Healthy & Cheap Aloo Gobi Variation
2 large potatoes
1 medium/large cauliflower
2 onions
3 cloves of garlic
1 tin of plum tomatoes in juice
cumin seeds
garam masala
turmeric
chili powder
olive oil
fenugreek (optional)
black mustard seeds (optional)
salt (optional)
Note: When stirring the curry, I suggest you use a flat wooden spoon.
1. Wash and peel the potatoes.
2. Remove the leaves from the cauliflower. Wash. Cut into small/medium florets.
3. Slice the potatoes into thick-cut chip (fries) size.
4. Boil both until tender- a slight bite to both is good. REMEMBER TO REMOVE FROM STOVE! Drain.
5. Whilst the potatoes and cauliflower are boiling, peel and slice the onions into rings and mince the garlic.
6. Heat a tiny amount of oil in a large non-stick frying pan (or wok).
7. Fry 2 to 3 teaspoons of cumin for a few minutes, and then add the garlic. Don't allow the garlic to burn.
8. Add 3/4 of the onion. Fry for a few minutes. Add 1-2 teaspoons of turmeric. If you have mustard seeds or fenugreek, add a teaspoon of both.
(AT THIS POINT, CHECK YOUR POTATOES & CAULIFLOUR!)
9. Keep frying until the onions soften, adding tiny amounts of olive oil to the frying pan to stop sticking/burning. Add a few pinches of chili powder. Place 3 teaspoons of this mixture aside for the curry sauce, with the rest of the onion.
10. When your cauliflower and potatoes are ready (and drained) hook out about 4 medium florets of cauliflower and 2 pieces of potato. Add the rest to the frying pan and coat with the turmeric/onion mixture. Use a flat wooden spoon to carefully mix until covered. If necessary, add a little more turmeric to ensure vegetables are coated. Continue to fry over a low-medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of garam masala. Mix well.
12. THE SAUCE: Open the can of tomatoes and pour their juice into a blender. Add the onion, cumin-onion mixture and the spare cauliflower florets and potato. Remove the stalks from the tomatoes, and add the tomatoes to the blender. Blend until you have a very pale looking, thickish tomato soup (add some water & blend more if clumpy). This is your sauce.
13. Pour the sauce into the frying pan and stir gently, covering the potatoes and continue to cook over a low-medium heat. If you want to keep the recipe more traditional, use just enough sauce to coat the mixture in the frying pan. For a more curry-style dish, use all of the sauce.
14. Heat through and do a taste test: if too bland, add a pinch of chili powder, salt or garam masala.
15. You can either serve when the potatoes and cauliflower are soft and heated through, or remove from heat and leave for a few hours to ensure the potatoes and cauliflower absorb all the flavors (Recommended).
Serve with rice, or with chapati.
Notes:
This is a variation I created from Aloo Gobi. Normally, a large amount of oil is used in this recipe. By parboiling the cauliflower & potatoes, and using the vegetables to make the sauce instead, you save so much oil & calories.
Try adding a stick or two of celery or some diced green pepper (bell pepper) to the sauce when you blend it for extra taste.
SO HOW'D IT GO?
I love how this recipe is so cheap, simple and easy, and can really act as a framework for other variations. I used chickpeas instead of potatoes (does that mean it's not longer aloo gobi?) and I used two and a half chopped tomatoes instead of canned sauce. And instead of boiling the cauliflower, I lust let it marinate in the tomato, chickpea, onion and spices and had it over brown rice and lentils... ridiculously good :)
I changed it up a bit...but basically stuck to the original recipe. Delicious! :)>>>
This isn't even done cooking & I can't keep my fingers out of it. It is a very simple recipe to follow & tastes so good that I grabbed my camera & took a picture so everyone can see our supper. ;)b
I am sure that this would be good using frozen cauliflower (during long unfertile winter months) but use fresh from the garden.....my tummy is growling.....going to eat now.
Thank you for this recipe :)>>>
This was delicious! I cut it in half, as I am the only one who eats Indian foods, and it was more than enough! I also ate it with some toasted pita, and it was wonderful. Thank you!
This recipe was fantastic! One of my new favorites. I was a little skeptical at the # of directions, but it didn't take all that long to prepare and it was worth it. I also cooked some lentils separately and made double the sauce. I added the sauce and lentils to the complete mixture. We served it over brown rice. Really yummy!