Gobi Keema Masala

The word "Keema" originally stands for "minced meat". Here it is used for minced gobi (cauliflower). This mildly spiced,delicious recipe was introduced to me by my friends Priya and Shobana Rao. It was an instant hit at our home. Kids just loved it. Since then it has been a regular dish, especially for our dinners as an accompaniment with rotis. It goes well with plain jeera rice as well. The addition of mutter/peas adds to its nutritional value and taste. I added half a spoon of lemon juice which is not there in the original recipe, just to give it a tangy flavour. 

Cauliflower is rich in vitamin B1, omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin K. It serves as a good source of protein, phosphorous and potassium. It acts as an antioxidant and also said to help in detoxification. Peas is considered to be the powerhouse of nutrients and very low in calories. It is a good source of protein and fiber.

Ingredients

Serving - 4

Cauliflower - 1 small

Onions - Chopped 2 medium size

Tomatoes - 2- 3 nos

Peas - handful ( I used frozen)

Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 tsp 

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida - 2 pinches

Kashmiri red chilli powder - 2 tsp

Garam masala -1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped.

Method:

• Wash cauliflower well and soak it in warm water for sometime.This helps in removing the dirt or worms if any.
• Separate big florets and roughly chop in a chopper or grate them coarsely.
• Heat 1/2 tbsp of oil and fry the chopped/ grated gobi until golden brown and set aside.
• Meanwhile blanch the tomatoes, remove skin and puree them.

• Heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp of oil, add cumin seeds and asafoetida to it.
• Once the seeds start crackling, add the chopped onions and ginger garlic paste and fry till onions turn golden brown.
• Once onions are browned reduce the heat add the tomato puree.
• Add chilli powder, garam masala, green peas and salt to taste.
• Simmer the gravy for 3- 4 minutes. it will get a rich orange-red colour.

• Finally toss in the fried cauliflower.
• Mix well and ensure that it gets uniformly coated with the mixture.
• Simmer for about 5- 7 minutes until the peas gets cooked.
• Switch off flame. Add lemon juice and gently give it a mix
• Finally garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with rotis or jeera rice.

Note:

• If you are using fresh peas , it would be better to precook it until almost done, before adding to the gravy.
• The original recipe suggests the use of bay leaf. I have skipped using it, but in case you want to use add it along with the cumin seeds and asafoetida.
• This is a mildly spiced curry, you can alter the use of spice as per your choice.
• The end product will have a semi dry gravy.

Happy Cooking!!