One Stinking Flower: Cauliflower/Gobi Paratha

I was a typical headstrong, independent, strongly opinionated teenager who never hesitated to say “NO” for food cooked using particular vegetable or greens. With 90%+ vegetables and greens which belonged to my black list, it was not an easy task for my Amma to cook something which every family member loved. For me Green Leafy Vegetables were simply horrible to look at let alone taste it. Root Vegetables were loaded with little too much of carbohydrates for my taste. This strange piece of information I seemed to have picked from our Botany class taken by handsome lecturer with cute dimple on his left cheek whenever he smiled and I could see every girl in my college falling for!!! And there were not many vegetables which grew above ground level that caught my fancy. So what did I really eat as a teenager? If your answer is junk food containing lots of deep fried, greasy, spicy, bubbly, unhygienic food cooked every other place except home, then think again. Like many millions caring, smart mothers all over the world who knows what to cook for their opinionated kids, my Amma too smartly belonged to that category. Amma always made it a point to sneak vegetables in our diet without giving us much choice other than eat it grudgingly. Grudgingly because I knew it contained the greens and vegetables which I simply hated but still the taste made it for everything else. Amma made Uttappas, Stuffed Parathas, low fat Veggie Burgers, grilled Vegetables which I couldn’t resist in spite of not being very fond of veggies and greens. Now when I think of it I cant help but wonder how Amma managed to hide her smile when she saw me stuffing all these goodies one after another with a typical teenager ‘don’t you dare to laugh at me or lecture me’ look on my face. Its not easy being a cool and bindas teenager in India I say!
One vegetable I loved to hate was Cauliflower. I was never fond of this stinking vegetable and always rolled my eyes at people who would go gaga over its shape, texture and taste. It was great unsolved puzzle for me to see people adoring this vegetable which smells (read stinks) and tastes like cabbage, yet another vegetable that topped my hate list. As usual all my theories of why we should ban Cauliflower dishes went to deaf ears of my Mommy dear and as if I really had any fat chance of making her change her mind. Right when I was grumbling as how bad it smells, Amma grated it while I covered my nose with a hanky. My entire lecture on ugly cauliflower, how stupid it was to look at and how I had rather eat cow dung in its place, went to deaf ears. She gave me knowing smile and went on adding a pinch of this and a dash of that and with in few minutes this stinky vegetables dressed with aromatic spices was stuffed in a whole wheat dough and rolled flat. Cooked to perfection with little bit of Ghee on both the sides it smelled almost heavenly to my utter disbelief. She placed this perfectly round, hot, delicious smelling Gobi ke Paranthe with a small bowl of Yogurt and my favourite Pickle in front of me and asked me to taste it if I wanted. I not only tasted it but reluctantly asked for more.
Since then I am completely hooked to this delicious Cauliflower/Gobi Parathas which is second best thing to Aloo/Potato Parathas for me. Served simply with a cup of thick home made Yogurt and spicy Pickle, it sure to win every Cauliflower haters hearts. Amma, this is to you if you are reading it by any chance :) This Cauliflower/Gobi Paratha also goes to my dear friend Srivalli who is hosting Roti Mela after hosting successful Dosa Mela. Valli, I am eagerly looking forward for yet another wonderful round-up.

Cauliflower/Gobi Paratha

Print This Recipe

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Cauliflower/Gobi Paratha (Stuffed Indian Flat Bread with Spiced Cauliflower Gratings)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 20-30 mins
Makes: 10 medium sized Parathas

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Ingredients:
For the Dough:
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour/Atta (I use Pillsbury’s Chakki Atta)
¼ cup Yogurt
Warm Water for kneading
Salt to taste

For the Filling:
2-2½ cups Cauliflower Florets, grated
1 small Onion, very finely chopped
2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped (Adjust acc to taste)
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
½ tsp Roasted Jeera/Cumin Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder or 1 tbsp Lime/Lemon Juice
½ tsp Garam Masala
¼ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
½ tbsp Kasuri Methi
1 tbsp Fresh Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tsp Oil (If cooking the Cauliflower)
Salt to taste

Other Ingredients Needed:
Oil/Ghee to brush while cooking the Paratha
Little Atta/flour for dusting

Cauliflower/Gobi Filling

Method:

For the Dough:
Sieve atta and mix in salt to taste and yogurt.
Slowly add warm water as and when required and make stiff dough.
Cover and keep it aside for at least half an hour.

