Cauliflower and potatoes with ponch phoron

This is a dry, North Indian style vegetable curry is adapted from a recipe in Madhur Jaffrey's World of the East Vegetarian Cooking book.  There, she used 3 of the 5 spices in the ponch phoron mix, so I just decided to use the whole mix since I get packets of it each time my husband's relatives come back from India.  The recipe has a simple enough concept:  fry the whole spices in oil, add vegetables, sprinkle on ground spices, brown vegetables lightly, then add just enough water to steam the vegetables to completion.

Cauliflower and potatoes with ponch phoron

2 pounds cauliflower (1 small head)

2 medium boiling potatoes (about ¾ pound)

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 teaspoons ponch phoron (or more)

2 whole dried hot red peppers

¾ teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon ground coriander seeds

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon garam masala

1. Remove leaves from cauliflower.  Break head into 2 inch long, 1/2 inch wide flowerets.  Soak in cold water for half an hour.
2. Dice potatoes into ½ inch dice.  Soak in same bowl as cauliflower.
3. Drain cauliflower and potatoes.  Dry in dish towel.  (The drier the better, so that vegetables brown, not just steam.)
4. Heat oil in a large 12 inch skillet over high heat.  When oil is smoking, scatter in the panch phoron and dried red peppers.  Stir briefly and add cauliflower and potatoes.  Stir and adjust heat to medium.  Sprinkle the turmeric, coriander, salt, and pepper over the vegetables and sauté for 8-10 minutes or until vegetables brown in spots (turn heat up if necessary).
5. Add ¼ cup water and quickly cover the pan.  Turn heat to very low and steam vegetables until tender, about 7-10 minutes.  Sprinkle with the garam masala, stir, and serve.