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.

Microwave Roasted Potatoes with Herbs

With so much of potatoes that my brother got us, it was natural that I find different ways to use up those spuds. They were sprouting already and I was in a haste to use it up. After making those chips, seeing how much the kids loved it, I wanted to store them for a long time. Imagine my bad luck that somehow one important step in making the chips stay for longer shelf life, was overlooked. This was my first kitchen failure and I was badly affected. I have been upset over this for the last two days. Never imagined that I would be affected so much. One reason would be that my brother got it all the way and second would be that the kids loved the potatoes chips so much, third would be facing a failure and accepting is always such a hard lesson to learn!

Anyway certain things just happen, no reasons to explain why. I thought I should just move on. Athamma had stored some potatoes for making a gravy and I ended up making something else. So I had that share on hand and decided to bake some in microwave. As you know I always microwave the potatoes, instead of using pressure cooker. It's such a time saving, fuel saving method. So I thought baking them in microwave would be a great option. To make it even better, I baked it in butter and some spices. It was very delicious to say the least. While this didn't mitigate the pain I feel every time I remember my whole lot of potato chips that might go down the drain, this dish surely ends up being very satisfying.

Sending these to Lavanya who is hosting the MEC this month themed on Party Appetizers.

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 5 medium
Butter - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 1 tsp (as per taste)
Herb Mix - I used Thyme, you can mix in rosemary, Oregano. anything that you have on hand.

Method to prepare:

Wash and cube potatoes into 1 inch pieces.

In a microwave safe bowl, add butter and the cubed potatoes. Toss well. Microwave for 10 mins.

After 5 mins, open and toss again. Sprinkle the salt and pepper and other spices you are going to add.

Microwave again for remaining time.

Tastes great as an appetizer and very quick to make if you plan for a party.

 

Enjoy as a side dish too!

Check other Potato Recipes

Aloo Tamatar with Kitchen King Masala | Potato Curry North Indian Style Recipe

There are moments which you want to always remember and think back. First day at school is surely one of those! Peddu and Chinnu started their school today and it was such a wonderful sight seeing them in their bright uniforms and shiny black shoes. Since buying those shoes, they have worn it some umpteen number of times, with the socks on and off. Chinnu as always, was sure to get what he liked. He got one that was heavy, which he could hardly carry around. Still that was the one he wanted and he wore.

We landed in a place that was crowded with anxious parents and excited pupils. Though both the boys were not upset and even smiled for a while, seeing the other kids crying, both burst into cries that were non stop. With great difficulty we tore ourselves away from scene and waited. Konda came with us and she was quite on the toes waiting for her brothers to come back. After what seem like a never ending period, we finally went back to get them. Peddu was fine, but Chinnu said he didn't like the school and didn't want to come back. Slowly we heard that Chinnu was in his naughty self. He had removed his shoes and socks and made the teacher put it back again. I think he got back his vengeance!

Coming to the recipe for today, this is another version of Aloo Tamatar I made along with Peas Pulao. What was special in this was that the fact that  I used Kitchen King Masala along with the usual spices. 

In one of my recent visits to Nilgiris I saw this packet of Kitchen King Masala. I am not normally given to buying ready to make masalas. The only two masalas that I buy from store are the Pav Bajji and Channa Masala. We even arrived at our own masala that was equally good that we might just give up. So imagine my surprise when my hands reached out to a packet of this masala. I remember reading about it in the blogs. So I finally came up buying a packet.

In the coming days you will get to read about the different recipes that I try this masala with. Hopefully even prepare the paneer recipe on the cover!

Aloo Tamatar with Kitchen King Masala

Preparation & Cooking Time : 15 mins
Cuisine : North Indian
Serves : 2 - 3

Ingredients needed:

Aloo - 2 medium
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Onions - 1 medium
Kitchen King Masala - 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 3/4 tsp
Roasted Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric a pinch
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water as required

 

Method to prepare:

Pressure cook Potatoes, peel and cut into big cubes when they are cool.

Heat a pan with oil, saut the onions, then ginger garlic paste till well done.

Have it on high flame, keep stirring, while you chop those tomatoes into fine pieces. Add add salt and turmeric. Simmer with the lid slightly covering it.

Then add all the spice powders and stir everything together and slightly cover with the lid. Let the moisture get into it back to get the tomatoes soft.

When the tomatoes are done, add the cooked potatoes and enough water to get a gravy. Simmer and cook til you reach a thick consistency.

Serve with Ghee Rice or Naans

You might want to check out these!

Aloo Tamatar Sabzi with Kasturi Methi

Aloo Mutter Masala
Dum Aloo

Pulka
Naan