Cauliflower potato dry saute (Aloo gobi)

This is a traditional "Aloo gobi" recipe, with a standard taste you'll find across homes in Delhi, Punjab and further north in India with slight modifications on the amount of spice. Some people like less of black pepper and more or cumin or more of cinnamon and less of "all spice", depends on who is cooking. Therefore my spice quantities here are approximate, feel free to experiment depending on your taste.

• Cut up 2/3 of a cauliflower, rinse in hot water and remove any brown patches you see on the surface
• Boil 2 small potatoes, peel and cube (use organic if you can)
• Grate a sizable amount of ginger - 1 1/2 tbsp

For the spices:

• 1 tsp of cumin
• pinch of asafoetida
• pinch of red chili powder
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 small sticks of broken Indian cinnamon (the Indian version looks literally like the bark of a tree, is not rolled up)
• 1/2 fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp dry mango powder (amchur)
• 1/2 roasted cumin powder (make it at home in a coffee grinder)
• 1/2 tsp pink "rock" salt
• 1 tsp or more of indian all spice - "garam masala" -- this is the key ingredient, your output will depend on how good a quality of garam masala you have and accordingly how much you would need to use. Mine is home made so I dont have a preference on any store ones. But an aunty I know who makes the best "aloo gobi" I have had, uses the "rupak" brand - I didnt see it in my indian store, she said she got it from Delhi.

You have to use a large flat Teflon to make this dish. Heat 3 tbsp of oil and add in all the spices mentioned above along with the grated ginger and saute for 20-30 secs on low. Now add in the cauliflower and potato and salt to taste. Mix everything up and lid for 5mins. Open to stir again and lid for another 5mins. Then cook for the rest of the 5-7mins without the lid to evaporate all the water content. These time intervals will depend on how cooked the vegetable is looking at your end.

You want to make sure most all pieces get coated with the spices and they get a nice crisp brown on some, especially the potatoes, but still keeping the cauliflower pieces intact.

Serving suggestions:
Garnish with cilantro and serve with roti and a lentil preparation. Or just as a side with a salad/raita and rice dish. You can use it also as a filling for a tortilla wrap with some chutney, lettuce and tomatoes. Or in a grilled panini with mustard, aoli, and juicy tomato slices.

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Coconut curried cauliflower

My Eritrean friend got me some yummy tangy Injeras with a black lentil (masoor in Hindi) preparation. My Irani friend sent me home with some yellow lentil (channa daal in Hindi). I was a happy bunny with no dinner preparation to do for the following day. I decided to make a cauliflower mixed vegetable curry to go with the above and it turned out great!

I was craving something spicy and that got me to the following recipe:

• I chopped up 1/3 cauliflower head, 1/2 red onion and some yellow sweet peppers.
• Thawed 1/2 cup of peas (diced carrot, baby lima beans would be good too)
• Heated 2 tbsp of oil
• Added pinch of asafoetida, mustard seeds, turmeric, red chilly powder.
• Added 2 tbsp of staple blend that I always have in the fridge. Blend: white onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chillies.
• Threw in all the vegetables, sauteed for a 3-4mins.
  
• Added 1/4 cup of coconut milk.
• Add salt to taste, 1 tsp dry lemon powder (try your local Mediterranean store)
  
• Add 1 tsp garam masala (Indian store) towards the very end.
• Gave everything a good stir, lid the pot for 10-12 minutes, stirring intermittently.
• Garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and mint.

And you have a balanced meal with protein from the lentils, minerals and roughage from the vegetables, salad, and lots of teff goodness.

Health benefits:
Injeras are made with teff grains, one of the smallest grains in the world. Teff is considered to have an excellent amino acid composition and lysine levels. One cup of cooked teff contains 387 mg of calcium (more than milk), 15 mg of iron (twice as much iron as wheat and barley). Teff is high in protein as well as fiber. A rich source of boron, copper, phosphorus, zinc.

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