Phool Gobhir Paturi | Cauliflower Potatoes with Poppy Seed

Phool Gobhir Paturi – Cauliflower and Potatoes cooked with Poppy seed paste

Hey Folks,

Have you ever observed kids? They are unpredictable as how they react but they do have one common standard behavior. Yes, they are always fond of toy/food what their friends have when they have the prettiest costliest toy in the world. When it comes to food, I am still a kid. Being born and brought up in South India, I have always loved and wanted to taste North Indian food, especially their sweets.

I always order North Indian delicacies at restaurants and I will ensure that I order different dishes every time. Though Mom prepares every South Indian delicacies, we never had North Indian dishes at home. Once I started cooking, I explored North cuisine and I am in the process of learning their dishes even now. The method of preparation and the ingredients used are completely different in North than South. For instance, we don’t use cream or milk in our recipes and we use poppy seeds rarely in dishes. Most of the South Indian recipes are spicy whereas North Indian dishes are rich and creamy. My love for their food grew as I started exploring and I always ensure that I cook at my kitchen. I never fail to try recipes which I loved and attracted my attention. Phool Gobhir Paturi is one such Bengali recipe which grasped my attention because of their ingredients – Cauliflower with Poppy Seeds. Here, I present my version of Phool Gobhir Paturi.

Phool Gobhir Paturi is a Bengali dish prepared by cooking cauliflower and potato with poppy seed and black cumin seeds. The addition of poppy seed paste and black cumin seeds gives unique aroma and taste to the dish. The delicious potato cauliflower blend can be prepared in few minutes and is a versatile recipe which can be served along with rice, roti or chapathi.

Ingredients:

1 cup Cubed Potatoes
2 cup Cauliflower florets, approximately half of large sized cauliflower
1 tablespoon Black cumin seeds
3 tablespoon Poppy Seeds
½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
4 green chilies
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon salt

Method:

In a small pot, add water and bring it to boil
Once the water starts boiling, add chopped cauliflower florets. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Drain the water from the florets and set aside
Heat a small frying pan on the stove over medium heat.
Once the vessel is hot, add cooking oil and black cumin seeds.
Fry them for about 2 minutes.
Add chopped florets, potatoes, turmeric powder and salt to the pan and cook them with lid covered over medium heat.
Stir them occasionally fro even cooking. If needed, sprinkle water on top of the vegetables.
Cook until potatoes and florets are cooked and become tender. Do not overcook florets. Overcooked florets will become mushy.
Meanwhile, soak poppy seeds in a cup of water for about 5 minutes.
Drain the water and grind poppy seeds with green chilies to a fine paste.
Add the poppy seed paste to the mixture in the pan. Combine them well.
Simmer and cook the mixture until the raw smell of poppy seeds goes off.
Serve Phool Gobhir Paturi with roti or as an accompaniment for rice.