Never eat at a place called “Mom’s”.
I had some trouble with ingredients for this recipe. Indian food uses generous amounts of garlic and ginger, and recipes often call for a labor-saving premade combination of the two. Aarti’s story with the recipe says “we always had a jar of the stuff in the fridge”. But she meant the kind that her recipe tells how to make (just puree equal amounts of garlic and ginger, peeled, with a little oil). I saw a big jar of ginger-garlic paste at the Indian market and I thought that was a good deal. Oops. It had vinegar and preservatives, and as soon as I put it in the pan it smelled fucking nasty. I hoped the bad vinegar smell would cook out, no such luck, and I didn’t eat it
American supermarkets have the fresh garlic and ginger puree, kind of expensive at $4.99/tube, but no preservatives and no bad aromas. If you don’t cook Indian food often I recommend just mincing the recommended amount of fresh garlic and ginger. |
|
This is a side dish that I ate with broiled chicken and raita. I think I like more cumin and less coriander than specified.
Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower and Potatoes)
from Aarti Sequeira, foodnetwork.com — serves 4 to 6
2 tablespoons Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup water, divided
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large serrano pepper, split down the middle leaving halves attached
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (similar size to cauliflower)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro leaves, to garnish
Mix the Ginger-Garlic Paste, coriander, turmeric, and 1/2 cup water in a small bowl. This is a simple wet masala (spice mix). Set aside.
In a large pot, warm the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the serrano pepper, wait 30 seconds, and then add the cumin seeds and wait until they're done spluttering.
Add the wet masala (careful, it will also splutter). Cook until the paste thickens, deepens in color slightly, and oil oozes out of the perimeter of the masala, about 2 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and potatoes, stirring to coat the vegetables with the masala. Season with salt and add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook over medium heat 10 to 15 minutes. Then, remove the lid, stir, and cook until the cauliflower and potatoes are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
---—
The actual dinner plan here is Saag Paneer, with rice and raita. What’s for dinner at your place? Please consider taking a picture and writing about it for us sometime.