Aloo Gobi for the Sabzi Fanatic

I am a sabzi fanatic. I enjoy eating vegetables more than meat. If I am ever invited to a dinner at someone’s place and there is something vegetarian on the menu, I find myself quietly doing bhangra in my mind. 

And by vegetarian dishes I DO NOT mean stir-fired or sauteed veggies that usually accompany steaks etc. I mean, traditional, well-cooked, masala infused, Indian/Pakistani sabzi paired with hot naan/chapati or simple boiled rice.

Insan sabzi khaye tou the desi way, warna naa hi khaye!

So today, I decided to cook something super healthy and nutritious, but also very desi and ghar ka khana types. I looked into our fridge to see what storm I could create in the kitchen and lo and behold, there was gobi (cauliflower) and then there were aloos (potatoes). Soon I found myself chopping various stuff and prepping for the sabzi and frankly speaking when something is so easy to make, takes hardly an hour without breaking your back (does anyone else hate bhooning meat?), feels light on the stomach after you devour it, then you are left with so much time to do even a proper bhangra :p

So here is my method of making a simple aloo gobi sabzi (Potato and Cauliflower medley?).

 

Serves: 4-5 people

Ingredients:

(FYI: I never really measure the spices I add into my food, I always add as per taste, so feel free to tinker the quantity of each ingredient).

• 5-6 medium sized potatoes peeled and cubed
• One large cauliflower – florets separated
• One medium sized onion finely chopped
• Two small tomatoes finely chopped
• 2-3 green chillies roughly chopped
• A generous sprinkle of freshly chopped coriander
• 2-3 curry leaves
• 2-3 cloves of garlic or 2 tsp garlic paste
• 1 tsp cumin (safaid zeera)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tbsp red chilli flakes
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt as per taste

Method:

1) In a pan, heat some oil. Then add the onions to it and saute them until translucent.

2) Then add the garlic, cumin and red chilli flakes and saute a bit more.

3) Don’t let the onions turn deep brown. Add chopped tomatoes and cook them till they are soft and mushy. You can add a splash of water to loosen them up a little if the masala starts to stick to the pan.

4) Then add the spices: turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala, curry leaves and salt. I added curry leaves in the end because I was afraid they might turn black when exposed to the heat for long. Cook this masala until everything is well-incorporated and mushy and you see oil separating.

5) Add the potatoes to the masala and fry them in it for 5 mins or until they are properly coated in the masala. Then add half cup of water and cover and cook. The water will create steam and that will help the potatoes to cook.

6) Once the potatoes are half done, open the lid and add the cauliflower florets to the mixture. Give it a mix so that the cauliflower is also well coated with the masala. I added the cauliflower at the very end and that too when the potatoes were half done because the cooking time for the potatoes is more and if we add the cauliflower together in the beginning then it will get too mushy and that won’t be fun at all. Plus I like it crunchy.

7) Cover and cook till you feel it’s done. If there is excess water then remove the lid and cook on high flame to dry it up. If at any point you feel that your masala is sticking to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water.

8) Once done, garnish with freshly chopped coriander, give it a mix and serve!

 

That’s it. Enjoy the recipe! Aloo gobi is a staple in every Pakistani home, so do let me know how you cook your aloo gobi! 🙂