For the Filling:
For the Paratha stuffing you can either cook Cauliflower for few minutes or just mix in all the ingredients with out cooking and then stuff the Parathas. If you prefer to cook it a little bit then follow the following steps.
Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle, add finely chopped onions, green chillies and sauté it on a medium heat for about 1-2 minutes till onions becomes translucent.
Now add roasted cumin powder, turmeric, dry mango powder, garam masala, kitchen king masala and sauté it for about 30 seconds.
Mix in grated cauliflower florets, salt to taste and kasuri methi and sauté it for about a minute till all the spices are mixed well.
Turn off the gas and mix in finely chopped coriander leaves and let the stuffing come to a room temperature. It is important to make sure that the filling is completely cooled before stuffing as it might ooze from parathas while rolling due to moisture content.

For the Paratha:
Knead the dough again for a minute and make equal lemon sized balls.
Roll this dough ball in flour and roll them using a rolling pin into thick poories of 4 inch in diameter.
Place about 1 tbsp of filling in the centre. Cover and seal the ends and roll again, dusting flour if necessary, into ½ cm thick roties using rolling pin.
Mean while, heat a griddle at high flame and lower it to low-medium flame.
Gently dust off the excess flour and place Stuffed Paratha on griddle and cook on both the sides till its cooked and brown spots start to appear on top. Apply little ghee/oil if desired.
Serve hot Cauliflower/Gobi Parathas immediately with any curry or with plain yogurt and pickle of your choice and enjoy.

Cauliflower/Gobi Paratha

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Notes:

Always make it a point to see that the stuffing is as dry as possible. If not there is a high chance of it oozing out while rolling the parathas due to moisture content.
If you are a beginner, start with small amount of stuffing/filling and roll into parathas. Once you learn the technic and are comfortable with the process, you can gradually increase the amount of filling.
Other Parathas posted in Monsoon Spice

• Aloo Paratha
• Double Decker Paratha
• Mooli/Radish Paratha

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My blog is Yummy!!!
"Yummy blog award is given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos".

Thank you Swati and Dee for thinking of me and passing this award. I really appreciate your kind gesture. I pass this award to every food blogger as only we know how difficult it is to maintain and update your blog with new posts filled with yummilicious pictures and interesting recipes and articles. You all deserve a tight hug and pat on your back.

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Peas-Cauliflower Palya

“Cauliflower is nothing but cabbage with a college education.”
-Mark Twain

The whole weekend it was raining cats and dogs when actually it is “supposed” to be Spring, almost beginning of Summer here in UK!!! As usual, the weekend was cloudy, windy and gloomy. We ended up staying at home, cuddled under blankets and watched movies one after another. After our usual junk food eating sessions in Friday, we craved for something homely and comforting. When it comes to comfort food, nothing can compete with simple Tomato Rasam Rice and Palya. Apart from usual palya which is nothing but a stir fried vegetables tempered with urad dal, chilli and mustard Amma used to make special Peas-Cauliflower Palya. This is a special dish because each floret is cooked in a tangy tomato puree and sweet coconut cream which gives it a unique flavor. Loaded with antioxidants, fiber and crunch, cauliflower has been my favorite vegetables for as long as I can remember. For a kid who used to run miles away when it came to eating vegetables, it was a small relief for my Amma and she used to cook Cauliflower in different ways so that my love affair with cauliflower was retained;) So whenever my hubby and I crave for something different from usual stir fries we prepare this dish.

