The Secret to a Successful Aloo Gobi

Recipe below is copied from Rainbow Plant Life.

INGREDIENTS

Potatoes and Cauliflower

• 1 pound (450g) Yukon gold potatoes

• 1 small-medium head of cauliflower (500g of florets)

• 2 ½ tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (can use olive oil if you want)

• Salt and pepper

Masala

• 2 ½ tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (see Note 2)

• 1 ½ teaspoons cumin seeds

• 1- inch piece of a cinnamon stick (break in half as needed)

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1- inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped (see Note 3)

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon asafoetida AKA hing; optional (see Note 4)

• 1 ½ teaspoons amchur powder see Note 4

• 2 teaspoons ground coriander

• ½ to 1 teaspoon mild red chile powder such as Kashmiri chili powder (Note 4)

• 1 serrano pepper, slit down the middle just a little (see Note 5)

• 2 Roma or plum tomatoes (about 8 ounces/227g), finely chopped

• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt

• Freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 tablespoon fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi) (optional but recommended) (see Note 6)

• ½ teaspoon garam masala, plus more to taste

• 1 tablespoon vegan butter (optional, for extra richness)

• 1 big handful cilantro leaves and tender stems

• Freshly squeezed lime juice (or lemon juice)

INSTRUCTIONS

Roast Potatoes and Cauliflower

• Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Arrange an oven rack in the top third and in the bottom of the oven.
  

• Scrub the potatoes clean (I don’t peel). Slice into 1-inch chunks/cubes. Cut the cauliflower into small-medium sized florets.
  

• Transfer potatoes to a parchment paper-lined sheet pan. Drizzle potatoes with 1 TBSP oil and season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. Spread out in a single layer.
  

• Add cauliflower to a second sheet pan (I don’t use parchment paper for cauliflower because it browns better, but you can for easier cleanup). Drizzle cauliflower with 1 ½ TBSP oil, and massage it into the nooks and crannies; season with salt and pepper.

• Transfer the cauliflower to the top third rack and the potatoes to the bottom. Bake both for 22 to 25 minutes without flipping, or until browned in spots and tender but not super soft. Meanwhile, prep the masala and start cooking it (see Note 1).
  

Make the Masala

• Heat the 2 ½ TBSP oil in a 12-inch deep sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it shimmers, add cinnamon stick and cumin seeds and toast for 1 to 1 ½ minutes, stirring or shaking the pan frequently, until darker in color and aromatic. Add the onions, season with a pinch of salt, and cook until nicely browned, 7 to 8 minutes.

• Add in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and asafoetida, if using. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring very frequently.

• Add the amchur if using, coriander, chile powder, serrano pepper, tomatoes, salt, and crack in some pepper. Lower the heat as needed if the spices start to stick. Stir well, using the tomato juice to scrape up the browned bits. Simmer for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes have softened and almost melted, and the oil starts to separate from the tomatoes.

• Add roasted cauliflower and potatoes plus any browned bits on the pans. Gently mix to coat in the masala and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes. Toss occasionally, until potatoes and cauliflower are well-coated and tender but not soggy, lowering the heat if it starts to stick.

• Crush the kasuri methi with your hands. Add them into the pan, along with the garam masala and butter, if using. Toss to coat briefly and to melt the butter, if using. Turn off the heat and rest for 5 minutes.

• Meanwhile, chop the cilantro. Add the cilantro and a couple squeezes of lime or lemon juice to the aloo gobi (more if you didn’t use amchur). Season to taste with salt and more garam masala if desired. Remove the cinnamon stick pieces.

NOTES

1. While the cauliflower and potatoes roast, chop the onion, ginger/garlic, and prep the spices. While the onions cook, chop the tomatoes. This multitasking is factored into the prep and cook time.

2. A decent amount of oil is necessary to brown the onions and draw out the most flavor from the aromatics, spices, and tomatoes. We tried this recipe with less oil and it just wasn’t as flavorful and didn’t have the right mouthfeel.

3. If using a stainless steel pan, I prefer to mince or finely chop the ginger (and garlic). If grated very finely, they stick quite a lot to the pan.

4. Asafoetida is known as hing in Hindi and adds a quintessential Indian flavor; omit if you don’t have it or allergic to gluten (it has a small amount). If you don’t amchur, add more lime or lemon juice at finishing. If you don’t have a mild red chile powder, sub with ¾ tsp paprika + ¼ tsp cayenne. All spices are sold at Indian grocers or online.

5. Make just a small slit or incision in the pepper. This adds a gentle heat to the masala. If you want it spicy, make a bigger slit.

6. Fenugreek leaves add a lot of flavor at the end. You can find them at Indian grocers or online. If you don’t have it, you may want to add more garam masala to taste.