Potato and cauliflower stew

I love appams with stew. When I was a kid, mom used to make appams with sweetened coconut milk. So, I love my appams with anything that has coconut milk or a hot spicy coconut chutney.
I made this stew with appams for breakfast 2 days back and Pras said it was just perfect.  I use the ready to mix Palappam Mix from Double Horse for the appams. A 10 minute mixing job and after an hour, you get great appams. I use my regular kadai to make the appams.

Ingredients (Serves 2) :

1. 2 medium to large potatoes cut into smallish 1 cm cubes
2. 10 florets of cauliflower - make smaller florets out of them.
3. 100ml thick coconut milk
4. 1 small onion chopped
5. 2 green chillies slit through
6. 1 tsp mustard seeds
7. 1 sprig of curry leaves
8. Water
9. Salt to taste
10. 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
11. 1 tbsp coconut oil
12. 2 cloves
13. 1/4 tsp garam masala (optional - I did not use)

How I made it :

1. In a biggish vessel, heat water with turmeric powder and put in the cauliflower florets. Boil for about 2 minutes and drain. Keep aside. This helps ensure that any worms float up.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
3. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. You could loosely place the lid over the cooker to prevent the mustard seeds from going into those hard to clean places in your kitchen.
4. Once the spluttering has stopped, put in the curry leaves and green chillies.
5. After a minute, put in the cloves.
6. When you get the aroma of the cloves, put the onions and fry till they turn translucent and pink.
7. Add the potatoes and fry for about 4-5 minutes on low.
8. Add the cauliflower florets. Mix well.
9. Add just enough water to cover the veggies.
10. Add salt.
11. Give one whistle on high.
12. When the pressure releases, turn on heat.
13. Pour in the coconut milk.
14. Adjust salt.
15. Add a little more water to get the consistency required. Stew should be a little viscous and not too watery. If you get too much water in, you could smash a few potatoes to thicken the stew.
16. Optionally you could add 1/4 tsp garam masala
17. Serve hot with appams.

Tips :

1. If the stew becomes watery, smash a few of the potatoes to thicken the stew

Aloo Gobi Sabji

Whilst in school, I did not have to carry lunch. We were provided nutritious meals at school. When I moved to college, I had to carry my own dabba. My aunt would wake up at 5 every morning and prepare yummy dishes for the dabba. One of my favorites was this aloo gobhi sabji. My aunt would pack 2 dabbas when she made this, as my classmates would not spare me a morsel. Trust me, it was truly delicious. I had seen her making it a few times but not in entirety. Here's what I remember and how I make it.

Ingredients (serves 2) :

1. 1 medium sized cauliflower - with about 20 florets - don't split them yet.
2. 12 baby potatoes with skin on - you can use 2 medium potatoes
3. 2 large onions chopped finely
4. 1 inch piece ginger
5. 6 cloves of garlic
6. 1 green chilli
7. 1/4 capsicum chopped - optional
8. 2 large tomatoes finely chopped
9. 1/2+1/4 tsp turmeric powder
10. 3/4 tsp red chilli powder
11. 3/4 tsp coriander powder
12. 3/4 tsp cumin/jeera powder
13. 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
14. 1/4 tsp amchoor powder
15. 1 tbsp + 1 cup of oil 
16. 1tsp cumin seeds
17. Salt to taste
18. Coriander leaves to garnish

How I made it :

1. Wash and boil the potatoes in salted water. Ensure that they don't get over boiled. They need to retain their shape. One whistle on high and one on low should do.
2. In an open pot of hot boiling water, immerse the whole cauliflower upside down. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Turn off after 3 minutes and drain. Split the florets.
3. In a wok, heat 1 cup of oil. When hot, put in the potatoes. Cover and let them fry. If you have put them in with the skin, you will know when they are done based on the crumples on the skin.
4. Remove the potatoes and drain on a kitchen towel.
5. In the same oil, put the cauliflower and fry them till the edges of the florets brown. Remove and drain on kitchen towel or piece of newspaper. 
6. In another pan, heat 1 tbsp oil.
7. Put in the cumin seeds.
8. After 30 seconds, put in the onions. 
9. Mince the ginger and garlic. When the onion start to turn light golden brown, put in the ginger garlic paste. 
10. Keep frying till the onions continue to brown. You could put in some more oil from the frying if you want to. 
11. Put in the green chillies and capsicum.
12. Fry for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes.
13. Fry for 3 minutes and add all the dry powders. 
14.  Fry till fat separates. 
15. Add salt and put in the potatoes and cauliflower.
16. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes.
17. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with rotis.

Tip :

I usually use the oil in which I've fried stuff once, to make my chapatti/roti dough. Or, I top my rotis with this oil. Sometimes, I also use it in the curries as the oil need not be heated up to smoking point for curries.