Alu Gobi

Many years ago, not long after I married an Indian man, I set about to learn how to cook Indian food. I picked up a thin paperback cookbook from a small store in Dayton, Ohio and this was the first dish I cooked from it. Though the author called the dish "Kashmiri ki Kali" (or Kashmiri Cauliflower), I've since learned that his recipe was his version of a dish known as Alu Gobi, or literally "Potato Cauliflower". It is a vegetable curry with tomatoes and cilantro and is best served with rice and raita, which I'll discuss in another post. You might think you don't like cauliflower but the dish is lightly spicy and light on your stomach. A great summer meal.

Alu Gobi

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
One onion, diced

3 medium potatoes cubed

One 15-oz. can of diced tomatoes

3 T. turmeric (the powdered yellow root that also colors mustard yellow)
1 T. cumin seed or ground cumin
1 T. ground coriander
1 tsp - 1 T. cayenne powder (depending on taste) Chili powder is NOT a good substitute!
Cilantro leaves, chopped fine (about 1/4 cup and optional if you don't like cilantro)
Salt to taste
1/4 cup oil

Place diced onions in pan with heated oil and cook until transparent.

Once the onions are transparent, add the cauliflower florets, the cubed potatoes and the turmeric. Mix them all together and let them cook in the pan for a few minutes.



Cauliflower florets





Cubed Potatoes



Cauliflower, onions, and potatos with turmeric added



After these ingredients have cooked 1-2 minutes, add the remainder of the spices, including salt, but reserving the chopped cilantro until the end of cooking.

You can see that I add a generous amount of cayenne pepper to mine, but you can use less if you would like. Just don't omit it. You need the heat! Like when the turmeric was added, stir in the spices and let them cook in the pan for 1-2 minutes. Indian spices need to fry in the pan in order to release the oils and lose the "raw" taste. After that, add the can of tomatoes. I'm not a snob for tomatoes. I use generic diced tomatoes. Some people think using fresh tomatoes would be better, but I have found that the fresh tomatoes put out too much water into the dish, that the color is not as vibrant, and it is just a lot quicker and easier.

At this point, the vegetables only have to soften. Cover your pan and cook on low until both the cauliflower and potatoes are fork tender but not mushy. Turn off the heat and garnish with the chopped cilantro if you wish. This dish is great served with Basmati rice, and raita (explained in another post), as pictured below:

A note on spices. If you have an Indo/Pak store in your area, take advantage of the fresher and more vibrant spices. The cayenne pepper is much redder than the stuff you buy in the little bottles at your supermarket. If you think Indian is something you want to cook often, it is worth it to buy the bigger packages of spices at the Indian store rather than the premium prices for the little bottles. The biggest differences are in the cayenne and the turmeric; brighter colors and more pronounced flavors. There is also a difference in flavor from the cumin you buy at Indian grocers versus the typical type used for Mexican food here in the US, but the difference is not as important. If you do buy the packages from an Indian grocer, store them in tightly fitted containers in your cabinet.

This is a great vegetarian dish and one of the many we eat when we don't feel like meat, rather when I don't feel like meat. It makes a great dish for a multi-course meal, as most Indian dinners have a number of dishes. This dish is an "authentic" dish.