Call it aloo gobi with a twist. Call it aloo gobi minus the aloo.
Call it a wonderful and easy Indian dish perfect for the cold season.
Just don’t call it bland!
I love Indian flavors, the complexity of spices and their healthful values. And I love my crockpot.
Now that the landlord has signed off on recipes I submitted to (hopefully) head off resident complaints about cooking odors, I couldn’t wait to get cooking! And satisfying that craving for Indian cauliflower — aka aloo gobi — I’d had for weeks!
My aloo (potato) gobi (cauliflower) is made with a twist or three.
One, I used a sweet potato instead of a white potato.
Two, aloo gobi’s traditionally dry but I craved it as a soup so added about two cans of water.
Three, I didn’t have the all-important garam masala so employed a substitute found online.
My starting point is this recipe from here … with my tweaks noted along the way:
1. 1 large cauliflower and 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped (sweet potato in place of white):
cauliflower & sweet potato. colorful crunch!
2. 1 medium onion, diced:
chopped onions. it’s not my party but I can still cry if I want to
3. 1 can diced tomato (in place of 1 diced tomato):
tomatoes in a can
4. 1 2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled & diced, and 2 cloves garlic (mine’s easy-breezy from a jar):
ginger & garlic. a match made in heaven.
5. Two heaping tablespoons of green chile from Hatch, New Mexico — YUM! (in place of 2 diced jalapeño peppers; green tabasco could also substitute):
green chile from Hatch, New Mexico. the BEST!
6. Spices:
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt (recipe calls for 1 tablespoon; too much)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon garam masala — or substitute from mixture of {2 teaspoons ginger + 1 teaspoon cinnamon + 1 teaspoon cardamom + 2 teaspoons pepper + 3 teaspoon ground cumin + 3 teaspoons coriander + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg + 1 teaspoon cloves}:
indian spices. a thing of beauty.
7. 2 cans water (approx. 3 cups) because I wanted a soupy rather than dry aloo gobi:
All ingredients combined in my 3-quart slow cooker:
indian cauliflower in the crockpot ready to roll
Cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
While that’s simmering away, I do the dishes. Surprisingly few tools for a meal of many ingredients! (And yes, I’m that organized in my dishwashing!)
while the curry cooks, easy clean up!
Though the recipe calls for topping off with chopped cilantro and serving with rice or naan, I did neither. It’s just that good all by itself!
Truth told, I’d planned to take a batch to an evening potluck. Until I tasted it! It’s selfish I know but I decided to keep it all for myself. {Hey, cut me some slack. I hadn’t been eating well or done any cooking in 1-1/2 months in my new place due to domestic issues. Nutritional needs trumped my spirit of sharing. 🙂 }
In Hindi, कृपया भोजन शुरू कीजियै ! (kripyā bhojan shuru kijīyai) – please start eating!
Crockpot Indian Cauliflower cooked to perfection!
Allelujah, Arizona! 