I don't know about you (which is fair, because I'm not you) but I'm kind of a one dish sort of person when I go to Indian restaurants. I know what's generally tough to screw up, and am usually rewarded for my conservatism with a decent meal. Gobi Masala is never one of these dishes.
What really drew me to it was that the cauliflowers in Beirut are so ridiculously pristinely white most of the year that I sometimes want to buy them just to put them on the table like a centerpiece and look at them. The fact that I hate them made me really look hard for a recipe that didn't end with me throwing the damn things in the trash.
Enter Gobi Masala. One good thing about living in Beirut is that one develops a desperate urge for Indian food that makes you try things you'd never attempt in America if they're not daunting to make - and Gobi Masala is certainly a good starter's dish for those wanting to learn Indian food. You don't really have to do anything fancy, you just add things to a pot at the proper interval and refrain from taking it off before it's done cooking.
The history of curry is kind of confusing and convoluted. Things like curries have apparently existed in Mesopotamia since 1700 BCE, and probably have existed in some form or another in various regions in South and Southeast Asia as long as people had pots to cook in. It's just ridiculously easy to make them. Indian curry as is popular in the states actually is rather new - using new world ingredients like tomatoes and peppers and Mediterranean herbs like onions and garlic, which were coincidentally viewed with disdain by Indian high society for centuries (for obvious, stinky reasons). The tomato itself made its way to India from the Philippines, where the Spanish had brought it from its original home in Mexico sometime around 1540. Oddly enough, it is actually related to the eggplant, even though the latter originated in the old world. It was once thought to be toxic raw, which is not true, though you shouldn't eat a lot of the leaves since it's a member of the nightshade family. Also odd, cauliflower contains nicotine, though it's far too gross to be used as an anti-smoking aid in volume. Plus it's fibrous and causes gas, which would make smokers extra unpleasant to be around.
Anyways, if you still want to make this tasty curry after all of that trash talking, here you go:
Ingredients:
1.5 cups of cauliflower, more or less
1 large onion
1 tomato
6 cloves garlic
1/2 (ish) green bell pepper
1 heaping tablespoon of freshly minced ginger
5 or 6 cashews
1/2 cup Greek yogurt (Lebneh in Lebanon), mixed with warm water until it's thin (Use regular yogurt only in occasions of dire need. But if that was the case, why are you making curry?)
cilantro
water
lemon slice
Spices:
.5 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika or red chili
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fenugreek (hilbeh in Arabic)
1 tsp "curry spice"
1 tsp coriander powder
Prep work:
I always prepare my curry steps in their individual bowls before even starting to cook, this way I can just grab stuff and chuck it in at the appropriate time.
Finely (REALLY finely) dice the onion, tomato, green pepper and put them all in separate bowls. No kidding here people - you can't cook tomato with your onion since tomato will leak all sorts of juice out and your onion won't cook right. Crush up the garlic and shred about 1 tbsp of fresh ginger and add it to the pepper bowl.
Cut the cauliflower up into little florets and put aside, then mash up the cashews with a mortar and pestle, large book, clean shoe or whatever, until it's a nice paste. If you don't have a mortar and pestle, for shame. Put your cashews in a small plastic bag and smack them with a hammer or something. Finally, premix your spices so you can chuck them in when you need to. I add "curry powder" (garam masala) to use it up, but I plan to start making my own. When I get a nice recipe I'll post it.
The Cooking:
1. using medium heat, warm up some vegetable oil in a deep pan, then add the onions and cook until they get a bit yellowish, then toss in the peppers, garlic and ginger.
2. Toss in the spices and stir around the bottom of the pan. Since our sense of smell and flavor are caused by the same aromatic elements of the spice, the fat adhering to the spices will enhance the flavor (this is an Indian trick, though Ethiopians use it too). This is why fatty things taste better, and why applesauce is NOT a substitute for oil in baking recipes.
3. After about 20 seconds, add the tomato to this, and let it cook. The tomatoes will release moisture so it's best to just let them dissolve. You can add a splash of water if this seems too dry, then cover it. Once the tomatoes are nicely dissolved, add the yogurt and turn the heat down a bit so you don't scorch it.
5. After about 2 minutes, add the cashews and then the cauliflower, mixing it well to coat them. There should be lots of room and lots of extra curry around the florets, so don't feel you have to fill the pan entirely. Cover this, and cook on low-medium heat until the cauliflower softens. If the curry is watery, pull the lid off and let it reduce down. The gross little cauliflowers should be soft and the curry should be thick by the time you eat it so you don't think you're eating cauliflower. If you need, add more water to let it cook longer.
When your consistency and texture is almost right, add a tablespoon or so of chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lemon juice and stir it up. Add salt to taste at the end.
Once the curry is as thick as you like it, turn off the heat and let it rest for about 10 minutes, then add some fresh cilantro on top before you serve. I like to toss it on Basmati rice, which catches the curry well.
Pics when I get 'em - sorry!
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