Spicy Cauliflower and Potatoes - an Aloo Gobi mistake

I ran out of tomatoes one day. How can I? So in that incident, I made Aloo Gobi without them. *bang head on the wall*...I even got the cilantro ready for this dish, which to me is quintessential to Aloo Gobi. How could I have forgetten tomatoes?!?! At this time, I rather call this Spicy Cauliflower and Potatoes.

Spicy Cauliflower with Potato (recipe below)

By the way, the actual recipe (with tomatoes) can be found in my rice cooker cookbook. Yes, rice cooker Aloo Gobi. Excited? Aloo Gobi is one of the most-often-cooked Indian vegetarian dishes in my home. So flavorsome. I love the blend of tomatoes and cauliflowers with some "starchy" potatoes - making it so stew-like; and the mix of spices NOT EXCLUDING coriander/cilantro leaves...bringing nuances of flavors.

Aloo Gobi (recipe will be in my to-be-released cookbook)

In my opinion, without coriander/cilantro OR tomatoes, Aloo Gobi will not be Aloo Gobi. Damn! I reminded myself of my own stupidity again. Nonetheless, this actually makes a delicious side-dish, good with rice or Indian Roti bread. Enjoy.

Spicy Cauliflower and Potatoes
Ingredients: cauliflower florets, blanched and set aside; potato, cut into small cubes; 2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced; 1 tsp minced ginger with juice; 1 small red onion, mined; pinch of mustard seeds, pinch of cumin, fennel, turmeric, curry power; 1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes; pinch of salt and black pepper to taste; 2 tbsp of finely chopped cilantro leaves; a little butter

Directions: Heat some oil in pan/wok, temper the  mustard seeds. When starting to pop, fry the onions and ginger till frangrant, then add garlic and fry further. Add cumin, fennel, turmeric and curry power to exude the spice aroma, then add the potatoes, mixing well and fry briskly. When potatoes start to soften a little, add cauliflower and mix thoroughly while frying iin the pan or wok. Sprinkle some chili flakes, mix well. Add 1-2 tbsp of water and allow entire mixture to simmer at low heat. Salt and black pepper to taste, the simmer till potatoes become soft, tender, and cooked thoroughly. Add in some butter (for last aroma). Turn off heat, then add in ciltantro leaves and mix well.

This is a side-dish going to June's . Cauliflower and Cabbage - they all appear rather frequently in my homecooking. And I have also combined both of them in a curry previously and it worked very well.

Now, did you ever have any hiccups in your food planning and forgot to prepare or add a particular ingredient to your intended dish or recipe? What did you do next - gave up the whole idea of making that dish -OR- tried to give it a tweak and created something else?

Tag: cauliflower, aloo gobi

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