Peas-Cauliflower Palya

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Peas-Cauliflower Palya
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 20-25 mins
Serves: 4-5

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Ingredients:
1 medium Cauliflower
1 cup Green Peas, cooked/frozen
2 Tomatoes
1-1½ tbsp Rasam Powder
1 cup Grated Coconut
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½-1 tbsp Jaggery
1-2 Green Chillies, slit
1 tbsp Coriander Leaves, chopped
Salt to taste
For Seasoning:
1 tbsp Oil
½ tbsp Urad Dal
½ tbsp Mustard
1-2 Dry Red Chillies
Few Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Hing

Peas-Cauliflower Palya

Method:
Clean and cut cauliflower into medium florets and keep them aside.
Grind tomatoes, coconut and rasam powder into smooth paste without adding water and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan and add urad dal, mustard, dry red chillies, hing and curry leaves and sauté them.
When mustard starts spluttering, add cauliflower, green peas, slit green chilli, salt, jaggery, turmeric powder and 1 cup water. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes.
Add ground masala and mix well and cook cauliflower for another 5-10 minutes until done. Adjust the spiciness according to taste by adding more rasam powder or chilli powder.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving hot with chapatti or rice.

Peas-Cauliflower Palya

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Did You Know?
Natural chemicals found in soya beans and vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower boost the body's ability to repair damaged DNA and prevent cells turning cancerous.
High in fibre, more nutritious raw, especially high in Vitamin C, also rich in potassium and a source of protein, phosphorus and calcium.
Food writer Mark Bittman quoted a Cornell University study, stating that 100 grams of cauliflower had 55 mg of vitamin C after boiling, 70 after steaming, and 82 after being cooked in the microwave oven.
To retain the flavor of cauliflower and minimize nutrient loss, cook it rapidly by boiling or steaming. Overcooking cauliflower diminishes the nutrients significantly.
(Source: www.guardian.co.uk and www.health.learninginfo.org)

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Peas-Cauliflower Palya

Gobi Mutter Masala

After long weekdays of hard work and busy schedule I feel like taking small break from my loved kitchen and just be lazy for some moments, and usually its Friday nights in my case. We usually end up eating junk food on friday nights, most of the times its pizza and chips with liters of Coke... I know, I know... I feel bit guilty about eating junk food but hey, cant help it sometimes.
But this friday night I wanted to cook something nice. No, it's not because I took a break from office work and came home early or I was tired of eating junk food. Its because of a very "special member" whom we brought home after our usual window shopping at shopping mall close to our office. I wanted to get my hands on this special member from the day I came here and looking for "him" in every possible places I could think of. Atlast I did mange to get him:)
Well my friends, this special new member in my kitchen is "Earthenware". At my Ajji's Place, my grandma always used to cook food using earthenware pots. No food cooked in any sophesticated, glamourous kitchen and brand new utensils can match the taste and magic of food cooked in simple earthenware pots. I love how cooking ties us to the past. I was thrilled to see it in shop window and literally dragged my poor hubby with me before anybody else could get their hands on it. I couldn't wait to get home and start cooking in it although I was dead tired. I turned my back to my favourite fast food joint and as soon as we reached home straight away I tied my apron and started cooking:)

Gobi Mutter Masala cooked in Earthenware

Ingredients:
1 medium siz5e Cauliflower/Gobi
1 cups green Peas
1/2 cup Tomato Ketchup
2 inch Cinnamon Stick
4 Cloves
1/2 tsp Aniseed
2 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

To Grind Together:
2 medium Onions
5-6 flakes Garlic
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin seeds
2 tsp Coriander Seeds
1 inch Ginger
10-12 Cashew nuts
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp Kitchen King Masala
1 tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
2-3 Green Chillies

Gobi Mutter Masala

Method:
Cut Cauliflower into big pieces, wash well and boil it in water along with Green Peas and salt.
Grind masala to a coarse paste and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a pan; season it with cinnamon, clove and aniseed.
To this add ground masala and fry it in medium flame till oil separates from it.
Mix boiled vegetables and enough water.
Cook till the gravy turns fairly thick.
Add Tomato ketchup and mix well.
Remove from flame after 2-3 minutes and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot with rice or paratas.

