Cooking together: Aloo gobi with roti and fresh mint chutney

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Below you will find the recipe for reporter and anchor Neetu Garcha’s family recipe for aloo gobi with roti and fresh mint chutney.

Ingredients

For aloo gobi

• 1 medium-sized potato, peeled and cut into wedges
• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 1/2 tsp crushed garlic
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 3/4 tsp red chilli powder (adjust to taste)
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp coriander powder
• A pinch of garam masala
• Salt (to taste)
• 1 cup chopped ripe tomatoes
• A fistful of chopped coriander leaves

For roti

• 2 cups chapatti flour
• Water

For chutney

• 1 cup mint
• 1 onion
• 1 tbs Lemon juice / lime
• 1 tbs vinegar
• 2 tbs brown sugar
• 1/2 tbs salt
• 1/2 tbs pepper
• 1/2 tbs red pepper powder
• 2-3 pieces of mango

Method

For aloo gobi

1. Heat oil in a pan and add the garlic and ginger. Stir for 30 seconds or so then add the chopped onions and stir for about 2 minutes.
2. Add the potatoes and cauliflower to this and cook on lowest heat, covered, mixing now and then so the vegetable pieces don’t burn.
3. When the vegetables are half cooked, add the tomatoes and mix again. Cook again for 3-4 mins or until the vegetables are soft (not mushy).
4. Add the spice powders – coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, garam masala and chilli powder. Mix again until well combined.
5. Cook until the spice powders don’t smell raw anymore – another 2 mins or so. The potatoes and cauliflower should be roasted and dry by now.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Top it off with a generous amount of chopped coriander leaves and mix again. Keep tasting until it fits your taste bud needs. Then it’s ready to serve!

For the roti

1. Put about a cup of flour into a bowl. Mix in about 1/2 a cup of water and mix it by hand. Slowly add more water as you knead the dough with a fist and your knuckles.
2. Let it sit for 10 or 15 minutes. Then knead it again. This is taught and learned by feel but when done it will be firm but “give” when pressed with your thumb.
3. When done, roll a piece of dough into a ball in the palm of your hand. This is called a ‘pera.’ Roll that pera in the remaining flour so it’s covered then flatten the dough ball with your hands, maintaining the round shape.
4. Then use a rolling pin to further round and flatten the pera. If it sticks, dip it into the flour again. Slap the flattened round dough between your hands to remove excess flour and further flatten it.
5. Heat a flat plate, which is called a ‘tava’ in Punjabi (medium high) and place the roti on it. The moment you see it cooking, flip it. Then place the roti on a rack with the other side down to cook some more and watch it fluff up!

For the chutney

1. Mix everything up and voila! You’ve got your chutney

All of this would traditionally be served on a “thaal” which is a steel plate with multiple compartments for the various foods. There’s usually some chopped onion and picked achaar on the side as well as raita!