Gobi matar masala (Spicy cauliflower with peas)

While I was preparing this gobi matar masala (spicy cauliflowers with peas) last night I wondered why this recipe is not yet on my blog! Some variation of this cauliflower dish is very often made at our place. Come to think about it, very few of my everyday I-am-so-tired-so-let-me-whip-up-something-fast recipes are on this blog. I suppose because they are so simple and common-place that subconsciously I might not have thought of them as blog-worthy (this is one question we have often come to ponder as a family now a days -- is the dish blog-worthy? :)) but thats an unfair disadvantage to the simple everyday go-to recipes of every food blogger, right. So here it is, finally, it sure is simple, it sure is everyday, but by no means any the less tastier!

The recipe is very flexible and this is usually a kitchen sink sabji for me. If I have tomatoes I'll add them instead of red bell peppers; if I have mushrooms I'll add some, if not, I'll skip; if I feel like I'll add garam masala or I'll skip that too; the gist is that the sabji is equally tasty even with just cauliflowers, potatoes, peas along-with the spices and the aromatics.

The dish takes not more than half an hour to make from start to finish making it an ideal weeknight meal. We usually eat it with some whole-wheat pita breads or chapati and a cool yogurt mint raita which my husband prepares in a jiffy.

Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 medium onion - chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2inch piece of ginger - chopped finely
3 small green chilis - sliced (adjust based on heat)
2 small potatoes - cubed
4 large mushrooms - sliced (optional)
1 head of cauliflower - chopped into small florets
1 red bell pepper - chopped
handful of frozen peas
1.5Tbsp olive oil

Spices:
1/4tsp turmeric powder
1tsp coriander powder
1/2tsp cumin powder
1/2tsp garam masala
fresh lime juice

Recipe:
** I like my cauliflower on the underdone side when it still has a bit of byte to it and tastes a bit raw. Increase the final cooking time if you like softer and more cooked cauliflower.
** You can also cook a couple more minutes after adding the red bell peppers and peas but I don't; I like the bit of rawness and crunch that it provides.
** With mushrooms, there really is no need to add any extra water while cooking. If the sabji gets dry and starts sticking to the pan, splash a bit of water. If you want a more watery dish, add some water along-with the cauliflower and cook covered until cauliflower softens.
  1. Heat olive oil in a wide (preferably non-stick) pan on medium high heat.
  2. Add chilis and onions and saute until onions start to brown.
  3. Add ginger & garlic and cook a couple of minutes until fragrant.
  4. Add turmeric powder and potatoes and cook uncovered for a few minutes stirring frequently.
  5. Add mushrooms and saute until most of the water has been squeezed out of the mushrooms.
  6. Next add cauliflower florets and season with enough salt. Cover and let cook for 5-10mins (depending on the doneness of the cauliflower desired -- for mushy/soft cauliflowers cook some more) stirring occasionally.
  7. Turn the heat off. Add rest of the spices, red pepper and peas. Stir well to combine.
  8. Serve with some freshly squeezed lime juice sprinkled on top. Serve with hot chapatis or naan.

Comments

Unknown said…
Just loved the dish and the snap too...I too prepare more or less the same kind of dish..its really very tasty...
Its telepathy..I am just going to comment on ur post and recieved one from u...thanks for the wish and lovely comment..have a nice time...
Cool Lassi(e) said…
Lovely dish. Like you, I too like crunch in my veggies.Don't like them soggy..like they just died on me or something.
Sonia said…
I agree with you. Even I ponder about blog-worthiness of my many day-to-day dishes. I really wonder about it. And sometimes my hubby asks me: did u take pics of this and that? I simply say "No". :|
btw, your dish more look like crunchy salad. :) I love gobi-matar-alu masala but mine version is quite different. I noticed here that you haven't used red chili pwd.
I'll happy to eat this but leave mushrooms aside for you. :P
tinyskillet said…
This is the kind of dish I love to see. I think because these are the kinds that we make everyday or during the week, like you said something we throw together. It's so nice to get other ideas that we can do this with! It looks very tasty too!
indosungod said…
They are absolutely blogworthy. These are the recipes that give comfort and happiness.
Radhika said…
This looks delicious and so simple to make!
Shama Nagarajan said…
delicious yummy masala
PJ said…
Kamalika, telepathy indeed! I was at your place just at very same moment :)

Cool lassi(e), yeah, particularly with cauliflowers and cabbage i would eat them undercooked anyday than overcooked.

Sonia, I think I go in phases with red chili powder, sometimes I add it in everything, other times I get bored with it and only add green chilis instead. Yeah, I remembered as I was typing the recipe up that you will probably pass the mushrooms by :)

Lyndsey, I know, all these go to dishes somehow get left out from our blogs.. I'm going to try to include them from now on.

Indo, thanks! True, comfort food is always by definition blog-worthy.

Radhika, thanks, it is a very simple dish. comes together in less than half an hour.

Shama, thanks! So glad you liked it.
TREAT AND TRICK said…
Hello PJ,this is so simple yet tasty dish, that red bell pepper really stands out making it very attractive...
chakhlere said…
what a delicious snap...just feel like grabbing it.
Its a wonderful easy peasy dish which I have not yet tried . If you hadnt posted I wouldnt even have given a thought of making it .
So never ever think if it is blog worthy or not :)..

Beautiful shot :)
Pari Vasisht said…
So true dear, I skip out so many preparations just because I do not find them blog worthy. Now, I found a solution to it, I am still gonna blog it but in a new blog which will have very basic recipes for my kids ofcourse and others too.
S likes his food a little hot so I have to pick up green chilies a little thoughtfully.
I prefer my veggies with crunch if only I am eating them with some daal. The pic looks so colourful and as u said u can mix n match the flavours and veggies too.
Sushma Mallya said…
Beautiful dish, love the recipe and it seems really very yum
Kanchan said…
Its the same with me, I think twice about blog-worthy Dishes. Seeing you dish I feel even I should put out our day- to- day sabzis here.

