Roasted potato and cauliflower tossed in a dry spice masala with nigella seeds and finished with lime. Vegan, cheap and far better than the boiled versions.
Prep
15 mins
Cook
40 mins
Servings
4
Per serving
£0.80
Difficulty
easy
Steaming aloo gobi in the pan gives you soggy cauliflower every time. Roasting both vegetables separately first, hot and hard, gives you browned edges that hold up when the masala goes on. Nigella seeds are not traditional everywhere but they suit the cauliflower particularly well.
Heat the oven to 220C fan. Toss the potato chunks with 2 tbsp of the oil, 0.5 tsp turmeric and 0.5 tsp salt and spread on a large tray. Roast for 15 minutes.
Toss the cauliflower florets with 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt on a second tray. Add to the oven and roast both trays for a further 20 minutes, until the potatoes are crisp and the cauliflower is browning at the edges.
Two trays, not one. Piled up, the vegetables release steam and you end up with the boiled version you were trying to avoid.
Meanwhile, heat the last tablespoon of oil in a very large frying pan. Add the nigella and cumin seeds and let them crackle for 20 seconds.
Add the sliced onion and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
Stir in the ginger matchsticks and green chillies, cook 2 minutes, then add the remaining turmeric, the ground coriander and the remaining salt. Stir for 30 seconds with a splash of water to stop them catching.
Tip the roasted potatoes and cauliflower into the pan and fold everything together over a medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, so the spice mixture coats the vegetables.
Sprinkle over the amchur and squeeze in the lime juice. Fold once more, taste for salt and sharpness.
Finish with a generous handful of chopped coriander and serve immediately, while the edges are still crisp.