Gobhi Soya Keema...she fooled us!!

Gobhi Soya Keema (Grated Cauliflower and Soya mince)…my mother eats non-vegetarian but doesn't cook it…daddy dear stopped eating non-vegetarian in 1976 (the year I was born, and no it has nothing to do with me!!!)  but cooks quite a few mean non-vegetarian curries…he was stationed outside Delhi most of our growing up years and was able to come back home only over weekends or once a month...I don’t know whether mom started making this and its versions (refer to notes below) to make up for not cooking non-vegetarian food or to fool us into eating more veggies...knowing her and knowing us, the latter most likely J

Gobhi Soya Keema (Grated Cauliflower and Soya mince)

       

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower, grated, 1 cup
• Soya keema/mince/granules, 1 cup
• Onion, finely chopped, 1 large
• Tomatoes, finely chopped, 2 large
• Garlic, finely chopped, 3-4 cloves
• Ginger, grated, 1 tsp
• Cinnamon, ½ inch piece
• Green cardamom, 2
• Cloves, 3-4
• Bayleaf, 1
• Turmeric, ½ tsp
• Coriander powder, 1 tsp
• Cumin powder, ½  tsp
• Kashmiri Red chili powder, 1 tsp
• Green chilies, finely chopped, 2-3
• Salt to taste
• Garam masala, ¼ tsp
• Oil, 1 + 1  tbsp
• Lightly sautéed chopped tomatoes, for garnishing (optional) or you can use coriander leaves

Instructions:

Soak soya granules in hot boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Drain in a colander, wash well under running water and then squeeze out all the water. Keep aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide bottomed pan. Add in the cauliflower and sauté it for 5-10 minutes to dry it up and to lightly toast it. Take it out and keep aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining oil, and crackle cloves, cardamom and cinnamon. 

Add in the bayleaf, onions and sauté till onions are lightly browned. 

Add in the garlic, mix and continue to sauté till onions turn golden brown. 

Add in the tomatoes ,half of the green chilies, ginger, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, kashmiri red chili powder and salt. Mix well and let it cook till tomatoes go mushy and start releasing oil. 

Add in about a cup of water and let it come to a boil. 

Lower the heat and add in the soya granules. Mix well, cover and let it cook for 10-15 minutes till most of the water evaporates and you are left with a thickish gravy. 

Add in the cauliflower and mix well but very gently - you don't want it all to turn into a mushy mush!

Increase the flame to medium and cook for a further 5-6 minutes till the water dries up – tossing and stirring gently all the while.

Garnish with the remaining chilies and a few chopped sauteed tomatoes.Serve hot.

Notes:

• The proportion of cauliflower versus soya granules can be adjusted to suit your taste. You can add in matar/green peas or replace soya granules with it. You can even replace cauliflower with green peas and make soya matar sabzi instead.

• Stuffed in rotis or any bread of your choice, this makes for excellent rolls for breakfast as well as for lunch (just like the Egg Bhurji Roll)

And last but not the least...this is what I mean, when I say soya granules (picture taken from the net)