No, no, not another aloo gobi! oven roasted cauliflower and potato

The kale was a little crispy--you might like...

 No, no, not another aloo gobi!  oven roasted cauliflower and potato, vegan

How can I not go to comfort food when we Calgarians are all slouching around with our hands in our pockets, shivering outdoors, and slinking into our homes to get into our pajamas, then heading for the kitchen to crank the oven up, wondering what to bake or roast?  Just when the flowers were starting to peek out and the new birds were singing, we got another big dump of snow. 

This aloo gobi is unlike others I’ve posted in that it’s done in the oven, and various ingredients are left whole.  First thing to do is to crank up your oven to 350 F.  Ahhh, that’s better already.

It was vegan, until served with ghee, saffron and basmati rice.

1 tablespoon mustard oil
1 large red onion, diced into larger pieces
5 cloves fresh garlic, peeled but whole
7 mini potatoes, scrubbed and cut into halves or quarters, if larger
1 whole cauliflower, cored and broken into large florets
2 Anaheim red peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
10 stalks kale, ribbed and leaves torn into small pieces
1 generous teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 square inch fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed and somewhat ground in a mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon fennel seed
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seed (the fine one, not the lumpier one)
¼ teaspoon ajwain seed
25 grates black pepper
2 tablespoons of fabulous peanut salsa*
2 tiny limes, juiced

fabulous peanut salsa from Kingsland Market

I use a big non-stick roasting pan for this.  I poured in the mustard oil, then added the potatoes flat side down, skidding them around in the oil, to distribute it through the pan.  Then I added all the other ingredients.  I used my hands to mix everything, and put it in the oven, uncovered for an hour, till the potatoes are tender.  Check from time to time and give a gentle stir, just to make sure that all items get a chance to caramelise at the bottom of the roaster.  Pour lime juice over all.  Serve with basmati rice and stop complaining about the snow…

*I’ve mentioned this fabulous peanut salsa in my jeera cookie recipe. The salsa is best purchased from the Mexican stand at Calgary’s Kingsland Farmers’ Market.  If you are on the other side of the planet, and can’t make the trip, I’ll say that it’s made of chopped, roasted, salted peanuts, different kinds of dried chillies, olive oil and plantain chips.  I’ve tried making it from scratch, but it’s not as delicious as theirs.  Theirs is magic!