This recipe was a labour of love – a well-researched-much-adapted-tested-and-tested-again-totally-worth-it labour of love. It’s awesome with chana masala, some simple naan, and rice. It really doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. I wish I could tell you more about the history of aloo gobi but all I know is that it’s usually a dry dish containing potatoes, cauliflower, and turmeric as the signature ingredients, and it hails from Punjab in north-west India. I don’t like mine so dry so I add stewed tomatoes. And it rocks. Which I guess is all you really need to know.
3 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp whole cumin seed
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsps turmeric
2 tsps garam masala
¼ tsp cayenne
1 tsp sea salt
16 oz stewed or crushed tomatoes
1 large cauliflower, broken into small florets
3 large potatoes, diced
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
sea salt and pepper
Heat olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add whole cumin seeds and cook until they pop and sizzle. Add minced garlic and ginger and cook for another minute or two. Stir in turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne. Cook until fragrant but be sure not to burn the spices; about 1 minute.
Stir in salt, stewed tomatoes, cauliflower, and potatoes. Cook with the lid on until the potatoes and cauliflower are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring often. If it gets too dry, add a little bit of water. When the potatoes and cauliflower are tender, turn off heat and add peas. Put the lid back on and let the peas steam in the residual heat; about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning with sea salt and pepper. Add chopped cilantro and serve piping hot.
