Aaryan Patel

Aaryan Patel

PhD Student, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Gobi Matar (Cauliflower)

Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Lunch

Ingredients

  • 450 to 500 grams cauliflower or 1 medium cauliflower
  • ¾ to 1 cup peas - fresh or frozen (check notes on when to add tender or frozen peas)
  • 120 grams onion or 2 medium sized onions - about 1 cup finely chopped onions
  • 1 large tomato or 3 small sized tomatoes - about ¾ cup finely chopped tomatoes
  • 2 to 3 green chillies or ½ to ¾ teaspoon finely chopped green chilies - reduce the amount of green chilies if making for kids
  • 1 inch ginger - about 1 to 1.25 teaspoon finely chopped or minced/grated ginger
  • 6 to 7 medium sized garlic or 4 to 5 large garlic - about 1 to 1.25 teaspoon finely chopped or minced garlic
  • ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera)
  • 1 inch cinnamon
  • 2 green cardamoms
  • ½ of a star anise (chakra phool) - optional
  • 4 to 5 black pepper
  • 1 small to medium tej patta (indian bay leaf)
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Coriander Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Garam Masala
  • 2 to 3 cloves
  • 2 to 3 tablespoon oil
  • salt as required
  • some chopped mint leaves or coriander leaves for garnish

Method

preparation

  • Chop or break the cauliflower/gobi into small florets.
  • This step is optional and only if you get cauliflower which has insects. In india we get insects in cauliflowers and to get rid of them I follow this method. If you live outside india and get clean cauliflower then there is no need to follow this method. Just add the cauliflower directly.
  • Rinse them and then blanch in hot salted water for 15 to 20 mins. Drain and keep aside.
  • First cook the peas in water till they are almost cooked. Then drain and keep aside.

making gobi matar

  • Heat oil in a kadai or a frying pan and crackle the whole spices viz - cinnamon, cloves, caraway seeds, star anise, black pepper and indian bay leaf (tejpatta).
  • Add the finely chopped onions, green chilies, ginger and garlic. Stirring often saute the onions till they become light brown.
  • Then add the finely chopped tomatoes.
  • Then add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder. Stir and saute till the tomatoes soften and you see the oil releasing from the sides.
  • Add the blanched gobi/cauliflower florets.
  • Stir well so that the onion tomato and spices mix uniformly with the cauliflower florets.
  • Cover with a rimmed lid in which water is added. Cooking with this technique does not burn the cauliflower.
  • Also you don’t need to add any water in the cauliflower. A lot of steam is formed inside the pan which helps in cooking the cauliflower.
  • Do check the veggie after a some minutes and stir. If the water dries up in the lid, then add more water.
  • When the gobhi is almost cooked, add the peas/matar and garam masala powder.
  • Stir and cover with the rimmed lid with water in it. Cook for a further 7 to 10 minutes on a low flame, till the cauliflower and peas have become tender and cooked well. Once done, if there is any moisture in the pan, then cook without the lid and let the moisture evaporate.
  • Garnish with chopped mint leaves or coriander leaves. Serve gobi matar hot or warm with chapatis or phulkas or plain paratha or jeera paratha or bread.
  • This gobhi matar ki sabji can also be packed in tiffin box or serve as a side dish with dal rice or rasam rice or with any Indian meal.

Notes

  • If adding tender or frozen peas which cook faster, then add them when you add the cauliflower florets.
  • The amount of spices can be altered as per your taste preferences.