Phulkobi aloo tarakari is one of my favourite Odia vegetarian curries. Made with large chunks of cauliflower and potatoes, pan-fried and then braised in a deliciously spiced broth.
Prep time | 15-20 mins
Cooking time | 45 mins
Difficulty level | Intermediate
Ingredients
Cauliflower large 1, large florets
Potatoes medium 2, large cubes
Water, 2 cups
Turmeric powder, 1tbsp
Curry paste ingredients
Onion medium 1, Julienne cut
Green chillies medium, 2 whole
Garlic small, 10-12 cloves
Ginger 3 inch, chopped
Cinnamon, 2 broken sticks
Cardamom, 2 units
Cloves, 4 units
Peppercorns, ½ tsp
Water, 2-3 tbsp
Pan-frying Ingredients
Mustard oil, 2 tbsp
Salt, 1 tsp
Turmeric powder, 1 ½ tsp
Tempering Ingredients
Mustard oil, 2 tbsp
Dried bay leaf, 1 unit
Cumin, 1 tsp
Sugar, ½ tsp
Onion medium 1, finely chopped
Turmeric powder, 1tsp.
Kashmiri Red chilli powder, 1 tbsp
Coriander powder, 2tsp
Cumin powder, 2tsp
Tomato large 1, dice cuts
Garam masala, 1tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves 1/4th chop, chopped
Finding worms nestled in cauliflower is the most important first step. To do so, take 2 cups of water in a large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of turmeric and mix well. Cut the cauliflower into large florets and soak them into the turmeric water for 20 minutes. Peel and cut the potatoes into large cubes. To understand how to cut cauliflowers please refer to the cooking video.
To make the curry paste, put all the curry paste ingredients mentioned above into a mixing jar and grind it into a fine paste. Heat a large kadai/pan. Once the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of mustard oil. Add the cauliflower, 1 tsp of salt And 1 ½ tsp of turmeric powder. Fry the cauliflower until golden brown and keep aside. Add another tbsp of mustard oil and fry the potatoes until golden brown. Remove the potatoes and keep aside.
Add 2 tbsp of mustard oil to the hot pan. Once the oil is hot, add dried bayleaf and 1 tsp of cumin. Once the cumin starts to splatter, add one tsp of sugar and wait for it to caramelise.
Adding a bit of sugar gives a rich colour to the curry and balances the flavours.
Add the chopped onions. Once the onions turn translucent, add the curry paste. Fry the curry paste for a few seconds and I had all the dry spices that are turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder. Keep frying the curry paste for five minutes.
You can add a little water to the paste to prevent it from burning or sticking to the kadai. Once all the water evaporates from the curry paste, add the tomatoes and fry it for another 5 to 7 minutes. The paste needs to be cooked until the raw smell goes away and it starts to separate from the oil. Now add the pan-fried cauliflower and potatoes. Fry these veggies with the curry paste for around 5 to 7 minutes and then add 3 cups of water. Add extra salt to taste (if needed). Mix it well and cover with a lid. Keep cooking until the vegetables turn soft and break apart easily.
Once done, add garam masala and coriander leaves. Your phulkobi aloo tarakari is ready to be served with steamed hot rice, parathas or roti.
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