This recipe is milder than the last. It comes from The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking by Yamuna Devi:
Gobhi Aloo Sabji: Potato spears and cauliflower flowerets are browned in spices over strong heat to bring out their rich, deep flavors and are then gently cooked to tenderness with tomatoes. Neither dry nor wet, this dish has a succulent, moist texture that is somewhere in between. [A vague and accurate claim.] You can vary the flavor with tomatoes, using green, Italian plum or ripe reds. This typically North Indian vegetable mixture is almost always served with flatbread. Simple chapatis or pooris are the Vedic favorites, but it is equally delicious with whole grain toast. It can be served anytime, from Sunday breakfast to late-night dinner, accompanies by a dal dish and yogurt salad.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 5 or 6
Amount Ingredient Notes 2 hot green chilies, stemmed, seeded and cut lengthwise into long slivers (or as desired) [These aren’t noticeable in the recipe.] ½-inch piece of scraped fresh ginger root, cut into thin julienne 1 teaspoon cumin seeds ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds 4 tablespoons ghee or a mixture of vegetable oil and unsalted butter 3 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cut into spears 2½ × ½ × ½ inches long 1 medium-sized cauliflower (about 2 pounds), trimmed, cored, and cut into flowerets 2½ × ½ × ½ inches long ½ teaspoon turmeric 2 teaspoons ground coriander ½ teaspoon garam masala [We have a package we bought but next time will probably make our own.] 1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar 1¼ teaspoons salt 3 tablespoons coarsly chopped fresh coriander or minced parsley lime or lemon wedges (optional)
- Combine the chilies, ginger, cumin seeds and mustard seeds in a small bowl. Heat the ghee or oil-butter mixture in a large nonstick saucepan over moderately high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, pour in the combined seasonings and fry until the mustard seeds turn gray, sputter and pop. Drop in the potatoes and cauliflower and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes or until the vegetables pick up a few brown spots.
- Add the tomatoes, turmeric, coriander, garam masala, sweetener, salt and half of the fresh herb. Stir well, cover and gently cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. You may want to sprinkle in a few tablespoons of water if the vegetables stick tot he bottom of the pan, but stir gently to avoid mashing or breaking them. Serve with the remaining fresh herb and garnish with lemon or lime wedges, if desired.
I should have taken better notes when I made it, but I remember the dish as pleasant, not spicy at all. Its color is a rich yellow ochre. Both dishes yielded days of leftovers, though if your family is bigger than ours, of course, the leftovers won’t be as much.
