Monday 12 July 2010

Meat-Free Monday - peppered potatoes and cauliflower

One of my favourite dishes at our favourite Indian restaurant, Sahib's in Northwood Hills, is a starter called maree aloo - sauteed potatoes liberally coated in black pepper. So I sort of had that in mind when I threw together this supper.

Peppered Potatoes and Cauliflower

500g new potatoes
1 small head of cauliflower
1 sprig fresh green peppercorns
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
pinch cumin seeds
pinch salt
big pinch curry leaves
2 cloves garlic
big knob of butter
Tomatoes, coriander leaves and strained yoghurt to serve.

Boil the potatoes. About 2/3 of the way through the cooking time, add the cauliflower, broken into florets. While it is cooking grind the 3 peppercorns, cumin seeds, salt and curry leaves in a spice grinder to a coarse powder.

Drain the potatoes and cauliflower. Melt the butter in the saucepan and add the garlic, cut into slivers. When it starts to sizzle, and the pepper mixture, and saute for a minute. Add the drained vegetables and crush a bit with a potato masher, then give it a good stir to make sure it is all well-coated with the spices.

Serve with a good handful of chopped coriander, a spoonful of strained yoghurt and a few halved cherry tomatoes.

Serves 2 as a main, 4-6 as a side dish. And I suspect the leftovers would make really outstanding potato cakes, mixed with an egg to bind.

13 comments:

Heather said...

Very nice! I have a head of cauliflower in this week's CSA box, and have pickled half of it but was thinking about Indian for the other half. This looks like just the ticket!

Suelle said...

Oh, Foodycat - there's the difference between living in the city and living in the sticks. Fresh green peppercorns? I might just as well go shopping for stardust! LOL! It sounds good though!

Jenny said...

Sounds fantastic Foody. I'll have to try that one.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Heather - I'll have to look at your pickle!

Suelle - they aren't exactly common here either! I bought them at Borough ages ago and they've been stored in the freezer.

Bettina Douglas said...

My new favorite curry side dish is devilled potatoes. Peppercorns would be great too.

kat said...

Oh, I bet that is so good!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Jenny - it's a good one when you keep getting cauliflower in the veg box and can't face more bechamel!

Mother - as a side dish I still love the dry spinach and potato curry you used to make.

Kat - tomorrow I am having the rest as potato cakes!

Simona Carini said...

This sounds very good. I must admit I am also wondering if/where I can get fresh green peppercorns.

poppyseed said...

I love cauliflower and I love potatoes--never had the two combined and never ever thought of them with those spices. I'll have to try it just to see what it would taste like!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Simona - I bet it'd be just fine with just black and white!

Poppyseed - potato and cauli is a popular Indian thing, although I don't like regular aloo gobi. This was really tasty though!

Deb in Hawaii said...

I love everything about this dish--especially the pepper--Yum!

Choclette said...

More meat free Mondays please. This is great, so simple and sounds so delicious.

Alicia Foodycat said...

Deb - oh yes, the pepper is wonderful!

Choclette - I'll see what I can do! Most of the time my meat-free meals aren't blog-worthy!

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