Aloo Gobi ki Sabzi | Potato Cauliflower Dry Curry | Side Dish for Chapati

For a simple dish this post surely stayed for a while in draft. I have been planning to write on this since a week and never came around doing that. Imagine, on the first of this year, I thought I should carefully wade through each day, making sure I write down what I want and also make sure I complete it. Guess what, the days have simply flown! Just like so many days before, just like the days that will come. Each day as it comes, makes me want to grab and make the best as much as I can, even as I sit down thinking about it, the time simply keeps matching forward.

It's the same grind again. waking up, rushing through, deciding what to make. Then the mad rush to make sure the bus is not missed. Next is the rush to make sure I am on time to work. Then I never know how the time passes off so quickly, it's time to return. Of course you can imagine how it would be when one lands at home and have three hungry kids waiting. Yes, it's soon bed time and you hurriedly get them to sleep. Is this the pattern you go through too? Cos I get tired just thinking through this. Again if I am not doing and being so packed like this, what will I do?

That's a question that has no answer, with the half yearly exam completed, we are marching towards to the annual exams and soon it will be summer vacation! Konda just declared she wants to learn Carnatic music. Because her favorite singer also learnt Carnatic music before being launched. We have been after her for so many years for these classes, now she comes up with this plan herself. I am glad she has mentioned her aim to become an archaeologist again. She was fascinated by Jackie Chan cartoons some years back. I am not really sure of her current passion. I am sure she will update me soon as soon as she decides. 

While that goes on in my regular life, I am sure you will enjoy reading this simple sabji made with Aloo and Cauliflower. 

Aloo Gobi Sabji

Ingredients Needed:

Gobi - 1/2 Kg
Potato - 4 medium
Onions - 2 medium
Green Chilies - 4 long
Tomato - 1 medium
Bay leaf - 1 large
Garlic - 2 big cloves
Curry powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder a pinch
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Coriander leaves handful chopped

How to make the sabji

Wash and trim the cauliflower, soak in salted hot water with lid covered for 10 mins. Rinse in water again. And drain, keep aside.

Peel and chop the potatoes as juliennes.

Heat a non stick pan with oil. Saute the bay leaf and finely chopped garlic. Then add onions julienne, saute on high and let the onions sweat.Add chopped chilies, saute well along with salt.

Next add the potatoes and cover with lid. Then add the turmeric powder, cook in simmer for 5 mins, then add tomatoes and combine everything well. Continue cooking with lid covered. This takes about another 5 mins for the potatoes to soften.

Once the aloo gets soft, add the drained cauliflower, mix everything well. Add the curry powder and cover again.

There is no need to add water, the moisture that comes from the covered vegetables is enough to soften the vegetables.

Finally add chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with rotis.

Notes:

Instead of curry powder, you can simply add chili powder, coriander powder and a dash of garam masala.

Can add water if you want a liquid gravy.

Low Calorie Sambar Vada | Medu Vada in Sambar | Indian Vegan Recipes

On Friday I finally made the Khichidi again. That was after many weeks absence and thought it was agreed it was going to be part of a regular Saturday menu. I am a person who never bored with routine. But looks like even I have skipped my Menu Planners.

This results in dire situations when I am frustrated not to know what to cook. Then I had to resort to the life saver the Khichidi. Yes I am yet to blog on that. Will get around doing it someday. Having done this on Friday, I realized I had nothing for Saturday. So it was Sambar Vada. Remembering that I am planning to take up my diet regime again seriously, wanted it to be a low calorie one.

Sunday was wonderful. The breakfast was the usual Channa Masala with Poori. Then seeing Konda not being best of her health, hubby dear said he will take us for the beach. The rounds of applause and the roaring sounds that followed would lead anyone believe that we don't take the kids anywhere, which is not the case. Still with a outing in  question they were so excited.

The day promised to be very cool. So we set out for an outing to the beach. Kids took their footballs to play on the beach. Seeing the horse flying by, they were eager for a ride. But after their return, Konda and Chinnu declared they don't like the horse ride, as the ride was very fast and they were jostled so much that their back ached. Soon it turned to be very windy, we decided to leave after spending couple of hours.

Rest of the day just passed in a blur, I went to help Amma cook for our relatives who came for dinner.

Back to the Sambar Vada that I made on Saturday, I wanted to try making it low cal as it was anyways going to be dunk in Sambar.

I ground the batter for Medu Vadas same as always in the mixer. But anytime grinding it in the grinder gives you a Medu Vada that is soft and fluffy inside and crisp on the outer. I confirmed this when I ground the batter on Sunday for our guests. 

If you are using the Mixer to grind and want to use the Appey Pan for these Low calorie Vadas, I suggest you add a pinch of cooking soda or allow it to get more water once you add the onions.

I knew the difference as I made the vadas first time without any of those Onions for the kids. They were a bit hard. But since you soak these in hot sambar for a while, they become soft and taste the same, well almost!

I can vouch that the taste was the same, except you won't get to feel that crispy outer skin that you normally associate with deep fried vadas.

I will have to get around the sambar somebody other day!

Once the vadas are fried, soak them in hot Sambar for making them get all soft.

Have a great week ahead!