Aloo Gobi (Cauliflower and potatoes)

I love eating seasonal vegetables, they are always at their best. Autumn is perfect for this yummy dish, but you can eat it any time of year.

You can make many variations of this dish, I recommend having a play with it changing things to your taste and give yourself some variety.

I tend to cook this dish as vegan (with oil) and will add variation by adding coconut milk.

You can also make this Sathvick, by removing the onion and replace with a little additional ginger.

As most Indian vegetable and lentil dishes this is also gluten free. Remember if you have any leftovers it keeps in the fridge and reheats beautifully.

Ingredients for serving 4-6 (the size of your cauliflower will determine how many you feed)

• 1 Cauliflower, wash and chop the florets into  even sized pieces  Remove and dispose of outer leaves but the younger greener leaves can be chopped up and used. This is also true of the stalk too, you can peel the thick outer skin and use the inner creamy part of the stalk.

• 1 medium sized potato, peeled and chopped into pieces about an inch square

• 3tbsp Light olive oil or (Ghee-clarified butter if you are making this vegetarian)

• 1/2 Chopped onion

• 1" fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped/ grated

• 1 tsp Cumin/ Jeera

• 1 tsp Black mustard seeds/ Rye

• 1 -2 fresh green chilli's chopped (the more you put in the hotter it gets)

• 1/2 tin tomatoes or 4 fresh tomatoes chopped (optional)
• 1/2 tin coconut milk (optional instead of tomatoes)

• 1 tsp Garam masala

• 1tsp Turmeric/ Haldi

• 1 tsp salt

• Hand full of fresh chopped coriander

Directions

1. Add your oil, set the pan at a slow heat this is the secret to good tasting Indian cooking, this recipe is pretty idot proof, just keep your heat low and you can't go wrong.  Add your cumin seeds and black mustard seeds, when they begin to crackle add your onion.
2. Cook the onion till it is light brown and then add your ginger and chilli, stirring frequently.
3. Continue to cook this till the ginger is brown too, if the ginger starts to stick to the pan just add a couple of tea spoons of water and stir until it comes free.
4. Once the mix is caramel coloured, add your dry spices and salt and tomatoes/coconut milk, you have now made your base (masala). You can cook this without the tomatoes or coconut milk and it is still yummy.
5. Add you cauliflower and potatoes and combine the masala and vegetables, cover and cook on a medium heat for about 10mins until the dish starts to bubble and you can see the cauliflower starting to cook.  You want to turn the veg but be very gentle so that you son't end up smashing it up.
6. Uncover the dish and cook for a further 10mins until the potatoes are cooked through. I test this by stabbing a potatoes with a sharp knife or skewer, if it goes in without effort then you know it is cooked.
7. Add the chopped coriander and serve as a main or side dish with roti, naan, or rice of your choice. And enjoy!