Contemporary travel comes with all sorts of boundaries, and many of us just want to get on with a flight without bumping passengers near us. The stranger from New Delhi sharing an arm rest with me on a recent trip asked if I liked Indian food. What’s not to like? My seat mate must have been craving lunch, and the snack boxes that the flight attendants offered failed to tempt him. He went on for the duration of the flight describing his favorite foods. Here’s his quick and spicy take on gobhi matar.

¼ cup water

1 head firm cauliflower, chopped

¼ cup olive oil or ghee

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, diced

½ teaspoon turmeric

¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups green peas

2 large tomatoes, diced

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

twist of fresh ground black pepper

In large frying pan or Dutch oven, steam chopped cauliflower in water 5 minutes. Drain and remove cauliflower from pan and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic with spices in ghee (or olive oil) until caramelized. Stir in peas, tomatoes, and steamed cauliflower and cook until warmed through. Fold in cilantro and add black pepper. Serve immediately. Slather gohbi matar onto bread to enjoy this stranger’s favorite sandwich.