We’ve been gifted a bumper crop of cauliflower this season. In addition to making our pizzas with a cauliflower crust, we couldn’t pass up mixing our last few heads of cauliflower with some potatoes we pulled out of storage for our own variation of a creamy Indian cauliflower potato curry called Aloo Gobi Masala.
As the first serious cold front moves through our area, this mild and flavorful recipe provides the perfect warming meal. Served with naan or chapati bread for scooping, as done in India, or accompanied by rice, it’s tasty, hearty and filling. We’ve kept the heat level low in our recipe so kids or adults who avoid spicy food can still enjoy it.
The name for this Indian dish comes from aloo (potato), gobi (cauliflower) and masala (blend of spices). If you want to go all in during preparation, use a mortar and pestle to grind the whole spices and roast them (in a dry pan) to bring out their flavors even more.
Recipe: Cauliflower Potato Curry (Aloo Gobi Masala)
Yield: about 7 servings
Ingredients
- 1½ cups potatoes, cut in ½-inch cubes
- 1 large cauliflower head, cut into medium-sized florets
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup cashews
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp. caraway seeds
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp. ginger powder
- 1/2 tsp. tumeric powder
- 1 tsp. red curry paste (or 1/2 tsp. chili powder)
- 1 tsp. coriander powder
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- 1 tsp. cardamom powder
- 1/4 tsp. clove powder
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp. salt
- 2 T. cream or whole milk
- 2 T. plain yogurt
- 3 T. canola oil (for sautéing)
Preparation
Boil potatoes until nearly cooked, before they start breaking apart. Set aside.
Place cauliflower in pot of boiling water with dash of salt. Turn off heat, cover and blanch, letting cook for about 8 minutes. Cauliflower should be al dente. Drain and set aside to prevent over-cooking.
While cauliflower is cooking, use a food processor to pulse tomatoes and cashews into a paste. Set aside.
In wok or large saucepan with 1 tablespoon oil, cook blanched cauliflower over medium-high heat, turning often to brown outsides. Remove from heat and set aside.
In same pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil. When shimmering, add bay leaf and caraway seeds, and cook for until aromatic, about 1 minute. Then turn down heat to medium, and sauté onions until translucent and lightly browned, stirring often to prevent burning.
Once onions are cooked, stir in tomato-cashew paste, garlic, remaining spices, chili paste and water. Stir to mix ingredients well. Add browned cauliflower and potatoes, stirring well to completely coat, and simmer over medium heat. After about 5 minutes, stir in milk and yogurt. Simmer until cauliflower and potatoes are completely cooked but before either start to break apart or get mushy, about 5 minutes.
Serve immediately over rice or with naan or chapati bread. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro or parsley.
Get more cauliflower recipes from HobbyFarms.com:
