Whenever I go to an Indian restaurant, I take forever to peruse the menu, trying to decide what to order. Everything sounds so enticing. I study the ingredients of one dish after another, imagining the wonderful flavors and aromas, and then I order aloo gobi. Every time. Every single time. I have on occasion tasted other dishes, but the truth is I love aloo gobi best — cauliflower and potatoes in a spicy sauce are perfect companions. If they could just add some chickpeas in there, I'd love it even more.
When I cook Indian food at home I'm a little more willing to experiment. I want to try different dishes. But, if I find one that contains cauliflower and/or potatoes, all the better. I saw a delicious-sounding recipe for cauliflower and broccoli with mahkani gravy on Richa's blog. The gravy came from another post she did on a most spectacular-looking whole-cauliflower dish called gobi musallam. The gobi musallam is a centerpiece dish for a special occasion, so I filed it away for a possible Thanksgiving dish, but the cauliflower and broccoli seemed like the perfect thing to make right away.
Sadly, my broccoli was decrepit, and had to go to the compost, but I had plenty of cauliflower plus everything else in the recipe, so I made my version with just cauliflower and peas. However, since I was in charge of ingredients, I also added my beloved chickpeas. And was it good? Oh, yeah. Go make some.
Mofo comes through again with inspiration to spare.
I'm laughing because I have the same experience at Indian restaurants, except for me the final destination is always chana masala!
ReplyDeleteRicha's recipes are awesome. I definitely bookmarked that gobi musallam too.
It's not just Indian restaurants, I seem to have a favorite at every restaurant. It's so hard to try something new when the thing you like is just so good!
DeleteI do miss the creamy dishes from the Indian menu; this looks like it could fill the void. But, I'm shocked you didn't add potatoes! Richa's recipes are ridiculous; I wish she'd just open up a restaurant already instead of taunting me with her recipes. But I'd miss her blog; it's awesome in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteHer recipes, complimented by her gorgeous photos, are always tempting.
DeleteThat looks so good! Too bad about the broccoli :( Richa's recipes really are stellar.
ReplyDeletePoor broccoli. I hate wasting food, but it was just beyond use. It was unequal to the recipe at hand.
DeleteI love Richa's recipes. Almost as much as I love aloo gobi - seriously, I have the same problem. I can't not order it. Sometimes I push the boat out and go for chana masala, but only if I can aloo gobi on the side!
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets fixated on a particular food. But, aloo gobi — who can resist the call?
DeleteSuch a yummy looking dish! Lately, I've been trying to order different dishes just to try something new. But somehow I always end up back at the same dish. I do the same thing when I cook at home. :-)
ReplyDeleteGobi mahkani was a new dish for me, so I am branching out at home — a little.
Deletesuper cool! i am so glad you madeit.. chickpeas or anything really work with that gravy!
ReplyDeletei think aloo gobi is the safe bet. almost all indian restaurants have it and they keep it vegan. :) i get frustrated at indian restaurants, coz i really dont want to order chana masala or aloo gobi there, but then the other curries are not vegan. pfft.
My friend told me about a new Indian vegetarian restaurant in Bellevue with lots of vegan options. http://www.bombayhousewa.com/index.html
DeleteI haven't tried it yet but she said it had good reviews. It's always tricky to avoid dairy in most Indian restaurants, but this one has the vegan dishes clearly marked.
All of the awesome cooking inspiration is what I love most about MoFo too! Richa's recipes always blow me away.
ReplyDeleteI agree that they are pretty spectacular.
DeleteThat is my kind of dinner! Ordering the same thing every single time sounds like something I would do if I wasn't such a germaphobe who never eats out. You are right, aloo gobi should always come with chickpeas.
ReplyDeleteThe gravy was very luxurious and tasted even better the next day (and the next). You should try it — and add some chickpeas!
DeleteI love wet Indian curries that have cauliflower and/or potatoes (yummm!) but my stomach cannot handle dry curry dishes. I remembered eating these dry curries in Fiji or Malaysia, and I couldn't digest very well. Funny, I also take forever to peruse the menu, sometimes I would go for ingredients involving my favorite veggies - cauliflower, potato, peas, or chickpeas. Richa's gravy sounds so yummy, too! What a hearty and delicious dish!
ReplyDeleteI think the gravy would be perfect with cauliflower, peas and potatoes. I was out of potatoes or they probably would have been included.
DeleteI love Indian food, but I am always too scared to make it myself. There's an Indian super market near my new house, plus this post, makes me want to try it!
ReplyDeleteYou should try it. Richa's blog has so many tempting recipes. Modern Indian cooking is not as hard as you think.
DeleteThat looks so saucy and delicious! We order a variety of things when we go to our favorite Indian restaurant, but I know how tough it can be to stray from the tried and true! David is in love with coconut curry vegetables, and we get it almost every time.
ReplyDeleteCoconut curry is a great choice. I really enjoyed making the cauliflower dish from Richa's blog, and if I could order it in a restaurant, I probably would get it every time.
Delete