Bobby Arora of Little India restaurant. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Bobby Arora of Little India restaurant. Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Little India's Bobby Arora shares a favourite recipe for Diwali, the festival of lights.
What does Sunday look like in your kitchen?
Being in hospitality, Sunday is a normal work day for me. My day starts with dropping my parents at their place of worship and then I spend time with my wife and daughter. We would walk to a local cafe for a bite unless I am persuaded (does not take long) by my daughter to cook something nice and yummy. It could be anything from bacon and eggs on a bagel to a club sandwich, or even a burger.
Diwali is our festival of lights. This day includes giving our home a nice deep clean, eating lots of Indian sweets with family and friends, prayers, fireworks and finishing off with a homely meal. On this auspicious day, we are expected to eat only vegetarian, hence I picked the best mixed-vegetable dish - ganga jamuna subzi.
This dish is very colourful and is a nicely balanced dish cooked in only a few simple steps. It can be the star of the show or served as a side dish with your favourite curry - always a crowd-pleaser.
Photo / Sylvie Whinray
Ganga jamuna subzi
Serves 6
1 carrot, sliced into rounds ½ cauliflower, cut into florets 150g green beans, cut into 2cm pieces 3 Tbsp canola oil 1 tsp cumin seeds 1 onion, finely diced 1 Tbsp crushed fresh garlic 1 Tbsp crushed fresh ginger 2 tsp ground turmeric 1½ tsp garam masala 1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground fenugreek 3 medium tomatoes, diced 1 courgette, sliced into rounds 1 medium agria potato, peeled and boiled until soft, then cut into 2cm cubes 1 cup frozen green peas ½ cup chopped fresh coriander ¼ cup cream Salt and red chilli powder, to taste
1. Place carrot, cauliflower and green beans in a pot with some water and boil until they soften. Strain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large pan over a low heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until you start to smell the cumin aroma coming through.
3. Add onion, stirring continuously so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Cook until almost brown.
4. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook until softened and browned. Add turmeric, garam masala, salt and fenugreek and cook until you start to smell the spice aromas.
5. Stir through the tomatoes and keep cooking until you start to see oil separating from the onion and spice mixture. Be sure to take your time with this and keep stirring so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. What you are making is called a tarka.
6. Mix carrot, cauliflower, green beans, courgette, potato and peas through the tarka until they are heated through and soft. Add coriander and stir through. Turn the heat down and stir through the cream. Increase heat slowly so that the cream does not curdle. Cook until the cream has combined with the dish (about 5 minutes).
7. Season to taste with salt and chilli powder. Garnish with chopped fresh coriander.
