Phulkopir dalna is a quintessential Bengali recipe prepared repeatedly in most Bengali households every winter season and I can’t imagine my growing up days without a generous serving of this!
I am sure you already have had your fare share of aloo gobi and you must be little reluctant to go through another recipe of this flagship Indian curry! I mean, we all know how to make aloo gobi, right? I agree with you and am proud of you too! But before you leave, I would request you to hold on for few more seconds. You may take another peek at the pictures which may hold you back little more (aren’t they looking tempting?!). My recipe here today is not the regular aloo gobi; it is Bengali style phulkopir dalna which is a no-onion and no-garlic recipe of cauliflower, potato and peas curry and trust me you will love this!
Phulkopi is nothing but cauliflower in Bengali and appear very frequently in every household across India. I am sure every region has its own special preparation of cauliflower and I am eagerly waiting to try them all. Today I am bringing the special one from my region and it is the very popular phulkopir dalna. If you are a Bengali, you may be thinking what’s so special about good old phulkopir dalna – It is just another everyday curry! And you are absolutely correct!
The very essence of this blog is to share everyday recipes with all fellow Indians so that we can keep exchanging recipes among people coming from different regions, cultures and communities. This way we not only spread all our very own favorite recipes across the world; but also gain many wonderful recipes from every nook and corner which enrich our repertoire to an amazing extent. A complete win-win, right? Since I was born and brought up in a typical Bengali household, I was majorly exposed to traditional Bengali dishes which I love to share with you all and have already done a great deal here.
Today’s recipe of phulkopir dalna is a new addition to my Bengali recipe collection. If you haven’t had the Bengali style no-onion and no-garlic curry ever yet, then you have to try this phulkopir dalna and you will know what you were missing till date. In Bengali cuisine, onion and garlic are rarely used for vegetarian dishes and this phulkopir dalna is a no exception as well. Try this at home and you will not regret at all!
- Cauliflower – 1 head
- Potato – 2, medium, cut into 1-inch cubes
- Green peas – ½ cup
- Mustard oil – 4 tbsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Green chili – 2, split lengthwise
- Tomato – 2, medium, chopped
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Cumin powder – 2 tsp
- Coriander powder – ½ tsp
- Kashmiri red chili powder – 1 tsp
- Ginger paste – 1 & ½ tbsp
- Sugar – ½ tsp
- Salt to taste
- Garam masala – ½ tsp
- Cut cauliflower into medium size florets. Parboil the cauliflower florets in salted boiling water for exactly 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of mustard oil in a kadhai/wok and sauté the parboiled cauliflower florets until golden brown, about 6 to 8 minutes on medium flame. Take them out and set aside.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons of mustard oil to the kadhai and temper it with cumin seeds. Once the cumin seeds start to crackle, add the potato cubes and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes on medium flame.
- Next add the chopped tomatoes and green chilies and sauté until tomatoes are mushy, about 6 to 8 minutes on medium flame. You can cover the kadhai too to expedite the process.
- While the tomatoes are being sautéed, prepare a smooth spice paste by mixing turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and ginger paste with half a cup of water. Add the spice paste to the kadhai and sauté it uncovered on high for 2 to 4 minutes or until oil start to separate from the spices.
- Now add water, fresh green peas and salt to taste. Stir to mix everything well and let the liquid come to full boil.
- After the liquid comes to a boil, add sautéed cauliflower florets. Mix well.
- Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes on low or until potatoes and cauliflowers are cooked through. You can check the doneness by pressing one cauliflower floret and potato cubes with a spoon and they should feel soft and easily breakable.
- Finally sprinkle garam masala on top and optionally can sprinkle some freshly chopped coriander leaves. Serve warm phulkopi’r dalna with rice. Enjoy!
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