Indian Cauliflower and Potatoes (Aloo Gobi)

I made aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes) and it came out really good, flavorful and spicy. It's a drier dish, not saucy.

The recipe called for mango powder, which I didn't have, and I didn't substitute with anything because I wasn't in the mood for a sour dimension of flavor. Google search results indicate that I could have substituted with lime or lemon juice, or tamarind (which is yet another thing I don't have).

I substituted Jamaican hot pepper (scotch bonnet) for the green chillies and chopped them up finely since they're so hot. Also, as in a prior homemade Indian meal, I used garlic and onion powders to substitute for the asafetida.

Cauliflower and potatoes both have mild flavors. How do you dress them up when you're in the mood for something different?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Indian Chickpeas (Chana Masala)

I made chana masala (chickpeas) and it came out reeeally good. It is a flavorful, spicy dish with a saucy curry. I didn't have a lot of the ingredients on hand, so here are my substitutions:

• asafetida: garlic and onion powders, as in my last homemade Indian meal
• gram flour (chickpea flour, or besan): whole wheat flour, which thickened up the curry just as nicely and didn't affect the flavor of the dish. White flour would work well too. 
• green chillies: Jamaican hot pepper (scotch bonnet)
• red chili powder (not to be confused with the Mexican-style chili powder you would find in most supermarkets; it is the powder of red chili pepper): cayenne

What bean/legume dishes do you like when you need a protein fix?
Do you prefer to eat saucy curry with rice, or with naan?


Vegan on a Shoestring

Indian Cabbage With Peas, Red Lentil Dal, Spiced Rice

I made cabbage with peas, red lentil dal (masoor dal), and spiced rice. The cabbage with peas came out great (next time I will use less salt, just my personal preference). The recipe called for asofetida, which I don't have, so I substituted with a dash each of garlic powder and onion powder. I also didn't have green chilies so my cabbage did not come out spicy-hot. The red lentil dal was creamy and mild and complemented the cabbage dish very nicely. The recipe calls for red lentils but mine were split red lentils, so they only took about 15 minutes to cook and not 40. For the spiced rice I made white rice as usual (with regular long grain rice because I didn't have basmati) but I spiced it with cumin seeds, cardamom, and bay leaf. I would have liked to add cloves but didn't have any. Next time I will toast the spices in oil prior to adding the rice.

Spiced Rice
Prepare long-grain or basmati rice as directed on the rice package. Prior to boiling the rice or turning the rice cooker on, add the spices and mix into the rice and water. For every cup of white rice you use, add:
1/2 teaspoon of cumin seeds
3 pods of green cardamom
two bay leaves
dash of salt

Do you like Indian food? What kind of curries do you like?


Vegan on a Shoestring