Receta Recipe: Aloo Gobi Toastie

by Helen Graves

This recipe was created in partnership with Breville.  I’ve a confession to make today, which is that I didn’t – until approximately 1 week ago when Breville sent one – own a classic toastie maker. There’s a fancy-pants panino press in the kitchen (panini is plural, I won’t apologise), which is great for smashing too much kimchi and blue cheese into an admittedly very good and on-trend sandwich but it does feel a bit like cheating on the original. The sealed-crust Breville is a good leveller. Everyone has a story about burning their face on a hot pocket be it cheese and onion, cheese and beans or – worst of all – cheese and tomato. Proper welt territory, that one. The pocket is, of course, one of the key features of the classic style; the bread seals properly at the edges meaning the majority of filling is encased inside one, freshly plumped cushion. What to put inside though? Leftover curry, obviously. Any will do but I’d tried aloo gobi before and knew it to be good. A fresh coriander chutney, red onion and pickled chilli bring essential zip. We are living in a strange time. A time that people will one day read about in history books. Cooking and eating are all I really have to keep me going right now, and I know it’s the same for many of you. May I suggest that a nostalgic toastie making sesh may lift your spirits? Just steer clear of that sliced tomato. Aloo Gobi Toastie Recipe This recipe for aloo gobi makes enough to feed 4-6 people for dinner, so it’s obviously way more than you’ll need for a toastie. I’m assuming you’ll save some and enjoy it the next day. It’s not a very spicy version as I add chilli to the toastie later. If you’re just making this to for dinner, then up the chilli. To make aloo gobi 300g waxy potatoes, cut into small dice (about 2cm) 1 cauliflower, cut into florets (keep them larger than the potato pieces) 1 onion, diced 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1 tablespoon grated ginger 1 tin tomatoes 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan then crushed or ground 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric 1 green chilli, split lengthways 2 teaspoons garam masala 100ml water Juice of 1/2 lime Oil, for cooking Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a large, lidded pan. Add the cumin seeds and when they start to spit and crackle, add the potatoes. Cook over a medium heat, stirring until they begin to turn golden at the edges. Set them aside. Add the cauliflower and cook until it’s coated in the oil and spice too and just starting to take colour. Set aside. Add a splash more oil, then cook the onion until golden, stirring often. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a couple of minutes, again stirring to make sure it doesn’t burn. Add the turmeric, coriander seeds and the green chilli and cook, stirring all the time for a minute or two. If it starts to catch you can add a splash of water. Add the tomatoes and leave to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add back the vegetables with some salt and the water. Stir well. Don’t worry that the water doesn’t seem like enough, it will cook well with the lid on. Put the lid on and leave for 20-25 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Stir it regularly and mush up the cauli a little bit smaller once it starts to soften. Once cooked, stir in the garam masala and add the lime juice and some more salt if needed. I left mine overnight before making the toastie as the curry tastes even better the next day. To make the toastie Sliced white bread Leftover aloo gobi Cheese (I used a mixture of what I had but Cheddar is fine – anything that melts nicely) Sliced red onion Coriander chutney (see below) Pickled red chillies (see below) Melted butter or mayonnaise Coriander chutney recipe Blend 1 large bunch of coriander (stalks and leaves) with 1 green chilli, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, a large pinch of salt and 2 pinches of sugar. Pickled chillies recipe Combine 2 sliced red chillies with 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar, 2 large pinches sugar, 2 pinches salt and a splash of water. Set aside for 20 minutes or so. Heat the Breville toastie maker. While this is happening, brush the outside of each piece of bread with either melted butter or mayonnaise. Turn the pieces of bread over and spread one side of each sandwich with coriander chutney. Add a spoonful of aloo gobi and top with a handful of cheese. Add sliced red onion and pickled red chillies. Top with the other slices of bread (buttered/mayonnaised side facing upwards). Toast! aloo gobiCauliflowerpotatosandwichsponsoredtoastie