Aloo Gobi

Aloo Gobi or Cauliflower Potatoes Curry is a very popular Indian vegetarian side dish. No matter which of India you come from, I am sure there is a version to make this dish. South Indians like to throw in some curry leaves and coconut.  Bengalis like to use whole spices and mustard oil. Up in the north it is made using lot of garlic and tomato paste. In the western India it is more like an everyday curry made with simple steps.

Cauliflower also known as gobi, gobhi, phool gobi or fool gobi is a beautiful vegetable and my personal favourite. Enjoyed cooked or raw, cauliflower is a great addition to one’s healthy diet; it is affordable and is available year round. Cauliflower is an excellent source of vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin B6. It is a very good source of choline, dietary fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, manganese, phosphorus, and biotin. Additionally, it is a good source of vitamin B2, protein, vitamin B1, niacin, and magnesium. Above everything it is not a boring vegetable like greens.

Looking for more cauliflower recipes? Check these out:

Kadai Gobi

Achari Gobi

Gobi Matar

If you have ever searched for Aloo Gobi recipe, you would know there are hundred ways of making it and no one way is right of wrong. You can make it simple with minimal spices or make it very rich with whole spices. Today I share how to make Restaurant Style Aloo Gobi

Restaurant style curry is like a royal treatment given to a simple everyday curry. In it go whole spices and lots of patience. Cooked in slow heat where every spice penetrates its flavour in the cauliflower florets and potato chunks. Stop worrying about the steps listed in the recipe and just try this version because it is super easy and in the end all the efforts are worth it.

If you have made this before and you ended up with mushy curry just keep these things in your mind.

• Cook cauliflower and potatoes before till they are half done.
• Cook on low heat.
• Never cover the pan. Let the steam out.
• Do not add in water.
• Mix salt in the end.
• Stir with wooden spoon with light hands.

Author: Shweta Agrawal

Cuisine: Indian, Punjabi

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes/aloo sliced

1 medium cauliflower/gobi cut into florets

1 tomato chopped

1 onion finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds/jeera

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds/rai

1 teaspoon minced or grated garlic

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder/haldi

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder/lal mirch

1/2 teaspoon coriander powder/dhaniya

1/4 teaspoon garam massala

1 teaspoon lemon juice (see notes)

4 tablespoons oil

1 tablespoon ghee (optional)

5-8 tablespoon coriander leaves chopped

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pan and cook cauliflower florets. Cook on low heat till they are half done. Empty the pan and set aside cauliflower.

Heat 1 tablespoons of oil again in the same pan and cook potatoes till they are half done. Empty the pan and set aside potatoes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Add cumin and mustard seeds, let it crackle.

Add in garlic and cook for 10 seconds. Add chopped onion and cook till onion gets soft.

Mix in chopped tomato, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and garam massala. Cover and cook till tomato becomes mushy.

In it add lemon juice. Also mix in cauliflower and potatoes. Stir lightly and cook on low heat. Cook for 10 minutes. Keep stirring after every 3 minutes. Cook till potatoes and cauliflower is done.

Add coriander leaves and ghee. Serve.

Notes:

Add amchoor powder (dry mango powder) instead of lemon juice.

Adding ghee in the end adds in great flavour and aroma. Ghee is clarified butter available in any Indian grocery store. I used

You can make it without garlic and onions as well.

Serving suggestions:

Serve with any Indian bread.

Serve as side with lentils and rice.

Palak Puri (Spinach Poori) Healthy Twist For Diwali-Go Green

Festive season is on and I am on really high spirits. Festivals means happiness and lots of work followed my many calories. Right from the navratri to dueshhera to karva chauth to diwali all the Indian homes are busy preparing snacks and sweets. Last year I compiled a list focusing on hot and cold snacks for Diwali, do take a look.

Puri or poori is one of the most common and needed item in the menu during festivals. Puri-signifies celebration and happiness in most of the India and no big event or occasion is complete without puris- be it on birthdays, anniversaries, parties or as a  prassad during festivals. Dough of flour and salt is either rolled out in small circles and deep fried in oil. While deep frying, it puffs up like a round ball because moisture in the dough changes into steam which expands in all directions.

It is deep fried and it has lot of calories, but that a little healthy twist will do the wonders in the colour and the taste. Yes, how about Palak Puri or Green Pooris? When you add palak in the dough, it gives that beautiful green colour and amazing nutrients form spinach. I served these puris to some guests that visited us from India and they were so pleased by the attractive green colour. Spinach, green chillies and ginger puree is mixed with the flour to give the sharp colour and peppery taste. Why don’t you give this healthy blend of taste and colour to your simple pooris this Diwali. It is so appealing and likable that your family and guest will laud you. Puri is best when served hot with sukha kala chana, suji ka halwa, kheer or sukha aloo.

Ingredients:

1 cup spinach/palak

1 and 1/2 cup wheat flour

3-4 green chillies

1/2 inch ginger piece/adrak

1 teaspoon carom seeds/ajwain

Salt as per taste

Water as needed

Oil for frying

Method:

Chop spinach and wash it in water. In a grinder, grinder chillies, spinach and ginger. Add water only if needed.

In a bowl, mix together carom seeds, salt and wheat flour.

Slowly add the purree and knead the dough. Keep adding little water at a time till you get firm dough.

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. After that punch the dough for another 1 minute.

Heat oil in a kadai/wok. On a dusted work surface, make medium sized pooris, neither thin nor thick and fry them in hot oil. Drain the pooris on paper napkins to remove excess oil.

Notes:

I added raw spinach; if you want you can use boiled spinach as well.

The puri dough is tight compared to the dough for parthas or rotis.

You can also add sesame seeds(til) in the dough.

Serving suggestions:

Puris goes well with almost all dry curries.

To make the Punjabi thali serve it with paneer butter massala, aloo chole, dal makhani and green chilli pickle.

For rajasthani thali pair it with mangodi mutter, aloo pyaz ki subji, marwadi lehsun ki chutney and marwadi Bharwa Bhindi.

For gujarati thali, serve it with aloo tamatar nu shaak, gobi mutter, khamman dhokla and keri nu ras.