Cumin Seeds Berbere Cauliflower

Over the years, I've come to realize that some of the ingredients in the traditional dishes were not just randomly included: it seems like the age-old recipes factored in the benefits of the required ingredients and made up a formula for the rest of us to follow.

One such ingredient which is a staple in most Indian recipes is cumin. Besides being a digestive aid, it has antifungal properties, and is rich in iron. Powdered cumin with castor oil used to be a standard home remedy my mom gave us when we were young, for its laxative properties.

Anyway, I am rambling here... what I was getting at is that, while I do experiment with fusion cuisine, I also try to incorporate ingredients that I grew up with and use it in a sensible way. Or atleast, in a way that seems sensible  to me.

I have been using Berbere spice mix often lately as I have a goodish batch of it handy. Cumin seeds (jeera) with roast cauliflower is a simple and popular side dish in Indian cuisine. This time, I simply steamed the cauliflower partially so it is still firm, then sauteed with berbere spice mix, a touch of brown sugar, salt, and cumin seeds, plus chopped cilantro; then finished off by roasting it in the oven.

Kale and Potatoes Spiced with Turmeric and Berbere

Saag Aloo/Aloo Palak is an earthy staple side for rotis and rice, made with potatoes (aloo) and palak (spinach).  Aloo Mattar (potatoes+peas), Aloo Gobi (potatoes+cauliflower) are two other favorite sides that are ubiquitous in Indian homestyle cooking.

Hunks of pototoes are cooked till they are fork-tender but still retain their shape; along with any other seasonal greens or other vegetable, mildly spiced with turmeric, chili powder, and salt typically.

This time, for this kale+potatoes dish, I went with turmeric powder and berbere powder which I had some handy from my recent Injera bash.

Saute some garlic and onions, add the diced potatoes, some turmeric powder, salt and berbere powder, splash enough water, cover and cook till potatoes have softened a bit, then add the chopped kale, adjust seasoning and cover and cook till kale wilts. Remove the lid and cook till the dish comes together, stirring sparingly as needed.