What I Should’ve Learned From Beckham

During my vegan challenge, I realized that if I ordered my favorite chicken vindaloo, the vegan police would throw me straight into herbivore jail. Not willing to pay the bail—1,000 pounds of tofu and tempeh—I flipped the page of the Indian restaurant’s menu to search for a different option.

 

The dish called “Aloo Gobi” caught my eye. I remembered sitting in a movie theater watching Jess, the main character in “Bend It Like Beckham,” trying to learn the recipe from her mum. Since I had been laughing too much at her juggling vegetables, I completely forgot what went in it! But with a name that fun to pronounce, the dish just had to be exotic.  

 

Traveling 5300 miles across the Atlantic and 9 years into the future, I scanned the entrée’s description. And then read it again. Potatoes and cauliflower? Such humble ingredients for the interesting name. Curious nonetheless, I ordered it, and after two bites, aloo gobi replaced chicken vindaloo as my favorite Indian dish. (And it still sits in the #1 spot, even though I’ve been back to the carnivore’s side for 6 months!)

 

 

Quick (Untraditional) Aloo Gobi

serves 1

Substitute garam marsala for the curry powder, if you have some in your pantry. Serve hot with naan.

1 medium Yukon gold potato

1 c. frozen cauliflower

¼ c. frozen peas

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp ground cumin

⅛ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp curry powder

1. Pierce the potato really well with a fork, and microwave for 4-6 min, turning it over halfway through. Let it cool for 2 min, then slice into ½” cubes.
2. Add the cauliflower and peas to a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 2-3 min, stirring halfway through, or until steaming hot. Add the potatoes and spices to the bowl, stirring well to coat the vegetables evenly, and re-microwave for 20-30 sec if the veggies cooled off. Serve hot.