Gobi Tamatar/Cauliflower with Tomatoes



Cauliflower with Tomatoes

This recipe of the cauliflower blooms with the rustic flavors of almost roasted tomatoes and ginger cooked in the fragrant mustard oil.

I am back! Thanks to all of you for your emails and comments and concerns and for “being there” while I was not. It definitely feels wonderful to be a part of a community with so much understanding and concern where we have not even met one another… strong bonds. Thank you.

We are fine. Sometimes life takes sudden turns, shocking, and painful which throws us into disbelief that it is really happening…a tragic loss. And when it happens to someone you know, you are close to.. it is harder. One just wants some time to breathe in, to come to terms… one also learns to appreciate life, every moment, everyone we know is to be cherished, grabbed, enjoyed and make it worth to be thankful for. Life itself is very very delicate. One little family needs all the prayers that they can get, to regain the strength, to move one….

Gobi/Phool Gobi = Cauliflower                              Tamatar=Tomato

I am in a mission to profess the goodness of Mustard Oil/Shorsher Tel/Sarson tel.

I am also in a mission to convert the cauliflower haters to lovers. Just kidding.. I am not. It is only that we love this vegetable. As ill famed as this flower might be, I don’t think it stinks; I think it is one fantastic thing that absorbs a lot of flavors. Cauliflowers can be made to taste very different with ingredients it is cooked with. This is a very simple dish which uses no spices at all; not a very typical dish made in Bengal, but the aroma of the mustard oil is definitely very east Indian. The flavors here come mainly from the mustard oil and the ginger and tomatoes cooked, almost roasted at high heat in the oil.  If you do not have mustard oil, just use any oil. The flavors of the dish will be slightly different but good still.

Mustard oil is thick has very strong and sharp aroma which magically thins down when heated and the sharpness mellows and becomes almost sweet. Other than culinary uses, mustard oil has therapeutic uses like massage, esp. during a cold spell. Smelling the strong flavors also help in opening up the sinuses. In West Bengal and Bihar and some other northern and eastern states of India, mustard oil is as revered as extra virgin olive oil in the Mediterraneans. For some, the aroma is too overpowering. But those who can make it the first few times will get addicted to the flavors of this oil. I would not use mustard oil for deep frying or regular cooking which requires a lot of oil. The best way to use it is to use in smaller amounts to enhance the flavors in a dish.

If you are new to mustard oil, make sure you buy only the 100% pure mustard oil. DO NOT buy the mustard “flavored” oil. If it says it is 100% mustard oil (Read the contents and see that it does not have anything else added to it)  but mentions “only for external use“, go ahead and use it. If it is pure 100% oil , it is really okay for internal use too. Mustard oil is available in most Bangladeshi Grocery Stores, a lot of Indian groceries and also some whole food markets. It is available in Amazon.com too. The best kind of buy is the “Kachchi Ghani” oil, where the oil is cold pressed from the seeds without refining. Back home there are local places where the seeds are processed with minimal equipments (picture of an ox powered mill from Wiki). This is where we would get our oil that was used at home.


Cauliflower with Tomatoes





Gobi Tamatar/Cauliflower with Tomatoes


Ingredients:

  1. 1 big cauliflower, florets broken into medium sized pieces
  2. 2 potatoes, peeled and cubed (Optional)
  3. 2 large tomatoes, grated
  4. 1″ fresh ginger, grated
  5. 1 hot green pepper, slit
  6. 1.5 tablespoons oil + 1.5 tablespoons oil, preferably pure mustard oil for a very different flavor

  7. salt
  8. 1 teaspoon turmeric
  9. 1 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)


Preparation:

Sprinkle the cauliflower florets & potatoes (if you are using them) with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt.

Heat 1.5 tablespoons oil in a wide and heavy bottomed pan. Stir fry the cauliflower florets and potatoes if you are using them, till there are small brown spots. Remove from the pan.

Add the mustard oil in the same pan. Heat the oil & add the green pepper, ginger and tomatoes and cook at a very high heat while stirring quickly. This almost chars the tomatoes and there will be a very rustic aroma of the heated mustard oil and the tomatoes and ginger.

After a couple of minutes, once you see the oil separating, add the cauliflowers and potatoes to the pan. Add the turmeric and the chili powder. Stir everything together till well combined & the tomato coats the florets. Tightly cover and cook at low heat till the cauliflowers (& potatoes) are tender but not mushy & falling apart. Do not stir or move them around while they are cooking. It will cook in its own steam. If you see that it has dried up too much before it gets cooked, sprinkle some water and cover it back.

Once the cauliflowers are done, uncover and cook till all the liquid evaporates without tossing or stirring them.

Serve as a side with rice or flat breads.



Cauliflower with Tomatoes


The Cauliflower cooked with Mustard Oil is sent to Kalyn’s WHB #221, now managed by Haalo and hosted this time at Cindystar.




