Taste of Punjabi Home Comfort
In the colorful tapestry of Punjabi cuisine, there exists a diverse variety of seasonal vegetable dishes that embodies the essence of home, tradition, and celebration. One such is my all time favorite- Gobi Aloo. For generations, this humble yet delightful combination of potatoes and cauliflower has graced our family dinner tables, especially during the festive fervor of Diwali. Alongside the rich indulgent Dal Makhani, the creamy and sweet decadence of Matar Paneer, and the comforting warmth of phulks, Gobi Aloo holds its own as an quintessential part of the perfect Punjabi meal.
What makes Gobi Aloo truly special is its simplicity. Our family recipe is rustic and really a no-recipe kind, a recipe you learn watching the family elder cook. It celebrates the natural flavors of the vegetables, lightly kissed with spices to enhance rather than overpower. It’s a dish that speaks volumes with just a few ingredients, allowing the true essence of cauliflower and potatoes to shine through. Gobi Aloo remains a beloved staple, a go-to comfort food that never fails to delight.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1-1/2 pounds or one 1 large head fresh cauliflower, broken into florets
- 1/2-3/4 pound or 3 medium potatoes
- 1 tablespoon mustard oil or double up on the neutral oil using.
- 1 tablespoon any neutral oil
- 1 cup onion, chopped, about 1 medium
- 1-2 green chillies highly recommended but optional)
- 1 teaspoon ginger, paste or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp kashmiri chilli powder
- a pinch chaat masala or garam masala or skip
- sea salt to taste
- fresh coriander to garnish
Tips & Notes
- Why use Mustard Oil: Mustard oil is extensively used in Indian cooking specifically in Punjabi and Bengali cooking. It is extracted from mustard seeds and has high smoking point making it great for cooking. Mustard oil is strong, with a pungent bite to it, a bit like Asian sesame oil. Because of its strong flavor it takes a little prep to use it correctly. Pro tip- always heat mustard oil to smoking point before adding ingredients to the cooking, this helps to tamper down the pungency and helps bring out the flavor of the food. It is an acquired taste, so if new to mustard oil and you’re open to trying I highly recommend. The brand I use in the U.S is linked to Amazon USA(its not sponsored, I just love this one)
- To make a simple vegan Punjabi homestyle meal I recommend serving it with one of the Daals on my blog. For a bit more elaborate meal add a Maatar Paneer to make it special.
Punjabi Aloo Gobi
Equipment
- Wok Saute Pan or Kadhai
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp mustard oil
- 1 tbsp any neutral oil or double one the mustard oil
- 1 large cauliflower about 1½ lbs florets
- ½-¾ lbs medium potaotes
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1-2 green chillies, chopped skip or use less for milder curry
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¾ tsp ground turmeric
- ¾ tsp ground Kashmiri chili powder or mild paprika
- 2 level tsp ground coriander seeds
- salt to taste
- ½ tsp garam masala or chaat masala
- chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Break the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Peel(if you prefer) and slice the potatoes into halved wedges or cubes so they are a similar size as the cauliflower. Finely dice the onion and chop the green chillies and deseed if needed.
- Heat the mustard oil in a wok or saute pan and allow to smoke for a few seconds, lower the temperature of the pan to the pot and once it's hot, add the cumin seeds.
- Once the cumin seeds sizzle, add the onions and green chillies and saute the onions till they soften and start to brown. Add the ginger and garlic and cook it starts to change color.
- Add the spices (turmeric, Kashmiri red chilli powder and ground coriander. Saute the spices briefly for30-60 seconds.
- Now add the potatoes and salt. Potatoes take longer to cook so we give them a head-start. Toss them gently with the aromatic spices, add a splash of water and bring the heat up. Cover, drop the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If they stick to the bottom of the pan, add in a small splash of water and mix well.
- Once the potatoes are halfway cooked, add the cauliflower and mix well to coat all the floret with e spice mix. Lower the heat and cook on medium to low heat with the lid on until the potatoes + cauliflower are cooked through and tender. To finish, add a pinch of chaat masala or garam masala and garnish with chopped cilantro. Best swerved with dal, roti or rice and green salad. Enjoy!
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