I'm Going Going, Back to Back, to Cauli Cauli Cauli

I'm one of those people that love veggies that people generally dislike -- brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage... basically, any ingredient that is sure to put a deep wrinkle on a child's brow, I probably love. Well, now that we're adults, our taste buds probably (hopefully?) learned to appreciate the things that aren't cookies or buttered noodles. I had aloo gobi and instantly fell in love with the aggressive spices and the subtle sweetness of the cauliflower. For those of you that still stick up your nose at cauliflower, find someone that likes it so you can cherry-pick the the creamy chunks of potatoes guilt-free. Over a plate of basmati rice, there's nothing more satisfying during the winter.

Recipe
1 head of cauliflower
6 medium sized red potatoes
1 jalapeño
2 inch segment ginger
1 medium onion
1 bunch cilantro
4 cloves of garlic
2 cans of diced tomatoes
2 tablespoons garam masala
1 tablespoon turmeric 
oil for sauteing
salt and pepper to taste

The dish only requires a minimum amount of chopping and dicing. First, slice up the onion, garlic, ginger and jalapeño. This is a rustic dish so the slices don't have to be perfect. Personally, even though I love the flavor of ginger, I don't like to actually bite into it. I make sure to cut the ginger into large slices so I can fish it out if I get a piece on my plate. My boyfriend and I like spicy food so I used two whole jalapeños, seeds and all. Adjust the amount of the fiery pepper depending on your tolerance for heat. And remember, DO NOT touch any part of your face after touching the stuff because it'll stay on your finger for a while and it REALLY stings if you get it in your eyes.

That's a whole lotta heat

Heat some oil in a large pot on medium high. Regular canola will do, no need to use the good olive oil. When the oil is hot, toss in the sliced garlic, onions, ginger and jalapeño. Saute until soft, around 3-4 minutes. While that's happening, cut the steams from the cilantro (reserving the leafy parts for later) and chop into small pieces. Add to the pot and s,aute for an additional 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the potato and cauliflower into large pieces and add into the pot.

Big chunks of potatoes

All aboard!

Saute the mixture until the potatoes and cauliflower get a bit of color, should take around 3-5 minutes, depending on the size of the pot. Add the garam masala and turmeric and stir well. Be careful, turmeric stains so if anything splatters out of the pot, clean it up right away so you don't end up with a bunch of yellow spots in the kitchen. Pour both cans of diced tomatoes into the pot and stir to combine. Once the mixture comes to a boil, put on a lid and turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for around 20-25 minutes until the veggies are soft. Stir half way through to make sure everyone get a little time at the bottom to ensure even cooking. When stirring, do so carefully so you don't break up the veggies into a mushy mess. Season with salt and pepper. Chop the remaining cilantro leaves and fold into the dish. And you have restaurant quality aloo gobi!

All done!

Reflections
I was really surprised how well this dish turned out. Aloo gobi tastes so complex, I always thought it required an intricate mix of spices. The garam masala mix that I bought had cinnamon, cardamon and cloves. This is probably a simpler mix as wikipedia says that it could contain coriander seeds, fennel and star anise. It'll taste like your learned the recipe from an Indian grandmother. Enjoy!