Aloo Gobi Methi Tuk

I know, I know...I disappeared without warning! Whew the last few days of the year that went by had been eventful as far as I can say. Niki was to fly home the day after her finals of the semester.

We were all set and the heavens decided to send terrible amount of snow to New York that they had to close Kennedy for a while. My smart daughter, not wanting to be stranded in an unknown city, refused to board her flight in Kansas. She lost precious number of her holidays trying to jump on to the immediate available seat on the only one Airline that flies to this country direct.

I had to make few trips to the local Emirates office to reschedule our bookings to India made earlier in line with her visit.

Finally I did make a truly flying visit to Chennai and after a short but very happy time home, came back. Niki stayed here until the 10th. Between us we cooked and baked and did all sorts of things. The house seems a bit vacant and I decided to put aside the lethargy and ennui I was giving myself in to. So, here I am, with all of you wonderful people sharing my woes and joys.

Did you all enjoy the holidays? Any New Year resolutions? Me...??? I never keep up, so best not to make any resolutions. However, I hope to look after my blog with not much neglect and to keep writing to all of you. If that sounds like a resolution, may I correct you...it is a promise I make to myself.

Coming to the recipe of today, one of my favourite Tarla Dalal recipes. I love the vegetables that go into this dish. While in Bahrain, we had asmall vegetable patch next to my kitchen. Through the winter months, under the tending care of the gardeners I used to grow cauliflowers, cabbages, methi, green chillies, carrots, radishes and tomatoes in that 6 yard square patch. Right from September to March of the next year this small garden will yield its fullest. And between April and July we grew okras and brinjals.

With so much fresh produce, I thoroughly enjoyed making many dishes that included these veggies.

Today's recipe combines nicely methi leaves and cauliflower combined with potatoes to make a very relishable side dish. It is a dry curry with not much of spice.

Ingredients:

2 medium potatoes peeled and cut in wedges

1&1/2 cups cauliflower florets cut slightly big

1 cup fenugreek (methi) leaves separated

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

1&1/2 teaspoon ginger and green chilli paste

2 teaspoons chaat masala

1 tablespoon oil

Salt to taste

Other ingredients:

Few tablespoons oil to saute' the cauliflower and potatoes

Method:

(As per the original recipe, the potatoes and cauliflower need to be deep fried. I saute' them in a wide non-stick pan until they are well roasted.)

Microwave cook potatoes for 3 minutes. They shall be cooked, yet hard.

Place cauliflower florets in boiling water to which salt is added and allow to stand for few minutes until they are boiled.

Clean methi leaves and saute' them in some oil until they are crisp. Keep aside.

In a wide non-stick pan heat oil and add the cumin seeds. Allow them to splutter and add the ginger-chilli paste. Saute' for two- three minutes. Add more oil and drop the potatoes and cauliflower. Add the salt and cook on slow fire roasting them wella s they cook.

When they are crisp and well roasted, add the already crisp methi leaves and the chaat masala. Mix well and take off the fire.

Serve hot as a dry side dish with any meal.