Cauliflower Curry

Sue Lau's Note:

This is an adaptation of a recipe that was quite high in fat. I have found that the fat was not necessary to the dish, and one can enjoy it while being health conscious. However, if you wish to heat your spices in ghee or mustard oil in the traditional way, I wish you well. I found this to be a nice accompaniment to heavier meat curries. It can also go with vegetarian dals as well.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 10 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 55 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 tablespoon ginger puree
• 1 large cauliflower
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 fresh green chilies, sliced crosswise into thin slices (optional) or 1/4 teaspoon red chili powder (optional)
• 1 cup firmly packed chopped cilantro
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt (optional) or salt substitute (optional)

Directions:

1. Cut the cauliflower into tiny florets.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, stir-fry ginger puree and turmeric for 2 minutes, adding a few drops of water if mixture begins to stick.
3. Add chili, and/or red chili powder, and cilantro, stir-frying an additional 2 minutes.
4. Add cauliflower and cook for 5 minutes, adding a teaspoon of water if mixture starts to dry.
5. Add remaining ingredients and 4 tablespoons water.
6. Stir for 3-4 minutes, then reduce heat, cover pan, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40 minutes more or until cauliflower is fork-tender.

Reviews

[Charishma_Ramchandani]

You have a winning recipe here which I'd recommend to everyone following a low-fat diet, because it has not even a drop of oil and yet tastes like it came from a 5 star hotel! This one makes a great starter served with hot sauce! I made some changes which are as follows: I scaled this recipe down to 2 servings. 1)I did not have cilantro on hand, so I substituted it with parsley. 2) Instead of ginger puree, I used 1/2 tbsp of chopped ginger and some water. 3)I added 2 tbsp. of low-fat yogurt(beaten), 1/4 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. of black pepper as well when adding the other masala powders. 4) I used about 12 tbsp. of water + 1 cup to cook the cauliflower(i.e. before covering it with the lid). It took about 15 minutes to cook in my pre-heated Dutch oven. I liked it as it was - somewhat crunchy(3/4th cooked) but with a wonderful blend of the masala powders! Next time I'll add some lemon juice as well once the dish is ready. This makes a great starter and will be a regular at our table! Thank You SO MUCH for this wonderful-flavourful recipe!

[Ms Mishmish]

Very, very good. Lots of flavor without fat or salt. I was wary about the amount of some of the spices since I am new to Indian cuisine, but it turned out delicious. I used the red cayenne pepper and made the rest of the recipe as posted, but I used a bit more water than the recipe called for. My cauliflower was about done with only 30 minutes of cooking at the final step, then I simply turned off the heat and let it sit covered for the remaining time. I served it with rice. The second time I made this, I added about 1/4 of finely minced onion and 1/4 c of finely minced red bell pepper at the same time I added the cilantro. Next time I make it, I'll throw in some cooked chickpeas to make it an all in one meal. I think the seasoning blend and cooking method would work really well for potatoes as well.

[Anu]

What a lovely way to serve cauliflower! I had this with chappatis for lunch in college today, and because it is a "dry" sabzi, it makes a great chappati/tortilla filling, and is really easy to brown bag. The cooking method is really simple... all you need to keep by your side is water to use as and when needed. The lemon juice adds a great zing to it, and the spices compliment each other perfectly, Indian style :-) Thanks for this Sue... this one's for keeps!