Vegetarian mains
Aloo gobi with coconut cardamom rice
Aloo gobi translates as 'potato cauliflower'. It's easy to make and is a great, veg-packed dinner. Use the inner, lighter green leaves of the cauliflower as well as the florets and stalk; they're always good in curries and gratins.
Cook's notes
The best sort of potatoes to use for this are waxy or all-rounder potatoes, so that they hold their shape. Sometimes the coconut milk in the tin separates into solids at the top and liquid at the bottom; give it a gentle stir before adding if so.
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 400g potatoes
- 150g jasmine rice
- 1 tsp cardamom pods
- 1 tin coconut milk
- oil for frying, e.g. sunflower or light olive
- 1 cauliflower
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tomatoes
- fresh ginger
- 1 chilli
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp curry leaves
- 1 lemon
- 15g fresh parsley
- 25g toasted coconut chips
- 100g mango chutney
- salt
Method
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Step 1
Peel and finely slice the onion. Peel and chop the potatoes into bite-sized chunks. Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with water. Bring the potato pan up to the boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes (check now and then and don't overcook). Drain and keep to one side.
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Step 2
Meanwhile, rinse the rice in a sieve. Pop it in another pan along with the cardamom pods, coconut milk and a good pinch of salt. Bring up to a low boil, cover and cook for 20 minutes, until tender. Keep an eye it and add a splash of water if needs be to stop it drying out. Once the rice goes on the hob, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan or frying pan. Add the onion. Fry on a low heat for 10 minutes, stirring now and then to stop it catching. If it looks like it might, add a splash of water and turn the heat lower. While the onion cooks, cut the cauliflower into smallish florets. Keep any light green inner leaves from the cauliflower too.
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Step 3
Peel and finely chop or crush the garlic. Dice the tomatoes quite finely. Finely grate the ginger (no need to peel). Finely chop the chilli (deseed first if you like, for less heat, and use all or half depending on your heat tolerance). After 10 minutes, add the garlic, ginger, chilli, mustard seeds, turmeric, cumin, coriander and curry leaves to the onion. Fry until you hear the mustard seeds start to pop. Add the cauliflower florets, any cauliflower leaves and the tomatoes. Add the juice of quarter of the lemon and 5 tablespoons of water.Cover and cook on a low heat, stirring now and then, for 10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender. Add a splash more water if the veg starts to catch.
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Step 4
Meanwhile, wash half the bag of parsley and shake dry. Roughly chop. When the cauliflower is almost tender, add the potatoes. Stir to warm them through. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the fresh parsley, season with salt and add more lemon juice to taste. Serve with the rice, sprinkled with the toasted coconut chips and a dollop of mango chutney on the side.
