Punjabi Gobi with Onion and Garlic Naan
Gobi is a dry curry of cauliflower, tomatoes, ginger, onions and toasted spices. Naan is an oven-baked flatbread commonly served in South Asia..
Punjabi Gobi with Onion and Garlic Naan
For the naan (adapted from Anjum Anand)
3 oz organic all-purpose flour
1 oz organic whole wheat flour
1 tsp non-refined sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
2 oz organic plain yoghurt
2 oz filtered water
3 cloves garlic
2 green onions
Sift the dry ingredients together in a glass bowl. Combine with yoghurt and water and let stand in a cool place for 2 hours to break down some of the phytic acid.
Roll dough into a ball, set in an oiled bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place until doubled, about 1-2 hours.
Knead the dough by hand for 10 minutes, adding very small quantities of flour or water as may be needed to achieve a soft, flexible dough.
Roll the dough out into 1/4 inch thick ovals and cook on a pizza stone in a 450 degree oven until brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
For the Gobi
Core, trim and wash cauliflower (1/2 head per 2 servings) and split into individual florets. Steam until partially cooked, then plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process.
Chop 1 plum tomato, 1 small yellow tomato, 1/2 yellow onion, 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 or 2 green chilies and a handful of fresh cilantro.
Gather 1 tablespoon each turmeric and chopped curry leaves, 1 teaspoon each of cumin seed, methi and paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon each of black pepper, nigella, ajwain and sea salt. These spices are commonly available in Indian food markets or by mail order. Don’t worry about it if you don’t have this exact combination.
Toast the whole spices in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, onions and peppers and cook until just softened, about 2 minutes.
Add the remaining ingredients (except cilantro) and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.
Add cilantro and 1 tablespoon ghee. Toss to combine and serve with hot naan.
Like this:
Roasted Orange Cauliflower Soup
Orange cauliflower, garlic, carrots, cardamom pods, nutritional yeast flakes*, milk, onion, s&p and broth
Trim away the leaves, then split the head of cauliflower into 8 wedges, leaving the core intact. Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, mist with olive oil and season with s&p. Put pan on lowest rack of a 475 degree oven. Roast 10 minutes, turn wedges over and roast another 10 minutes.
Toast the cardamom pods until brown and fragrant. When cool, pulverize in a spice blender, mortar & pestle or whatever you have handy.
Saute the carrots, onion and garlic until colored & tender.
Remove the califlower from the oven and transfer to the pot, breaking away the florets from the core as you go. Add enough broth to just cover the vegetables. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to a gentle boil and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 20-30 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Carefully puree hot soup with an immersion blender. Add milk, cardamom to taste, s&p and yeast flakes. Simmer 5 minutes longer.
Garnish with whatever you find appealing. I’m using a chopped floret, slivers of radish and some of yesterday’s fennel feathers. Serve hot with a section of toasted baguette.
*The nutritional yeast is what makes this recipe stand out. It tastes something like parmesan or white cheddar cheese, with a slight nutiness. Great on popcorn!
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