Related Posts:

Cauliflower with Nigella

Cauliflower with Nuts & Cranberries

Aloo Gobi/Spiced Cauliflower & Potatoes

Cauliflower Tagine


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32 comments to Gobi Tamatar/Cauliflower with Tomatoes

  • Sra

    Soma, glad to see you back. I hope whoever had this shock finds the strength to deal with it.

  • Good to see to back dear, hope everythings fine with you and your family….gobi tamatar combo looks good, i confess i am new to mustard oil, never really cooked veggies using it, must try 🙂

  • Soma, good to see you back dear. Hope all izz well at your end. You are strong enough gal!
    Your Gobi Tamatar is making me hungry now. 🙂
    Take care.

  • An interesting and tasty combination!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

  • Thank you, thank you for posting this, we can always get fresh cauliflower, but I really needed more recipes and this is just perfect, sounds delish, looks delish.

  • Hmm…good GOD I am sooo appy to see u back in quick time! My prayers too! And this curry is oh so inviting…and I have so many things in mind to pair it up with!

  • this looks so temptin,,..

  • Vibrant color, love the dish. Gobis are tend to be mashed up, your’s is perfect.

  • Soma, glad to see you back. Vibrant and full of color and absolutely captivating.
    We love our cauliflower too whichever way it is cooked.

  • Good to see you back.Love the combo but have never used mustard oil.Love the fotos.PERFECT

  • Lakshmi

    Absolutely. all our prayers are with your family dear Soma. Take care.

    I can see your love for Gobi. this is an interesting combination.

  • glad to know that everything is fine at your end.Gobi is a cherished veggie in our family also. this one looks lovely and I love this curry with steamed rice.

  • Soma, glad you are back. Love this, fresh cauliflower is delicious. Like always, this dish is full of amazing color and flavor.

  • Glad to see you back online! The cauliflower looks wonderful!

  • I just bought a cauliflower and still had absolutely no idea of what I was going to do with it. It was going to end up in a cheese sauce, with some broccoli as usual. If I do use plain oil, would it be a good idea to add some mustard?

    I am glad you are OK Soma. Big hugs from me!

    Jac
    xx

    Dear Jacqueline,
    It is ok to use plain oil and it is ok to use mustard seed as a seasoning if you want. without it is ok too. The mustard seeds are not going to be a substitute for the oil:-) The mustard oil gives different kind of flavor and some might even need to get used to it. This is a very basic recipe and an easy one. You may use herbs or spices whatever way you want with it. hopeit works out if you make it and hope you like it !

    Thanks much.
    Soma

  • Hope shob thik ache Soma. Amar blog e tomar comment porei chinta hocchilo. Kichudin ekhane chilam na tai mail o korte parini.
    Hope ekhon shamle uthecho … mone hoche khub kharap kono khobor. Do take care and hugs.

  • Great combination…

  • Such a delicious combination..

  • Cham

    Good to see u back! Prayers are with ur family!
    Simple and delicious gobi!

  • mohana

    Welcome back !!
    I love gobi n this is sooo delicious !!

  • Yum, I am pro cauliflower and pro mustard oil. Looks healthy and delicious.
    We are lucky that in Canada we have a very large South Asian population so I don’t have too much trouble finding Indian groceries and ingredients.
    Glad to have you back. xoxo

  • Glad to see you back:)I like the fact that the curry looks so dry with tomato in it..Love it Soma!

  • welcome back! looks very delicious and healthy!

  • Good to see you back! Take care and hopefully you are doing well. Best wishes.

  • Hey – good to have you back! I saw your divine chocolate bread on Facebook and had to come and visit 🙂 This looks like something my husband would ADORE – and it’s even healthy! One of the nicest things I ever had was roasted cauliflower drizzled with curry oil and topped with crispy breadcrumbs – somehow sweet cauliflower is just made for spices…

  • Hey – good to have you back! I saw your divine chocolate bread on Facebook and had to come and visit 🙂 This looks like something my husband would ADORE – and it’s even healthy! One of the nicest things I ever had was roasted cauliflower drizzled with curry oil and topped with crispy breadcrumbs – somehow sweet cauliflower is just made for spices…

  • Really good to have you back. Hugs!

  • Joy

    I am sorry for your loss I hope everything is okay. This dish is beautiful, I really enjoy cauliflower especially when it is cooked with wonderful spices! This would be perfect with a bowl of basmati yum yum. Great job Soma 🙂

  • The blogger community is pretty darn great that way isn’t it. One of the best, most supportive groups of people out there.

    This cauliflower looks fantastic! I love how vibrant it looks,

  • soma, thank you so much for all your news about mustard oil.
    I must confess I never tried but very curious about it. I will look for it. I had some dear friends just back from an Indian trip, I could have asked them!…but hope so strongly to go there on my own one day!
    thanks again for participating!

  • Am with you when it comes to love of cauliflower, and this recipe looks delicious. A must try for sure.

  • Deep Heat…

    […]Gobi Tamatar/Cauliflower with Tomatoes | eCurry – The Recipe Blog[…]…

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