Work top to bottom — prep ahead while timers run
Gather everything first, then follow the steps
Carbs· 1
- 120 g potato (small cubes)120g
Vegetables· 5
- 150 g cauliflower (small florets)150g
- 40 g red onion (chopped)40g
- 50 g tomato (chopped)50g
- 6 g garlic (minced)6g
- 6 g ginger (minced)6g
Spices· 5
- 1 g cumin powder (½ tsp)(staple)1g
- 1 g turmeric (a pinch)(staple)1g
- 2 g coriander powder (1 tsp)(staple)2g
- 1 g chili powder (a pinch)(staple)1g
- pinch of salt(staple)2g
Fats & oils· 1
- 6 g cooking oil (a heaped tsp)6g
Cut the potato into 1.5 cm cubes and break the cauliflower into bite-size florets so they cook quickly.
Why? Cutting them small lets them soften fast under a lid without frying — it's only big pieces that need deep-frying to speed up, and that's exactly the oil we're cutting.Tip: Keep the potato and cauliflower a similar size so they finish together.
Next up:Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and cumin over medium heat for ~2 min.
Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and cumin over medium heat for ~2 min.
Why? Blooming the cumin, garlic and ginger in oil is where a dry curry gets all its aroma — nail the base and you won't need lots of oil or coconut milk to carry it.Watch out: Cumin scorches quickly — add the vegetables the moment it smells fragrant, before it blackens and turns bitter.Next up:Add the potato, cauliflower, tomato, turmeric, coriander, chili powder and salt, toss to coat, then pour in 4 tbsp water.
Add the potato, cauliflower, tomato, turmeric, coriander, chili powder and salt, toss to coat, then pour in 4 tbsp water.
Why? Coating the vegetables in spice first, then adding a little water, lets the tomato and that splash turn to steam and cook the vegetables through in place of oil.Tip: Don't add too much water — this is a 'dry' curry, just enough to make steam.
Next up:Cover and steam over low heat for 10 min, stirring once, until the potato pierces easily with a fork and the pan is nearly dry.
- 10 min · hands-free
Cover and steam over low heat for 10 min, stirring once, until the potato pierces easily with a fork and the pan is nearly dry.
Why? The covered steam is the trick: the vegetables cook tender in their own moisture, far lighter than frying, and drying off the water at the end lets the spices cling to every piece.Watch out: If liquid remains at the end, uncover and raise the heat briefly to dry it — but don't let the base catch.10:00