I wish I could claim credit for inventing the following recipe, but I can’t. My former neighbor told me, as we were all sitting outside one evening, that he made “the world’s best cauliflower.” I don’t know about you, but cauliflower is not a vegetable I’d ever considered for a “world’s best” anything nomination. As a child, we got cauliflower doused in cheese sauce on an occasional basis, and while it was fine, it wasn’t something any of us clamored for. Since then, I’ve seen it on raw veggie platters, had it in “California blend” frozen vegetable bags, and had it roasted once or twice. Again, not bad, but not generally exciting.
But Mukesh was not lying — this really is the World’s Best Cauliflower, and it will make a believer out of you, too. The usual name for this dish is “aloo gobi” (just “gobi” if you leave the potatoes out), and it’s amazing. The cauliflower is tender but not mushy, well-seasoned but not “hot” spicy, and the color is gorgeous (we eat with our eyes first, supposedly). This is shared with permission, a family recipe from Mukesh Singh. The only modification I’ve made is to cook it in the crock pot because my version never turned out as tender as his did.
I’d have given you more photos, but while this cauliflower tastes great, it’s kind of boring to photograph.
The World’s Best Cauliflower (Aloo Gobi)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 small potatoes, cubed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- salt to taste
- 2 Tablespoons water
Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.
Add onion and cook until lightly browned.
Mix in the cauliflower and potatoes, and then all the spices. Mix well to combine.
Scrape pan into your slow cooker. Use the 2T of water to “rinse” all the leftover spices out of the skillet into the slow cooker. Cook over low heat for 10 hours.
Serve with rice for a full meal, or serve as a side dish.