Aloo Gobi
We've been meaning to share recipes with you for some time; hopefully today will be the first installment of many. While most Lahori specialties are meat-centric, the average person cannot afford to eat meat on a daily basis. Thus, dal (lentils), sabzi (vegetables) and roti (flatbread) make up daily fare. The first recipe we're sharing with you is for a dry preparation of aloo-gobi, which is served in North India as well. The result is a lovely blend of cauliflower and potatoes coated in a caramelized onions and spices. Devin says it's even better the next day.
My first word of advice to those embarking into the territories of Indian and Pakistani cooking is not to be overly afraid of oil. Now, I'm not saying that you need to be the typical desi aunty or mother-in-law who drowns the overcooked remnants of what once was a vegetable in at least an inch of oil. Nor need you cook the restaurant version of desi food found primarily in Indo-Pak restaurants outside of the subcontinent, which inevitably include copious quantities of malai (cream). But I'm also saying you should avoid being health nut aunty. Anyone who has grown up in a South Asian immigrant community in the US knows one or two... she's the one who zealously converts to no-fat cooking after being exposed to US diet fads and insists on making chai with nonfat milk, much to the chagrin of her family.
Most of my preparations would not get the seal of approval from either party. But, as they say, there is joy (and flavour!) in the middle path...
ALOO GOBI
Ingredients*
1 Small head (or half a large head) cauliflower, washed and chopped into florets
2-3 small potatoes, washed and cut into 3/4" cubes
5-6 T Oil**
1 t Cumin seed
5-6 Cloves garlic, minced
2 T Fresh ginger root, minced
1 Medium onion, minced
1 Small tomato, minced
4-6 Small, green chilies (remove seeds if you don't want it so spicy)
1 t Salt (more or less to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 t Tumeric powder
2 T Dried methi (fenugreek leaves)
1/4 C Water
1 + T. Dry-roasted*** coriander powder
1 t Red chili powder
1 T Amchur (green mango powder, or substitute 1 T lime juice)
pinch Garam masala
handful Cilantro, chopped
Optional
1 1/2 C Cooked chickpeas/chana (or one can)
Method
+ Optional step
In a large mortal and pestle, combine onions, tomato, green chili and mash until it looks like yummy salsa. It should not be too pasty. (If you don't have a large enough mortal and pestle, just mince these three ingredients nice and finely).
+ In a medium-to-large pot, heat oil over medium-low flame. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a minute until they begin to turn a darker shade of brown. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1-2 minutes... they should turn golden, but not brown. Next add the onion, tomato and green chili mixture. Saute, stirring, until onions begin to turn golden brown.
+ In a small bowl, combine water, coriander powder, red chili, amchur powder and mix together. Set aside.
+ Stir salt and tumeric into sauteeing ingredients . Now, add the water/spice mixture and the dried methi leaves; cook it for a minute or two until a bit of the water has cooked off.
+ Now add the potatoes and cauliflower and stir well. Cook covered on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, then check, stir, add 1-2 tablespoons of water if necessary to keep it from sticking. Don't add too much water or it will turn soggy. Repeat this step for about 10**** minutes until cauliflower is begins to get soft. If you are using chickpeas/chana, stir them in now along with half of the cilantro. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the potatoes are soft enough for your taste.
+ Finish by putting a pinch of garam masala and sprinkling the rest of the cilantro on top.
+ Serve with yogurt and fresh roti or basmati rice.
Notes:
*Since I rarely measure when I cook, these are approximations and you will have to tweak it to your liking.
**Using this much oil ensures that the vegetables don't stick to the bottom of the pot as they cook, but is modest enough to give the dish a light and subtly roasted finish.
*** Dry roasting - I dry roast and grind my own spices every few weeks, which isn't as much work as it sounds like. We'll do another entry on how to dry roast later! Stay tuned.
****We prepare the recipe so the cauliflower is still a bit firm, but you can cook it longer if you like soft cauliflower.
My first word of advice to those embarking into the territories of Indian and Pakistani cooking is not to be overly afraid of oil. Now, I'm not saying that you need to be the typical desi aunty or mother-in-law who drowns the overcooked remnants of what once was a vegetable in at least an inch of oil. Nor need you cook the restaurant version of desi food found primarily in Indo-Pak restaurants outside of the subcontinent, which inevitably include copious quantities of malai (cream). But I'm also saying you should avoid being health nut aunty. Anyone who has grown up in a South Asian immigrant community in the US knows one or two... she's the one who zealously converts to no-fat cooking after being exposed to US diet fads and insists on making chai with nonfat milk, much to the chagrin of her family.
Most of my preparations would not get the seal of approval from either party. But, as they say, there is joy (and flavour!) in the middle path...
ALOO GOBI
Ingredients*
1 Small head (or half a large head) cauliflower, washed and chopped into florets
2-3 small potatoes, washed and cut into 3/4" cubes
5-6 T Oil**
1 t Cumin seed
5-6 Cloves garlic, minced
2 T Fresh ginger root, minced
1 Medium onion, minced
1 Small tomato, minced
4-6 Small, green chilies (remove seeds if you don't want it so spicy)
1 t Salt (more or less to taste)
1/4 - 1/2 t Tumeric powder
2 T Dried methi (fenugreek leaves)
1/4 C Water
1 + T. Dry-roasted*** coriander powder
1 t Red chili powder
1 T Amchur (green mango powder, or substitute 1 T lime juice)
pinch Garam masala
handful Cilantro, chopped
Optional
1 1/2 C Cooked chickpeas/chana (or one can)
Method
+ Optional step
In a large mortal and pestle, combine onions, tomato, green chili and mash until it looks like yummy salsa. It should not be too pasty. (If you don't have a large enough mortal and pestle, just mince these three ingredients nice and finely).
+ In a medium-to-large pot, heat oil over medium-low flame. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle for a minute until they begin to turn a darker shade of brown. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1-2 minutes... they should turn golden, but not brown. Next add the onion, tomato and green chili mixture. Saute, stirring, until onions begin to turn golden brown.
+ In a small bowl, combine water, coriander powder, red chili, amchur powder and mix together. Set aside.
+ Stir salt and tumeric into sauteeing ingredients . Now, add the water/spice mixture and the dried methi leaves; cook it for a minute or two until a bit of the water has cooked off.
+ Now add the potatoes and cauliflower and stir well. Cook covered on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, then check, stir, add 1-2 tablespoons of water if necessary to keep it from sticking. Don't add too much water or it will turn soggy. Repeat this step for about 10**** minutes until cauliflower is begins to get soft. If you are using chickpeas/chana, stir them in now along with half of the cilantro. Cook for another 5 minutes or so until the potatoes are soft enough for your taste.
+ Finish by putting a pinch of garam masala and sprinkling the rest of the cilantro on top.
+ Serve with yogurt and fresh roti or basmati rice.
Notes:
*Since I rarely measure when I cook, these are approximations and you will have to tweak it to your liking.
**Using this much oil ensures that the vegetables don't stick to the bottom of the pot as they cook, but is modest enough to give the dish a light and subtly roasted finish.
*** Dry roasting - I dry roast and grind my own spices every few weeks, which isn't as much work as it sounds like. We'll do another entry on how to dry roast later! Stay tuned.
****We prepare the recipe so the cauliflower is still a bit firm, but you can cook it longer if you like soft cauliflower.