Aloo Gobi

Several days late, but here it is: my Aloo Gobi recipe. Much kudos goes to DH who came home from work yesterday to find me tearing the lounge apart, muttering about a missing cookbook. He found it for me sometime after midnight.

This recipe is based on the one in the Weight Watchers' cookbook, Low Point Spice, by Joy Skipper. I've checked it against other versions and, as far as I can tell, the spicing is authentic. The recipe makes a huge quantity - I usually end up freezing 3/4 of it, since 1/4 makes a good sized side dish for 2 or 3. You could easily halve the ingredients, but I'd keep the spicing the same. Oh, and in case you didn't know, "Aloo" means potato and "Gobi" means cauliflower.

Another tip: the recipe calls for 2-3 tablespoons of chopped fresh coriander/cilantro. Buy it by the bunch - it's cheaper that way - and do what my Asian friends do: wash it well, chop it up roots and all, and freeze it loosely packed into bags. Then when you need it to flavour something, either sprinkle over a handful or add it by the tablespoon.

The entire recipe is 5 WW points or 540 Calories.

Ingredients

Low-fat cooking spray or oil spray (or use 1 teaspoon oil)
3 onions, chopped
1 medium cauliflower cut into florets
3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2cm/1 inch cubes
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or use 2 ginger "cubes" see here for details)
1 400g/14oz can chopped tomatoes
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground chili
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam marsala
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small bunch fresh coriander/cilantro including stems, chopped (enough to make 2-3 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
Salt to taste

Method

1) In a small bowl, combine the chili, turmeric and ground coriander with a little water. Mix to a paste.

2) Spray a large saucepan with oil. Over a low heat, gently saute the onions until soft.

3) Add the cauliflower, potatoes, ginger and the spice paste mixed in step 1. Stir well to coat the vegetables in the spice paste. Fry until the aroma rises. Pour over the chopped tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, cover and and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

4) Stir in the garam marsala, the cumin seeds and the fresh coriander. Cover again and cook for a further 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Season with salt to taste.

5) Serve hot as an accompaniment to an Indian meal or to accompany a plain meat dish, e.g. grilled steak.

- Pam