Recipe: Aloo Gobhi

Based on my experience with Indian restaurants in the US, a popular entrée is Aloo Gobi, or combinations of Alu/Aloo (potato) and Gobi/Gobhi (cauliflower). I don't like the way it's made in most Indian restaurants. The preparation commonly found is easier to assemble and more difficult to mess up than the authentic Punjabi version I make at home.

I like my recipes simple, and in Aloo Gobi, I intend for the taste of cauliflower and ginger to stand out. My version has no sauce, garlic, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, onions and tomatoes. I consider the addition of those ingredients as a subterfuge to disguise the poor quality of ingredients.

Utensils
Ideally, you need a seasoned cast iron wok-shaped utensil with a lid. A non-stick pot would work as well. In the preparation of this dish, please avoid corn oil, butter or other cooking fats that have a low smoking point. Canola oil is satisfactory, but not vegetable oil. It's not good for you anyway.

Ingredients
1 medium-sized cauliflower
3 white/boiling potatoes diced into 3/4-in cubes
2 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tbsp sunflower/safflower oil OR clarified butter/ghee.
A pinch of turmeric (for color)
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1 tbsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper (freshly ground)
1 tbsp chopped cilantro [optional]

Preparation
1. Wash the cauliflower, pat it dry, and break it into small florets about half the size of a golf ball. Discard the stems, or if you want to use them, peel the skin off of them.
2. Peel and dice the potatoes into 3/4-inch cubes
3. Heat the oil in the wok at medium-high heat for about a minute, and then drop the cauliflower florets in. Add a pinch of turmeric and toss for 3-4 minutes to coat the florets evenly with oil.
4. Drop in the potatoes, ginger and spices, and toss for 3-4 minutes to coat the potatoes with oil as well. The goal is to evenly coat the vegetables with a thin layer of oil, so they would not burn, and get dry-braised.
5. Reduce the heat to medium, and cook covered for 10 minutes. Note that depending on your utensil and heat source, cauliflower may brown in 10 minutes. In general, use medium-low heat when using a utensil that retains heat (such as a cast iron pot) and medium heat when cooking in a utensil that loses heat fast (such as Aluminum).
6. Stir once. There should be no burning of the cauliflower at this stage. Reduce the heat to low, and cook covered for 15 minutes.
7. If the cauliflower does not yield readily to bite, cook covered on low heat for another 5 minutes.
8. When the cauliflower yields to a bite (you don't want it to be mushy), turn off the heat, sprinkle chopped cilantro, replace the lid, and leave the utensil covered for another 5 minutes. If using a heavy cast iron utensil, leave the lid slightly ajar.

As you can see, the recipe is not as simple as dropping vegetables and spices in water and boiling the heck out of them with curry powder. Making good Aloo Gobi where cauliflower florets and potatoes hold their shape and are cooked perfectly takes practice, and a lot of it. But the taste is worth it.