Aloo gobi (Cauliflower and potato)
In Hindi, aloo means potato, and gobi means cauliflower. Together they make up one of my favorite vegetarian dishes—balancing perfectly the soft potato and crunchy, toasty cauliflower. It goes very well with roti.
You probably have to go to an Indian market or online to find mango powder, also called amchoor, but I encourage you to seek it out. Its slight tanginess really enhances the flavor of the dish.
Even though aloo gobi is Indian, it reminds me of yakisoba noodles stir-fried with lots of cabbage and bean sprouts, which I would eat at summer festivals in Japan growing up. In some ways, these dishes are nothing alike. But they both have a strong umami vibe punctuated with almost-sweet cruciferous vegetables.
Aloo gobi (Cauliflower and potato)
Serves 4
4 tablespoons oil or ghee
6 tablespoons ginger, minced
4 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
20 black cardamon seeds, crushed (from one to two black cardamom pod)
6 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
8 cloves, or two pinch of clove powder
1 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
1 medium size cauliflower (30 oz or 800 grams), cut large florets to 3 pieces each
6 medium (18 oz or 500 grams) yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 6-8 wedges each
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
40 black peppercorns, coarsely crushed
2 roma tomato, diced
2 teaspoon mango powder (amchur)
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped fine
Heat a large pan on medium-high. When the pan is hot, add 4 tablespoons of oil or ghee, then add ginger and cumin seeds.
Once you hear the cumin seeds start crackling, add the onions, stir to coat them evenly with oil (or ghee), and cook until translucent.
Add the cardamon , coriander, turmeric, cloves, and red chilis (if using), and stir well, lowering the heat if the masala—the mixed spices—starts to burn for 10 minutes.
Add the cauliflower and potatoes and stir to coat them well with the spices.
Add the salt and black pepper, cover the pan, and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until they are mostly cooked but still a little crisp.
Stir in the tomato. When the tomato produces liquid, stir to coat the cauliflower and potatoes well with the liquid. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are cooked through. Don’t overstir, or the dish with get mushy.
Sprinkle in mango powder to taste, then add cilantro just before serving.
