Vegetable Curry with Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce

This is a curry I tossed together to go with the Lamb Vindaloo.  It's mostly a pretty basic vegetable curry, but the prominent cardamom flavor and a nice garnish of pistachio nuts (common to some regional Indian cuisines) and raisins give it some character of its own.   It was a pretty nice companion for the lamb dish, and along with some basmati rice and naan, it made for a pretty good meal, but it's also got enough oomph to stand on its own if you'd like a vegetarian main dish. 

It smelled so good one of the cats wanted some.

Well, okay, not really.  The cats didn't seem to care one way or another about anything I made during my most recent Indian feast.  But that picture was too good to not post... and the Vegetable Curry did smell wonderful.

Anyhow, this dish is easy to make, healthy and quite good.  Not a whole lot else to say about this one. 
 
Vegetable Curry with Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce

yield = serves 8

1         tablespoon vegetable oil
2         pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
           (1-inch pieces)
2         teaspoons garlic
2         teaspoons Madras curry powder
1         teaspoon mustard seed
1         teaspoon cumin seed
1         teaspoon ground coriander
1/2      teaspoon table salt
1/2      teaspoon turmeric powder
1/8      teaspoon cayenne pepper
1         can (15 ounces) garbanzo beans, drained
1 1/2   cups water
1         pound cauliflower florets
1/2      cup yogurt
1         teaspoon cardamom powder
1/2      cup roasted pistachio nuts
1/3      cup golden raisins
1         tablespoon chopped cilantro
           (for garnish, if desired)

Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.   When the oil is shimmering, add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, 8 minutes. 

Add garlic, curry powder, mustard seed, cumin seed, coriander, salt, turmeric and cayenne and cook for one minute. 

Stir in garbanzo beans and cook 2 minutes, then stir in the water and add cauliflower florets.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer 30 minutes. 

Stir in yogurt and cook to heat through, then remove from heat.  Stir in cardamom powder, transfer to serving dish and top with pistachios, raisins and cilantro (if desired).  Serve with basmati rice.