Aloo Gobhi (Cauliflower and Potatoes)

Speaking of Jamie Oliver, my sister loaned me her Jamie's Food Revolution cookbook. I was not a fan of Jamie back in his Naked Chef days. There was something distracting about the way he talked to the cameraman and not the camera. And he threw too many parties. It was like I wanted to sit him down and tell him something like, "Jamie, you know that people will still like you even if you aren't cooking for them all the time and letting them crash at your place." I turned a corner with him when the Jamie at Home series starting airing on Food Network. Maybe marriage and kids were good for him. All I know is that I really began to identify with the way he cooked. Simple fresh stuff from the garden.

Anyway the forward of the Food Revolution book is pretty cool. The British version of the book is called Ministry of Food and refers back to World War II, when food was rationed and people were planting Victory Gardens. Britain established a Ministry of Food and sent women across the country to teach people about nutrition and to show them how to properly use their food rations. These women helped to keep the country healthy during lean times. I like that for the Americanized version of the book they changed the name to Food Revolution. A) We (collectively) have no point of reference of the Ministry of Food and B) We Americans identify with being revolutionary. So I think the name is brilliant.

I really felt like making a curry and I found a recipe that sounded good and for which I had all the necessary ingredients.

Aloo Gohbi (adapted from Jamie's recipe)
1 onion
3 chiles
a knob of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
a head of cauliflower
4 medium potatoes
olive oil
butter
1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
salt & pepper
1 lemon cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 425. Dice onion, slice chiles, mince garlic and ginger.

Throw into an ovenproof pan over medium high heat that has been melting the butter/heating the oil. Break down cauliflower into florets and peel/dice potatoes. (If you aren't fast, you might want to do this before you put the onions and stuff in the pot.) Add the spice and a little bit of salt and pepper. Cook for another minute or so.

Add cauliflower and potatoes and 2 cups of water.

Cover and cook until vegetables are soft. (Took me about 20 minutes.) Place in the oven for another 20 minutes.

While this guy is in the oven, prepare some rice.

Serve with rice and garnish with basil and lemon wedge.

I really enjoyed this, but will probably cut the amount of potatoes in half next time I make this recipe.