This was an extremely flavorful and surprisingly easy dish to make. It comes from Naz Deravian in NYTimes Cooking and works well as a midweek meal filling the house with great smells and tasting even better.
For this you’ll need: x2 russett or Yukon potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2″ pieces), 1/2 cauliflower head (cut into 1″ florets), 1/4 cup vegetable or grapeseed oil, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, 1 medium yellow onion (chopped), 1 green chili (serrano or similar cored and cut in half), 1 garlic clove (peeled and grated), 1″ ginger root (peeled and grated), 1/2 tsp ground turmeric, 2 medium tomatoes (chopped), 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1/2 ground cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, salt.
In a large skillet that you can cover, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cauliflower and cook over medium low heat until just softening and browning – about 8-10 mins – stirring and turning occasionally. Remove the potatoes ad cauliflower from the skillet with a slotted spoon and place into a separate bowl.
Add the cumin seeds into the same skillet (some some more oil if needed) and swirl around until they just start to crackle and pop – about 30 seconds. Add the chopped onion and halved pepper and cook until the onion is starting to brown and soften – about 8 mins. Add the grated garlic and ginger and stir well, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom, until fragrant – about 1 minute. Add in some salt and the turmeric and stir well until combined and fragrant – about 30 seconds.
Place the potatoes and cauliflower back into the skillet and add the rest of the spices: garam masala, coriander, cumin, paprika and cayenne. Add in the chopped tomatoes and remove the pepper halves and discard. Stir well to combine, add a couple tablespoons of water to the outside edges of the pan, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pan. Let it cook until the potatoes are just starting to get fork tender – about 12-15 mins – then add a little more garam masala and salt, stir well, and cook a bit more until a fork and easily stick into one of the larger potato pieces – about another 5-10 mins max, adding a bit more water around the edges if needed.
Serve with rice, naan bread and some mango chutney and/or plain yogurt.
Dinner at Our Place 