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!

Yet another aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes)

Yet another aloo gobi

You might think me addicted to cauliflower, but there’s something about this combination that is just too delicious.

Although cauliflower is a pale food, the anthocyanins are upped by the turmeric.  Instead of my usual lime juice, I've relied on tomato.  This time around we have no coconut to be seen, but more paneer than usual.  Here goes :

1 tablespoon grape seed oil
½ teaspoon dark mustard seed
½ teaspoon cumin seed
½ teaspoon fennel seed
1 red onion, diced
1 x 1 inch ginger, julienned
1 tablespoon ghee (clarified butter bought in an Indian grocery)
3 tablespoons favourite masala
5 mini potatoes, halved and quartered, depending on size
4 fresh garlic cloves, chopped
2 Thai chilies, chopped finely
½ large cauliflower, broken into bitesize florets
½ cup paneer (I use frozen)
1 tomato, chopped
¼ cup frozen peas

Under a large, non-stick pan, put the heat on medium high.  Once it’s hot, add the oil, and when that's hot, add a few mustard seeds.  When they sizzle and turn white, add the cumin seed, then the fennel seed.  Let these sizzle, then add the onion and ginger, stir, and turn heat down to medium.  Cook till the onions are somewhat softened, and a bit caramelised.  Add the ghee, and masala, and let cook for a minute or so.  Add the potatoes, cut surface down, and let caramelise.  After they show deliciously golden sides, add the garlic and chilies, then stir and let cook a minute or two.  By now, the potatoes should be almost soft.  If they are, add the cauliflower, put the lid on the pan, and let cook about ten minutes.  Check to see if it’s nearing tender.  If it is, add the tomato and paneer, and put the lid back on the pan.  Once the cauliflower is tender, (but not silly mushy), add the peas, stir and turn off the heat.  Within a few minutes they should be thawed and warmed through.  Serve over basmati rice, or quinoa.

I don't know.  If you say the words 'aloo gobi' too many times in a row, don't you sound a little crazy?  Perhaps you've seen my recipe  Curried Oxymorons in the past, but how on earth do you curry onomatopoeia?  Suggestions anyone?

Vegan Aloo Gobi (potato and cauliflower)

Vegan Aloo Gobi (potato and cauliflower)

Mine should really be called Gobi Aloo, since I use a lot more cauliflower, but that’s a silly quibble.  I needed to turn to a nice vegan dish after the Great Goat Extravaganza, when I extravagantly ate nothing but goat for all three meals three days in a row.  Usually we are vegetarians, so I think my system was demanding that I put a stop to the meat fueled gluttony, and to perhaps even eschew all animals, with the exceptions of the papillons*, whom we love dearly, but wouldn’t curry.

1 tablespoon excellent quality coconut oil
½ teaspoon dark mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon fennel (optional)
1x1 ₺ ginger
1 red onion, diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 to 2 Thai chilies, chopped very finely
1 to 2 tablespoons your favourite boxed masala
5 mini-potatoes, halved
¼ cup unsweetened coconut
¼ cup pine nuts
½ large cauliflower, cored and broken into florets
¼ cup frozen peas
¼ cup raw cashews
2 tiny limes, juiced

Under a non-stick large saucepan, turn the heat to medium high.  When it feels hot, add the coconut oil, and when that seems hot, add a few mustard seeds.  When they sizzle and turn white, add the rest, followed by the cumin seed.  My favourite store bought masala already comes with whole fennel seeds, but if it didn’t, I’d add these now.

Add the ginger and onion and reduce heat to medium.  When they have softened and caramelised a bit, add the garlic and chilies.  Cook for a couple of minutes, and then add the masala.  Stir well.  Add the potatoes now, on their flattest surface, because you do want them to get a little golden and crispy.  The potatoes take the longest amount of time to cook, and adding the coconut will provide a bit more oil for them to caramelise in.  When they are almost cooked, add the pine nuts and cauliflower.  Stir well to evenly distribute the masala.  Put a lid on the dish, and cook for about five minutes.  You want the cauliflower to retain a tiny bit of a crunch.  No need to boil it into submission!

When it’s soft enough, add the frozen peas, stirring in well, and putting the lid back on.  You can turn the heat off now, as the peas will thaw and warm up quickly.  You don’t need to cook them, just get them nice and hot.  Just before serving, toss in the cashews and pour the lime juice over it all, giving it one last stir to coat everything charmingly.  I served it over basmati rice, but quinoa would be even healthier.

Hopefully this vegan dish will offer my constitution the respite it deserves.  Oh, and this vegan dish tastes divine…  

* Don't worry, won't curry... Beautiful granddaughter dressing up the papillons.

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!