Cauliflower Capsicum Sabji

Cauliflower Capsicum Sabji


Cauliflower used to be an exotic vegetable for me when I was a kid. That was mainly because it was a seasonal vegetable and usually grown more in North India and all this made it a bit expensive. My dad used to love this veggie and would buy a lot of it when available. Later I noticed that cauliflower is more widely available these days all through the year than before but my mom told me she is having difficulty getting it now. The standard instruction for preparing cauliflower would be to cut the florets and put in hot water for about 10 minutes so all the insects and worms come off. The ones that I get in this part of the world usually do not need this step to be done as they are free from insects. I am not particularly happy with that because although it is less work for me, I think it is natural for worms to get into cauliflower etc. and what I get here seems unnatural and synthetic. Ah well, that does not mean that I would welcome a plate of worms for dinner in the name of nature! Anyway, I saw this recipe on a television program and thought it was an interesting combination as the gravy is prepared using besan. It is also flexible in the sense that if you like it dry, just cook for longer and add less water and if you prefer gravy, add more water. Besan tends to thicken as the dish cools, so if you want to run it thinner later, add hot water and mix well. Here is the recipe…

1 medium sized cauliflower cut into florets
1 big tomato, chopped
1 big green pepper, cut into chunks
1 potato, cubed
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons besan (chickpea flour)
2-3 green chillies, slit
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon chilly powder
2 pinches kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil

Heat some oil and fry the onions until it turns soft

Add the cauliflower, potato, green pepper, ginger and green chillies and required salt. Sprinkle some water and cook covered. Do stir every now and then and if needed add some water

Once the vegetables are cooked, add the tomatoes and cook until it turns mushy

Add the chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and kasoori methi and cook until raw smell goes

Mix the besan with half a cup of water and make a paste and add this to the vegetables. Stir well so there are no lumps and allow to simmer. Ensure the raw smell goes away and add more water if you like or need. Some may like it as a gravy, in which case add generous portions of water as the besan will thicken as it cools down.

Serve with rotis or rice