Aloo Gobi- A Punjabi Recipe Using Fresh Local Ingredients

I never really thought of it before but my parents started a food trend. Before anybody knew what locavore was, before exotic became main stream something a little bit different was happening in their kitchen. When I asked “Mom! What’s for dinner?” the answers sounded like a menu from an eclectic restaurant. “Spaghetti with mushrooms and oregano”, “Tandori chicken”, “Moroccan cigars”, “Chinese food”. For me it was, you know, the usual.

My mom was obsessed with finding the freshest ingredients and was good friends with the Vivianis whose yard met at the mulberry tree. They were similar in their difference’s- both immigrants, far removed in mentality and outlook from the old school American neighbors who boasted relatives as far back as the Pilgrims. The Vivianis grew their own vegetables, made mulberry and dandelion wine and raised rabbits in their small plot of land in the middle of town. With them the term “pop over” meant exactly that, without calling in advance or tedious scheduling. In late summer they would bring over their produce- tomatoes, peppers, lettuce and talk about their family, Italy and their Italian restaurant.

My father would find farmer’s stands on his evening bicycle rides after work, bringing home what he could from the day’s pick. And if the ride was a bit too long, perhaps flowers for my Mom. As children we once rode with him during corn harvest, the trees just beginning the slow transformation into autumn. A truck rode out of the farmer’s driveway, the tarp tied sloppily over the load. Acceleration, a turn and dozens of fresh sweet corns flew out, littering the road in front of us. We stuffed as many as we could into pockets and pouches and rode the rest of the way home with odd juts from our bodies. “It’s was the best corn I ever had”, my father likes to say.

Dinner was usually not inspired from cookbooks but from my mother’s Middle Eastern origins, my father’s student days at the Sorbonne and their many multicultural friends. And they were never afraid to try something new or add their twist to classic dishes. That’s the way I want to cook.

Aloo Gobi

This recipe is out of my Middle Eastern comfort zone but I like living on the edge. Aloo gobi, meaning potatoes and cauliflower is a Punjabi recipe, from the area of north west India. There are many variations of this recipe but the potatoes and cauliflower are the stars.

1/2 a cauliflower

2-3 potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks

1 chili pepper, minced

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 cup peas

1 teaspoon freshly ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground coriander

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Salt

3-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil, or gee

1 cup fresh coriander for garnish

Boil the cauliflower and potatoes in separate pots until soft but not falling apart. Separate the cauliflower into florets. Fry the onion and chili pepper in oil or ghee until translucent. Add the spices and mix until they release their aroma. Add potatoes and cauliflower frying lightly in oil until well coated. Add the peas. Garnish with coriander.