New Member in my Kitchen

Final Verdict:
Cooking in earthenware was magical for me. Gobi Mutter was moist, tender and flavorful. It looked rustic, simple and delightful and tasted heaven. Best thing is cooking in clay pot has nutritional benefits as well because it is especially suited to low-fat cooking. Me and my hubby enjoyed our dinner cooked in this pot so much that we are now planning to buy some more of them:)

Gobi Mutter Masala

Note:
Remember to soak earthenwares in water for atleast half an hour before cooking.
Some clay pots, both glazed and unglazed can contain lead and cadmium. So be careful before you jump into buying them without checking and buy them only if they are made by a recognized manufacturer or sold at a reputable store and also have labels that clearly say "No lead or cadmium."

Gobi Mutter Masala

Gobi/Cauliflower Uttappa

Dosa and idli are the main breakfast dishes in South India. Uttappa is another version of dosa with your choice of vegetable topping. When I was a kid Amma used to make it for me and my sis with all 2 big eyes, button nose and 100 watt smile with different vegetables and they used to be our favourite tiffin item to school. It not only used to be a big hit among our friends but also a very nutritive food highly rich in proteins. Its good for growing children and people of all age low fat nutritive food for calorie conscious and diet freeks.

Gobi Uttappa served with Tomato Cutney

Ingredients:
1 cup Raw Rice
1 cup Par Boiled Rice
1/4 cup Dehusked Black gram
1 tbsp Red gram Dal
1/2 tbsp Fenugreek/Methi seeds
Salt to Taste.
Few Cauliflower florets, chopped finely

Gobi Uttappa

Method:
Soak all ingredients in water for 3-4 hours.
Grind then to smooth paste adding salt and enough water.
Allow to ferment till next day.
Heat a tawa/pan and spread a laddle full of batter into thick circle.
Sprinkle finely chopped cauliflower on top evenly.
Cook both sides in medim flame till they turn golden brown.
Serve hot with sambhar/chutney/pickle.

Gobi Manchurian

In every small or big cities and towns in India you will find Chinese fast food centers present in its every nook and corner. I’m not sure when and where it became so popular but people even today are still hooked to manchurians, be it chicken, mushroom, gobi or even Indian version of Paneer manchurian. Most of the times I remember going to restaurants for dinner Gobi Manchurian used to be my favorite dish for starters. First time I tried cooking it when I was in my early teens and till now I’m not bored of it. Thanks to my hubby who is as big foodie (or bigger) as me and its one among his vast section of favourites.

Gobi Manchurian

Ingredients:
250 g Cauliflower, cut into florets
3-4 tbsp Refined flour/maida
2 tbsp Cornflour
1 tsp dry red chilli powder
1 inch Ginger, chopped finely
3-4 pods garlic, chopped finely
3-4 spring onions, diced
1/2 cup capsicum/Bell pepper,diced(any colour)
2-3 Green chillies, chopped
4 tbsp Tomato sauce
1 tbsp Soyasauce
2 tbsp Coriander leaves,finely chopped
Oil to deep fry
Salt to taste

Gobi Manchurian

Method:
In a pan take little oil and fry chopped garlic, chillies and ginger.
To this add spring onions and capsicum and saute till onions turn translucent.
Add Coriander leaves,tomato sauce and soyasauce(if you want it to be more spicier add chilli sauce)
Add 1 tbsp cornflour dissolved in 1/4 cup water, mix well and keep it aside.
Wash the cauliflower florets in water with a little salt dissolved in it.
Make a little thick batter with cornflour and refined flour dissolved in water.
Add 1 tsp red chilli powder,salt.
Coat the florets with the batter and then deep fry at medium flame till they turns golden brown.
Drain them in paper towel to remove excess oil.
Add the fried cauliflower florets with the sauce you have prepared and mix well.
Garnish them with chopped coriander or greens of spring onion and serve hot.

Gobi Manchurian

Variations:
Same recipe can be used to make paneer and mushroom manchurian.

Tip:
By adding little more of cornflour mixed in water you can make more gravy with gobi manchurian and serve it as a side dish with chinese fried rice.