Chatpata Gobi Matar

I have not been cooking as frequently as I would like. I have been keeping my Soma's Kitchen Facebook page up to date, but did not have time to write the recipes here. So, I will start with the latest and then catch up with the others.

Yesterday I made Chatpata Gobi Matar, that is tangy cauliflower and peas. This is a pretty simple and easy recipe. I love chatpata food. Chatpata means salty and sour and a bit spicy. And I LOVE cauliflower. I can eat a whole head of cauliflower for dinner, I need nothing else. Typically I just fry it up with a bit of chili oil and then steam it.That way the raw smell of cauliflower is not there, and it is very healthy. But yesterday, I just felt the urge to spice it up a bit. And I had some frozen peas, so why not cauliflower and peas!

Chatpata Gobi Matar

Ingredients

1 head of cauliflower, cut into bite size florets

1/2 bag (approx 1/2 lb) of frozen peas

1/4 x-large white onion, minced

2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

asafoetida, tiny pinch

salt, pinch

sugar, pinch

turmeric, tiny pinch

coriander powder, 1 teaspoon

cumin seeds, 2 teaspoon

tamarind paste, 1 teaspoon

chili paste, 1 teaspoon

aamchur, 2 tablespoons

white oil, 1 tablespoon

butter, 1 tablespoon

Method

1. Heat oil in the frying pan. Add asafoetida. Let it sizzle for a few seconds. Then add cumin seeds. Swirl and coat the seeds, let them sizzle a bit.
2. Add onions, ginger, garlic, chili paste, coriander powder, turmeric. Swirl and fry for a few seconds to make sure the masala is getting fried well.
3. Add the cauliflower florets, and fry till the florets are well coated with the masala. 
4. Add water, about a cup. This is to cook the cauliflower. You can keep adding water as needed. In the end we want a dry dish, so do not add too much water. Also make sure you do not boil the cauliflower too much such that it can be mashed, you want it cooked but crispy to bite. Add salt and sugar.
5. Once the cauliflower looks near ready, add the frozen peas. The peas will defrost quickly in the heat, do not worry.
6. Add tamarind paste. Usually I would add tomato puree at Step 2. But i did not have any at hand this time, so I used tamarind paste.
7. Add aamchur, and keep frying till the dish is well mixed and consistent. At this time, the oil masala should start beading.
8. Add butter. This last bit of butter takes the dish to a different level. The aroma is strong and very yummy!

This was an impromptu dish. You can make it in many versions, e.g. with and without peas, add potatoes with the cauliflower, garnish with coriander leaves/cilantro,or, use tomato paste in Step 2 instead of tamarind. Please also note the proportions are given here as a guide, please use your judgement. The size and flavor of ingredients vary and so does your palate. I like my food spicy and hot, so I tend to use a bit more of the spices. But you do not have to, just practice with the proportions and see what fits your palate. The chili paste I used is from a bottle I recently bought at a local ethic food store and is called Tazah Minced Chili. I really like it, it's hot and the color is nice too. Also, I have recently found this tamarind concentrate that stores well and does not have an after taste, so I do not have to make the paste from scratch when I am in a hurry and want to make a quick meal.