Btw about your husband's specialty that you mentioned - Cabbage Mushroom Sabzi, would love to check out the recipe cos for me cabbage is boring but love mushroom... so do post whenever possible :)
sayantani said…
guess all of us food bloggers have to go through this dilemma often. by no means food blogging is easy...first we need to decide on the dish then the preparation, the set up, pictures and write up...oops but at the end we all love it. Don't we? I could see that love in your blog and your foodography.
another easy tasty healthy dish from you. love it.
SathyaSridhar said…
Haiiii PJ,, how r u ter,,,wooow,,the recipe looks soo simple n sounds great dear all the veggies tastes good great ahh..
Finla said…
Lov ethis veg combo my favourite, looks so so yumm.
A simple veggie u may say ,but the flavors are awesome,and looks pretty too with the colors ,so it sure is ''blogworthy'' :-)))
I love the idea of ur accompanyn Mint Yougy:-)))
I have recently taken a liking towards veggies that are slightly undercooked...and u are so right about 'is it blog worthy bit' :)
Subhie Arun said…
lov this veges combo..lovely dish with awesome click..frst time ..lov ur space..glad to follow u!
PJ said…
Treat and Trick, thanks! I like the color red pepper gives too, very contrasty to the yellow,.

Chakalere, thanks!

Pavithra, good point! I guess all the everyday dishes of a home cook are blog-worthy.

Pari, so true! great idea to make a second blog for kids and others with easy recipes. i am so much looking forward to it now. have you started it already?

Sushma, thanks!

Kanchan, you definitely should! i would love to see what the menu is in your kitchens everyday :) I'll surely post the cabbage mushroom sabji, i just have to catch him making it and then jott down all the steps as he never writes or follows a recipe.
PJ said…
Sayantani, exactly, you put it so well, we go through all this work but at the end its just because we really love it :) loved the word foodography too.

Sathya, thanks! I am so glad you liked this.

Happy Cook, thanks!

Mia, thanks! I guess all the home cooked comfort food is always blog-worthy.

An open book, same here, i much love the udnercooked veggies now a days.

Subhi, thanks and welcome to my blog! I am so glad you liked the recipes and the posts. I look forward to visiting yours now :)
Padhu Sankar said…
I too love the crunchy taste and do not like overcooked veggies .Like the combo- cauliflower and mushrooms
R said…
looks like a nice medley of veggies :) its most definitely blog worthy PJ. things that r everyday for us might be really exotic and unheard of for many readers, this recipe is a good example, i had never tried this variation!!
Namitha said…
Oh yes, I'm sure every blogger ask this question a zillion times :-)but this sure looks blog-worthy and thanks for posting it. Most of the times I've seen overwhelming responses to my to-blog or not-to- blog recipes, to my utter surprise :D
Panchpakwan said…
Hi PJ,
Nice dish with all vegetables..
PJ said…
Padhu, thanks!

R, yeah, i agree now, infact i want to know what all other bloggers cook everyday :)

Namitha, good to know its not just with me :)

Pachpakwan, thanks!
Cham said…
We always keep asking is it worth to post, but u will be surprise the least change u ve made in ur recipe make it different! My aloo mutter is totally different than u make! I love the color veggies u added!
Joanne said…
The more I ponder the blogworthy question, the more I think that even very simple dishes deserve to be highlighted on the blog because they are some of the ones that I most enjoy reading about. This dish looks delicious! So full of flavor and something I would definitely want to eat.
ruchikacooks said…
Long time no see PJ (me that is)! Hows the new home? I have started planting for this year!

Curry looks colorful, with lot of veggies and simple too!
ruchikacooks said…
Long time no see PJ (me that is)! Hows the new home? I have started planting for this year!

Curry looks colorful, with lot of veggies and simple too!
ruchikacooks said…
Long time no see PJ (me that is)! Hows the new home? I have started planting for this year!

Curry looks colorful, with lot of veggies and simple too!
PJ said…
Cham, that is sure true. i would love to see your aalo matar sometimes :)

Joanne, thanks! I guess what you say makes perfect sense. The dishes we like to eat the most are the ones which we should blog about the most.

Ruchika, nice to see you back! thats wonderful.. i need to start planting, but need some garden work like removing the pre-existing lawn patch first. hopefully soon :)
PranisKitchen said…
PJ
the gobi-mattar-masala looks delicious.
i like the combination of potato gobi and peas..the mushroom make some more flavor to the dish..very healthy dish ..best combo with chapati.
we also prefer half cooked gobis.
first time to ur blog..nice blog u have..like to follow u.whenever u get a chance visit my space too
Preety said…
nice to see you..this one is my hubby's fav..yours looks so tempting
s said…
blogworthy these defenitely are! absolutely! just look at it....YUM!
shahana said…
loved your mixed veggie dish! Easy as well as healthy!
PJ said…
Praniskitchen, thanks and welcome to my blog! I am so glad you liked the recipes here. Hope to see you back soon. I'll be off to visit yours now.

Preety, thanks! nice new profile pic too.

s, thanks! so glad you liked it.

Shahana, thanks!
Malar Gandhi said…
Yeah me too wonder always...are my recipes blog-worthy sometimes, as it is easy to skip our regular day-to-day food...but many people want to learn of everyday food':):) I liked your subzi very much, very colorful' with more healthy veggies, glad that you shared:):)
Cicily Antony said…
this looks yummy and colorful...
Preeti Kashyap said…
I leave so many recipes unpublished coz its too simple.... sometimes simple fuss free food is what we all want!The subzi looks so colorful!