There is a saying that ‘You really haven’t had vegetarian, till you have eaten Indian Food’. As a 20 something, homesick and perpetually hungry, Indian student in America, I started preparing simple home-cooked meals out of my -barely a sliver- wide, rental kitchen and found a lot of solace in having a warm and healthy, usually vegetarian dish, waiting for me after a hectic day of grad school.
This simply spiced cauliflower dish, was one of my go-tos and till this day, brings me a lot of joy. Gobhi- ki- Sabzi, or spiced cauliflower is a quintessential north Indian dish, you can easily recreate at home. Every household in India has their own version of this dish.
Here is my family’s—
What you need:
- 1 medium-sized Cauliflower
- 2 Tbsp of Ghee/ neutral-flavored oil
- 1 Tbsp of Cumin seeds
- 1 Tsp of Asafetida – Optional
- 1⁄2 Tsp of ground Turmeric
- 2 Inches of Ginger root chopped into matchsticks or julienned 4-5 Green Chillis- Slit and deseeded
- 1 Tbsp of Garam Masala powder
- Cilantro for Garnish
Divide a medium-sized cauliflower head, into two-inch big pieces. Rinse thoroughly, strain, and set aside. In a big pan, stock pot or wok, add ghee and let it heat up for a couple of minutes. Once hot, add cumin seeds, let sputter, add asafetida and turmeric. Cook in the ghee for a minute and add the 2/3 of the julienned ginger, slit chilies and stir. Add the cauliflower florets and a splash of water, mix. Add 1 tsp of salt to start with and adjust to taste. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Once cauliflower is tender and not mushy, uncover and sprinkle in the garam masala. Stir to coat all the florets. Garnish with the remaining ginger and chopped cilantro.
I enjoy my Gobhi-ki- Sabzi with parathas (layered Indian flatbread) and a cup of Chai, but any kind of flatbread will work beautifully. For a quick demonstration of this and so many more recipes, follow me on Instagram @thatcurrysmell. Enjoy!
