Cauliflower Cabbage and Potatoes Oh My

Unlike some, my husband being one, I love cauliflower and cabbage. Potatoes are really good too, though I try not to eat plain white potatoes too often. I ran across some recipes while researching Indian recipes from different parts of India, and one of them jumped out at me. Whenever I take a recipe, I invariably change it. Either because some Indian recipes call for sometimes up to a half cup of hot  powdered chilies - sorry, no can do - or just that some parts appeal, but I prefer a different amount. I prefer a larger amount of cabbage to potato in a dish, but that is just me and my own preferences.
 

Kobi Bateta nu Shaak or Cabbage & Potato Dry Curry

One recipe I found intriguing is called Kobi Bateta nu Shaak, and I did look at many different iterations of this recipe for comparison. The recipe is from Gujarat, and all I can say is that I made a version of it yesterday for my lunch, and it is just delicious. If I had thought up this idea on my own, I would have titled it Patta Gobi Aloo Sabzi, as I am more familiar with Hindi words, having cooked a whole lot of Indian so far. And I made it again today, but this time with sweet potato instead of white potato. I think I liked it even more this way.

Cabbage & Sweet Potato Sabzi

Okay, enough with my rambling on over Indian terms. I guess I was just writing to straighten it all out in my mind. But this dish is amazingly delicious. The best of all is that unlike most Indian dishes that take a whole lot of steps and various and sundry pots and pans and other utensils, this is a one-skillet meal (or side dish, if preferred). 

Kobi Bateta nu Shaak

(Cabbage & Potato Dry Curry)

Kobi Bateta nu Shaak

Serves 2 (as a meal) or 3 (as a side)

1 - 2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds, whole
½ teaspoon asafetida
1 medium onion or 1 large shallot, chopped
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green chili, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
2 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed about ½-inch diameter (for quick cooking)
½ - 1 teaspoon salt
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
2 medium tomatoes
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
½ teaspoon ground black peppercorns
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
2 - 4 tablespoons cilantro, minced

Heat a large skillet with the oil. Once hot, add in the mustard seeds until they begin to crackle, then quickly add in the cumin and asafetida and stir. Add in the onion, garlic, ginger and green chili and cook until partially softened. Add in the potatoes and salt; toss well, then lower heat and cover to cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes. The potatoes should be mostly tender before adding the cabbage. Add in the cabbage and tomatoes with the crushed coriander seeds, ground peppercorns and turmeric powder. Stir well, cook, tossing often, until the cabbage is tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add in the potatoes and cilantro and stir well. Serve this meal with bread of choice, and with rice, kichdi and yogurt.
 
NOTES: To make with sweet potatoes, simple substitute them for the white potato. Sweet potatoes cook a little more quickly than white potatoes, so the initial cooking will likely be less.

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I have in past made Cauliflower with Indian Spices, which I would then term Gobi Masala Sabzi (Gobi = Cauliflower / Masala = Spices / Sabzi = Dry Mixture).

Gobi Masala Sabzi

Gobi Masala Sabzi

(Dry Spiced Cauliflower)
 
Serves 3 to 4, as a side dish

1 pound cauliflower, grated / shredded on a larger holed grater
2 tablespoons ghee
2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 teaspoon coriander seed, crushed
½ teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
2 teaspoons chaat masala + ¼ teaspoon salt, OR 1 teaspoon salt + 1 teaspoon garam masala

Heat the ghee in a large nonstick skillet. Add in the mustard seeds and stir until they begin to pop and sputter. Add in the cauliflower and toss occasionally, about 7 to 10 minutes on medium high. Add in the ginger and garlic, coriander and cumin and toss for another 2 minutes. The cauliflower should have started to brown in spots. Add in the chaat masala and salt (or the garam masala and salt) and toss to combine.

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Another dish with potatoes was one I created within the last year or so, and it was exceptionally good. Totally my own creation, I put in spices I felt would be good with potatoes and cauliflower. Potatoes and cauliflower, whether separately or together, are a part of a lot of Indian meals, added to wet and dry curries alike. This is just an idea that came out so very good. 

If you like cauliflower, leave the florets a bit larger and visible (in case you look at my photo here and say, "But I don't see any cauliflower!" For this dish, I grated the cauliflower, as I was hiding it in a potato dish so my husband would eat it without knowing 😁

Aloo Gobi Masala

(Indian Spiced Potatoes & Cauliflower)
 
Serves about 4

Aloo Gobi Masala

 

1 - 2 tablespoons oil or ghee
1 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
½ teaspoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon asafetida / hing
1 medium shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
4 smallish potatoes, peeled, in ½-inch cubes
1 cup cauliflower florets, cut small½ - 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Sambar Powder
½ teaspoon turmeric powder
½ teaspoon Kalonji/onion seed/nigella
½ teaspoon amchur powder, optional

Heat a skillet and add in the oil or ghee. When hot, add in the mustard and cumin seeds. When they begin to pop, add the asafetida and stir, then add in the potatoes and cauliflower with the salt. Toss to coat in oil and spices and cover, cooking over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally to cook evenly. 

Add in the Sambar powder, turmeric, nigella seed and amchur powder (dried sour mango powder) and stir well. Cook for a few minutes longer to allow the spices to permeate the vegetables.

NOTE: Other options in this dish are the addition of tomatoes (add after the potatoes and cauliflower are mostly cooked through), the addition of minced ginger (about a teaspoon) along with the garlic, and the option of a squeeze of lemon juice over the whole, instead of the amchur powder, once the dish is done.



My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.