High Protein Vegetarian Aloo Gobi, potato and cauliflower

High Protein Vegetarian Aloo Gobi, potato and cauliflower 

Raw, unsalted cashews and paneer add protein to this recipe for vegetarian aloo gobi.

After the last few days, we’re getting really tired of chicken.  Especially the other night’s really mild roast chicken with a subtle masala.  It’s time to bring on the heat.  Tonight’s Tuesday, and we have no company, so it’s back to our usual vegetarian lifestyle.  Vegetarian or not, I still prefer a fairly high protein meal, so this is my recipe for a high protein vegetarian aloo gobi…By the way, aloo means ‘potato’ and ‘gobi’ means cauliflower.

The Masala

½ teaspoon cumin seed

½ teaspoon coriander seed

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon fennel seed

3 green cardamoms (crushed in a mortar and pestle with husks removed)

2 black cardamoms (also crushed with husks removed)

2 cloves

½ teaspoon ajwain seed (celery)

¼ fenugreek seed

¼ black cumin seed

½ teaspoon ground turmeric (reserved)

½ teaspoon dried hot red chillie pepper flakes

½ teaspoon dried methi leaves (fenugreek leaves) (reserved)

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Reserving the turmeric, chillies and methi leaves, add spices to your cooking pot, on medium heat.  Stir and watch carefully.  As soon as they start to change colour and smell fabulous, pour them into a spice grinder with the turmeric, chillies and salt and make a medium textured powder.  (Keep the methi leaves for a little later.)

The Vegetables

2 teaspoons grape seed oil

1 teaspoon ghee (clarified butter, available in a jar)

½ teaspoon dark mustard seed

½ teaspoon cumin seed (yes, more cumin…)

½ large red onion, diced

1 inch fresh ginger cut into matchsticks

4 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped

1 green chillie (or more to taste)finely chopped

6 tiny potatoes, halved or 2 regular potatoes, cubed

¼ cup raw unsalted cashews

1 medium cauliflower, washed, cored, and broken into florets

¾ cup prepared frozen paneer (Indian cheese—you can make this, but it’s easier to buy it from a specialty shop, or The Real Canadian Superstore, if you’re lucky enough to have one that stocks Indian ingredients)

2 tiny limes, or 1 regular lime, juiced

a few fresh coriander springs (chopped)

Put your non-stick pan on high heat and when it’s quite hot, add your oil and ghee.  Sprinkle a few mustard seeds into the oil, and wait for them to pop.  When they do, add the rest of your mustard seeds and stand back.  Sizzle, sizzle, splatter, splatter.  When they turn white, which should happen within moments of adding them, add your cumin seed, and watch them turn white too.  Watch very carefully and add the onion and ginger to cool the pan down.  Stir and turn the heat to medium.  After the onion is somewhat soft and caramelised, add the garlic and green chillie.  Turn on a hoodvent, as the volatile oils from the chillie can sting.  Before the garlic can brown, add your masala and cook for a few minutes.  If you need to add more ghee at this point, do so, but not too much.  Add potatoes and let fry a bit in that oil.  After about five minutes, stir and add cauliflower florets. 

Grind your raw cashew nuts in your spice grinder.  They will turn into a medium fine powder.  Add to cauliflower mixture along with the dried methi leaves.  Stir about every five minutes, giving the potatoes and cauliflower florets a chance to brown and caramelise.  This is a dry curry, so don’t add liquid.  The cashews will release their oil, which will help brown those vegetables.  You’ll find that as the cauliflower cooks, it will release enough moisture.  At this point, your veg should have caramelised for about 15 minutes.  Now is the time to add the frozen paneer pieces and cover the pot.  In about ten minutes, (stirring occasionally) the vegetables should all be soft, and the paneer beautifully browned.  Pour lime juice into the pot and stir well.  Serve over basmati rice with a few coriander springs and lazy girl coconut masala green beans.  You'll be glad that you made this high protein vegetarian recipe, that tastes rich and luxurious!