Aloo Gobi or Gobi Aloo?
You Like Potato, I Like Potato!
pop quiz: the lyric above is from what song and artist? clue: A little Gershwin number to dance to.
Many moons ago, when the world, and ‘we’, was young we skied in India. I hesitate to call it such, but the ‘ski resort’ we stayed in was very, very remote and seemed to have just two fresh ingredients in its kitchen – potatoes and cauliflower. So whether it was breakfast, dinner or tea there was just one thing on the menu…
Aloo Gobi Ingredients.
This is a dry version, great as a side dish or for picking up in chunks with fingers and naan bread.
- 225g smallish whole old Potatoes
- 1 medium Cauliflower, chopped into bite sized florets
- 1 small Onion, finely chopped
- 5 tblsp Oil
- 1.5 tsp whole Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp ground Cumin
- 0.5 tsp ground Coriander
- 0.25 tsp ground Turmeric
- 0.25 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 fresh green Chilli
- S & P
- To serve: few bits of fresh Coriander and/or Mint
- Ideally the day before, cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling water until they are just done.
- Drain and leave to go cold.
- The next day, put the cauliflower into a bowl of cold water to soak.
- Meanwhile, remove the skins and roughly chop the potato into bite sized chunks.
- After about half an hour; drain the cauliflower.
- Heat the oil in a large, non-stick pan over a medium heat
- Fry the onion for about 4 mins until softening and just starting to brown,
- Throw in the whole cumin seeds and sizzle for a few seconds
- Throw in the cauliflower; give it a stir to coat in oil,
- Fry for a couple of minutes until the edges begin to brown.
- Add a lid, turn the heat down low and cook for about 5 mins until just done.
- Add the potatoes and all the other ingredients, give it a good but gentle stir; try not to break up the veg.
- Season to taste.
- Uncovered, cook until the potatoes are heated through and the chilli is softening.
- Sprinkle with chopped herb and serve on the side with a selection of your favourite curries or on its own with warmed naans.
Perhaps surprisingly, even after eating nothing but Aloo Gobi for several days this is still one of my favourite curries; I think curried potato takes some beating.
pop trivia: ‘Let’s call the whole thing off’ by George and Ira Gershwin for the 1937 film ‘Shall We Dance’, where Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers challenged the pronunciation of, among other things, tomato, potato, neither, pyjamas, laughter, vanilla and banana!
