Gobi Bhurji w Peas

Gobi (Cauliflower) contains a variety of antioxidants and anti-cancer compounds. It is loaded with 5 of 8 B vitamins as well as Vitamin K. Its loaded with fiber and minerals and electrolytes. If you're interested in learning more about the mighty Cauliflower, see this post for veggie facts. Since reading Chef AJ's Unprocessed I've consumed many a bowl of Cauliflower Rice. Today however, I felt like I needed something Indian. Something to remind me of home. It is Diwali in India. The festival of lights. Its a day of celebration and prayer and good wishes and all things fun. Alas! Cauliflower typically doesn't play a big part in these celebrations but it does remind me of home. I transformed a traditional recipe to the HH way (no oil) and it turned out really well. A Bhurji or Keema is any dish with minced vegetables/meat. This dish contains shredded cauliflower - which is called Gobi in Hindi ... hence the term Gobi Bhurji.   

Gobi Bhurji with Roti

Prep Time: 20 min

Ingredients: 

1. 1 small Red Onion, shredded in a food processor
2. 1 head of cauliflower, shredded in a food processor
3. 1/2 cup Frozen Peas
4. 1 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
5. 2 tsp Cumin Seeds
6. 2 tsp Coriander Powder
7. 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
8. 2 tsp Garam Masala (optional, I didn't use any)
9. 1 tsp Chili Powder
10. Salt & Pepper, to taste

Directions:

Line a skillet on medium heat with water and add minced onions and ginger-garlic paste. As the onions become transparent and ginger-garlic paste becomes fragrant, add frozen peas and mix well. Then add all remaining spices and mix well. Then add shredded cauliflower and toss really well so that the turmeric coats the cauliflower shreds. Cover, keep on medium to medium low heat, and cook until cauliflower is well cooked (~7-10 min). Then, uncover, mix well and cook on medium heat until all the water evaporates.  Garnish with freshly cracked black pepper, and fresh coriander leaves.  Serve hot with fresh (or frozen if you're lazy like me!) rotis.

My Assessment: Typically, this dish is cooked with quite a fair bit of oil. Since cauliflower absorbs a lot of oil (kind of like potatoes in that respect), at this stage pan roasting it allows it to release the oil. My no-added-fat version was just as tasty in my opinion and did not require any oil. Allowing the water to evaporate from this dish allows it to pan roast, even without oil, and it was just as flavorful and so much less fattening. LOVED IT!!!

Alternate Serving Suggestions:

1. If you don't have rotis available, try eating this dish with hamburger buns or just regular bread, in the form of a sandwich. That's how I plan to eat it for lunch. 
2. If you like a spicy kick, sprinkle a little bit of Sriracha sauce on top, either in your sandwich or even if you're eating it with roti. Yum!