"Excellent idea, iffy execution."

That's what I'd like to say to the folks at Gourmet, who came up with the recipe for Aloo Gobhi Stuffing that I found on Epicurious today. What a great concept! This was something that had been missing from my life, even though I'd never known how much I wanted it.

But it wasn't perfect; their version was heavy on bread and even heavier on butter, and at the same time it lacked the special something that would put it over the top. That something turned out to be raisins, an idea suggested by some of the readers who'd tried their version.

Here is my lighter, zingier version of their recipe.

ALOO GOBHI STUFFING
5 c. cubed stale bread (I used part of a 5-grain baguette)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-in. dice
3 ribs celery, cut into 1/4-in. dice
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. dice
1 medium or 2/3 large head of cauliflower, cut into 1/2- to 1-in. florets
1/3 c. golden raisins
2 1/2 tsp. curry powder (preferably homemade)
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
several grinds of coarse black pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 c. unsalted raw cashews, broken
1 c. chicken broth (salted)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the bread cubes on a large sheet pan and bake 15 minutes, stirring halfway through baking time. Set bread cubes aside.
Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F.
Place butter and oil in a very large skillet or wok pan. Heat over medium or medium-high flame until butter melts. Add onions, carrot, celery, and potatoes and cook, stirring, until softened.
Add cauliflower and raisins. Cook, stirring, until cauliflower is crisp-tender. Add curry powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, and continue cooking and stirring for 2 more minutes.
Combine cauliflower mixture with bread cubes in a 9x13-in. baking pan. Toss to combine. Top with cashews and pour broth evenly over everything.
Cover tightly with buttered foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes more, until browned and sizzling.