Aloo Gobi

ALOO GOBI
Cumin smells like dirty armpits.
Garam masala is a delicious blend of sweet aromas.
Tumeric is ever so yellow and a stain master!

I have these bad boys memorized now. I think. Aloo Gobi, a cauliflower and potato dish was tonight's meal. Strangely enough it is unlike Pav Bhaji and thank the Sweetness up above because from start to finish, it took 1.15 hours to create.

Today at work I was sluggish. This aging thing has me recovering a little longer on these 'hangovers' and it was still hanging around today. (My inner rock star is weakening, curses!) My lessons were off, my quick thinking skills and pronunciation were far from normal, and by the end of those 9 hours in a public high school filled with 2500+ students and 120+ staff, I was trying to hang on. The body aches started, the fear of this stupid H1N1 crept into mind. I told myself, no gym, take a nap and then make dinner, if you can. I was beat. Thankfully a quick gulp of an Airborne tablet cleared up all achiness and I got down to prepping dinner. Amazing how that Airborne works for me, all the time, like a charm. Whether it has mental or physical properties, it works and I swear by it.

As I began to prep I thought about how the chefs on Top Chef say in their 'confessionals' "I'm sick, I'm not in the mood to cook, I'll probably produce shitty food". Which of course is true for any field, if the mentality is negative the results will be negative. Reflecting on my day, I was a little worrisome that this new dish might turn out like crap due to my state of mind/body. But as I chopped up the cilantro stems and jalepeno I simply said, "Bullcrap, I got this!" Voila!, a very happy husband and a very happy wife.

I must admit it was a rush to taste this sauce, it was good, damn good, and I made it. I know that sounds so childish but for me it’s a real accomplishment, plain and simple. My mother always warned me about trying out new recipes for a dinner party, but so far so good, I’m 4 for 4 (that is if I did cook for more than my husband on the first try). Then again, I do think I have passed Indian food 101 and I am easily finishing up 102 due to knowledge gained through the in-laws. Speaking of this new set of parental units, I called my 2nd mother up and told her the news, “I’m cooking your favorite dish”. She beamed over the phone, told me she was so proud of me, and she exclaimed she will HAVE to visit now because she is so happy to finally have someone to cook for her.

This is where my other learning experience begins…or rather, has started and continues: the infamous ‘mother-in-law’ scenario. I never imagined what this relationship would be like; I had absolutely no concept. My own mother was without a 2nd mother; she never dealt with or was blessed with this other maternal figure. It’s an interesting position to be in, especially with an Indian mother. Cooking is a way for me to bring myself closer to her, to understand her love for her sons and her daughters-in-law, to understand what she went through 40 years ago upon emigrating here. Books like The Hindi Bindi Club and The Namesake have let me into her life. It’s important that I understand this woman or else, I might go mad. We all have our quirks, hers are hers alone but also they are part of her culture; one that I know very little about, but am dutifully trying to grasp.

So if I can figure out what makes her tick that is rooted deeper than personality but inherited, passed down from generation to generation, then I am in a better position to see life from her perspective. And we’re supposed to do that during our time here, understand things through other’s points of view, no?

Well enough about all that jazz and on to the recipe, Aloo Gobi, found this recipe on http://www.recipezaar.com/Aloo-Gobi-84324 The comments were positive and I took it and ran, I obviously did a lot of research prior to deciding on this…not. But the intro to the recipe reads: "great Indian recipe from the film Bend It Like Beckham" and I was rather sold as it's an all time favorite movie. The recipe is straight forward and after 25-30 minutes of cooking time for the potatoes/cauliflower, I turned off the heat and let it sit covered for another 20 minutes. Serve with roti/chapati, a much thinner than naan bread, like a pita/crepe. You will be full and satisfied.

Next on the list, I’ll be attempting samosas this coming weekend, good luck to me and deep-frying…

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, separated into stalks and leaves and roughly chopped
• 1 small green chilies, chopped into small pieces (or one teaspoon chili powder)
• 1 large cauliflower, leaves removed and cut evenly into eighths
• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into even pieces
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• fresh garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
Directions
1.
Heat vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
2.
Add the chopped onion and one teaspoon of cumin seeds to the oil.
3.
Stir together and cook until onions become creamy, golden, and translucent.
4.
Add chopped coriander stalks, two teaspoons of turmeric, and one teaspoon of salt.
5.
Add chopped chillis (according to taste) Stir tomatoes into onion mixture.
6.
Add ginger and garlic; mix thoroughly.
7.
Add potatoes and cauliflower to the sauce plus a few tablespoons of water (ensuring that the mixture doesn't stick to the saucepan).
8.
Ensure that the potatoes and cauliflower are coated with the curry sauce.
9.
Cover and allow to simmer for twenty minutes (or until potatoes are cooked).
10.
Add two teaspoons of Garam Masala and stir.
11.
Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on top of the curry.
12.
Turn off the heat, cover, and leave for as long as possible before serving.