Easy Indian Recipe: Cauliflower and Peas- Gobi Mattar

My parents are visiting from India- and that means a lot less cooking for me. I get to sit back and eat my Mom’s yummy food. This time is a bit different, I am doing more cooking than I normally would- because of the blog- but I got a break for this dish- my Mom cooked and I took the picture and wrote the recipe. 

I made a trip to Edison where I buy a lot of my vegetables- especially the ones I use to make Indian dishes. I did a huge grocery run- I bought a yellow pumpkin (I don’t know what it is called in English- it is in the pumpkin family), okra, cauliflower and fenugreek greens. I knew I had to pick up a Cauliflower- it’s my husbands all time favorite vegetable. As I have mentioned before he can have it in any shape or form- 3 times a day; 7 days a week.

My Mom was busy making all the vegetables I bought- they were mostly the ones I never buy and cook for myself. She finally got to the cauliflower and cooked it with peas. The traditional way to serve this vegetable is with potatoes but when you have someone in your family who is crazy about it, you find a way to cook it in many way- hence the peas…

This particular concoction was quite easy. My Mom started with ginger, onions and green chilies. She added the cumin seeds and then the cauliflower and cilantro. She added some spices and finished it off with some peas and more cilantro. It was simple and delicious- just the way I like it. Somehow the very simple dishes taste extremely yummy! My husband of course was in heaven…

• 1 cauliflower head- florets cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 tablespoons extra light olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 inch ginger, chopped
• 2 serrano chilies, deseeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped and divided in half
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

In a large wide saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the onions, ginger and green chilies. Saute on high heat for a minute and add the cumin seeds. Saute for 4-5 minutes on medium high heat. Add the cauliflower florets and half cup cilantro. Add the salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and cover for about 10 minutes or till the cauliflower is cooked. Take the lid off and add the peas. Mix well and cook for a few minutes till the peas are warmed through. Add the remaining cilantro and garam masala. Check for seasonings.