix well with the potatoes and cauliflower and then add 1/4 cup water.

Cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid and cook on medium-low fire about 5-10 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the cauliflower is cooked but not mushy.

Check salt, then garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Enjoy!