Methi Gobi Aur Shimla Mirch (Fenugreek Cauliflower and Bell Peppers)

My husband had to work all weekend so I decided to go for a walk by myself.  I grabbed a Starbucks Iced Coffee and took a stroll by the waterfront.  It was refreshing and just what I needed in this hot and humid weather.  The temperature is always 5 to 10 degrees cooler by the water.  I walked around the boardwalk absorbing the incredible views of New York City in twilight... If you haven't already, I hope you experience it someday.  Some men were fishing, kids were playing, a few people were jogging, families were out having picnics, and others were just hanging out with friends.  It was nice to see everyone out having fun.  I even saw a man catch this huge fish, he exclaimed and everyone rushed over to see the size of this thing.... it was HUGE!  Some people were cheering him on, others were not so pleased, I was just smiling... I mean I do eat fish.  🙂

And then I saw a beautiful bride getting her pictures taken with her fiancé/spouse.  She was standing on a bench while he held her from beneath and Manhattan in the backdrop.  They held one another and kissed while the photographer clicked away.  They had quite an audience.  🙂  You could really feel their love for one another as they gazed into each other’s eyes.  It was so beautiful to watch that I started getting emotional.  Weddings and brides make me emotional at times.  You could see how truly happy this couple was and I hope the bride realized how lucky she was to have this moment in her life with the man she loved in a beautiful city.  What I'm trying to say is not every bride can have that perfect wedding in that perfect place with all those special people in her life, but as long as you marry the guy who is perfect for you, that is what matters, right?  I just sat on the bench thinking back to my wedding days and the events leading up to it.   As women, it in our nature to start planning our wedding day from the day we have our first crush, and when things don't always go as planned, people get hurt, emotions go haywire, and things happen when we don't mean for them to.  By no means am I talking about weddings from a materialistic perspective, I just mean sometimes we are put in situations where we need to please others before we please ourselves. 

I'm not a parent yet, but as parents, we will always have expectations of our kids.  Now what if those expectations aren't met?  What do you do?  Do you force your child to do what you think is right?  Or do you guide them and hope they make the decision you want them to make?  Or do you simply let them make their decision and allow them to learn from life?  When your child is under 18, of course you have more control in their life, but what about at 21, 25, and 30?  How far would you go as a parent until your child does whatever it takes to please you?  The lesson for me is no matter what my expectations of my children are, I hope to always guide them, stand by them, love them, support them, and put their happiness ahead of mine.  A wedding is once in a lifetime and a special moment in a girl’s life, but sometimes obstacles arise and you play the hand you've been dealt.  Remember the saying, “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” eventually the sun will come out.  🙂  And just for the record, my parents have sacrificed so much for me and have ALWAYS put my happiness before theirs. 

Enough of my profound thoughts for the day!  Now my mom's amazing Methi Gobi Aur Simla Mirch Subzi.  There are so many different ways of making cauliflower.  My mom makes this version of gobi with green bell peppers and onions.  I added my touch to this dish by adding red bell peppers, it gives the dish some color and sweetness.  This dish goes really well with roti/naan and yogurt.

NUTRITION: Cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Fiber. It is a very good source of Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Folic Acid.  Bell Peppers are a great source of Vitamins A, B6, and C. 

INGREDIENTS:

• Olive Oil - 1 ½ tbsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - ½ tsp
• Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp
• Ginger - 1 inch piece (chopped)
• Garlic - 2 cloves (chopped)
• Green Chilies - 2 (chopped)
• Red Onion - 1 large (sliced)
• Green Bell Pepper - 1 (sliced and halved... demonstrated below)
• Red Bell Pepper - 1 (sliced and halved)
• Cauliflower - 1 (cut into florets)
• Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - ½ tsp
• MDH Dry Fenugreek Leaves/Kasoori Methi - 1 dollup (shown below)
• Garam Masala - ½ tsp
• Salt to taste 
  

DIRECTIONS:
1. Get your ginger, garlic, and green chilies.  Chop or I just used my Magic Bullet.

2. Slice a red onion.

3. Heat a wok/pan on medium heat, add olive oil, add the cumin and fenugreek seeds.  Saute for a few seconds until they sizzle.

4. Add turmeric powder.  Saute for a few seconds.

5. Add the ginger, garlic, and green chilies.  Saute for 30 seconds or so.

6. Add the onion and salt.  Lower the heat to dial #3.  Saute till onions are golden, about 5 minutes.

7. In the meantime, slice the bell peppers as follows:

8. This is how the onions should look.

9. Now add the bell peppers and salt.  Combine.

10. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  Keep stirring in between.

11. In the meantime, cut the cauliflower into florets.

12. After 15 minutes, this is how the bell peppers should look.

13. Now add the cauliflower, salt, red chili powder, and coriander powder.  Combine.

14. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, or until cauliflower is very soft.  Increase heat to low-medium heat (dial #4).  Keep stirring in between.

15. After 45 minutes or so, this is what you should have.

16. Here is how much dry fenugreek leaves you'll need... take the leaves in the palm of your hand... make a fist... rub the leaves... and sprinkle over the cauliflower as follows:

17. Adjust salt.  Add garam masala.  Combine.  

18. Turn off stove immediately.  Wait 15 minutes before serving.