1,000 Indian Recipes (165 page)

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Heat half of the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium heat and cook the potatoes, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, leaving behind as much oil as possible.

2.
Add the remaining oil and the cauliflower to the pan and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Mix in the potatoes.

3.
Add the ginger, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring as needed, until the cauliflower and potatoes are very soft (almost mushy), 20 to 30 minutes. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed. Add the cilantro during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Variation:
To make this dish more eye-catching, cut the potatoes and cauliflower into tiny
¹
⁄
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-inch pieces. Or, add 1 small finely chopped red bell pepper with the cilantro.

Cauliflower with Potato Wedges and Peas

Gobhi, Aalu, Muttar ki Sabzi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This is another simple and common cauliflower dish in India, where no part of a cauliflower is thrown away. The hard and fibrous stem is saved to make a separate dish (
Spicy Cauliflower Stems
) or peeled so the soft insides can be added to this dish.

2 tablespoons peanut oil

5 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano (puncture skin to prevent bursting)

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 tablespoon peeled minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¹
⁄
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teaspoon ground turmeric

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 small red, white, or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into wedges

1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1-inch florets, soft stems cut into
¹
⁄
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-inch pieces

1 cup shelled fresh peas or frozen peas, thawed

2 to 4 tablespoons water

1 large red bell pepper, finely chopped

¹
⁄
₄
cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

¹
⁄
₂
teaspoon mango powder

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon garam masala

1.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or saucepan over medium-high heat and cook the green chile peppers, stirring, about 30 seconds. Add the cumin and ginger; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil.

2.
Quickly add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric, then mix in the potatoes, cauliflower, peas, and 2 tablespoons water. Cover the pan and cook, over high heat the first 2 to 3 minutes, and then over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are soft, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir carefully, and add more water, if needed.

3.
During the last 5 minutes, mix in the red bell pepper, cilantro, and mango powder. Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the garam masala on top, and serve.

Cauliflower with Minced Ginger-Lime Pickle

Adrak-Nimbbo kae Achaar vaali Gobhi

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Here is a dish with a difference—lots of flavor, and only 1 tablespoon of oil. It has a refreshingly different taste, it's easy to make, and it's healthy. How can you go wrong?

2 tablespoons
Minced Ginger-Lime Pickle

1 small cauliflower, trimmed and cut into 1-inch florets, soft stems cut into
¹
⁄
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-inch pieces

1 large potato (any kind), peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon canola oil

1
¹
⁄
₂
teaspoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon ground coriander

¹
⁄
₄
teaspoon ground turmeric

1 small tomato, coarsely chopped

¹
⁄
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cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1.
Prepare the ginger pickle in advance. Then, place the cauliflower and potato in a large bowl and toss well with the ginger pickle. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator, 1 to 2 hours.

2.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick wok or skillet over medium-high heat and add the cumin seeds; they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the marinated cauliflower, plus the pickle and potatoes and cook, stirring, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes.

3.
Add the coriander, turmeric, tomato, and cilantro, cover the pan, and cook over medium heat until the potato pieces are tender, 7 to 10 minutes. (Add 2 to 3 tablespoons water, if needed.) Transfer to a serving dish, sprinkle the black pepper on top, and serve.

Grilled Yogurt-Marinated Cauliflower

Tandoori Phool

Makes 4 to 6 servings

This authentic
tandoor
-grilled Mughlai cauliflower is traditionally made with a whole head. I make mine with large florets, which almost look like baby cauliflowers.

1 teaspoon
Chaat Masala
(or store-bought)

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt, whisked until smooth

¹
⁄
₄
cup chickpea flour

¹
⁄
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cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, including soft stems

2 large cloves garlic, peeled

6 quarter-size slices peeled fresh ginger

2 fresh green chile peppers, such as serrano, stemmed

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 tablespoons peanut oil

¹
⁄
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teaspoon coarsely ground fenugreek seeds

1 teaspoon ground paprika

1 medium head cauliflower (about 1
¹
⁄
₄
pounds)

4 to 6 metal or bamboo skewers soaked in water at least 30 minutes

1 to 2 tablespoons melted butter, for basting

Scallions and lemon wedges

1.
Prepare the chaat masala. Then, in a food processor or a blender, process together the yogurt, chickpea flour, cilantro, garlic, ginger, green chile peppers, garam masala, and salt until smooth. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and add the fenugreek and paprika, then immediately mix into the yogurt mixture.

2.
Place the cauliflower stem side up on a cutting board. Cut off the thick main stem as close to the florets as possible before it separates into branches. Then cut the head into 3- to 4-inch florets and place with their heads down, into a large, flat, microwave-safe dish; cover and cook in the microwave on high until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Let cool.

3.
Pour half the yogurt mixture over the florets, then turn each one over and pour the remaining yogurt over them, making sure that all the heads are well-coated with the marinade. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator 6 to 24 hours.

4.
Preheat a grill to medium-high heat (about 375°F). Skewer the florets from the stem to the head and place on the grill, turning as needed, until the florets are soft and charred in a few places, 10 to 12 minutes. Baste with the melted butter and grill another 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle the chaat masala on top, garnish with the scallions and lemon wedges, and serve.

Spicy Cauliflower Stems