Recipe - Cauliflower Kurma

Cauliflower cooked with tomato sauce

Summary:

Cauliflower kurma is very easy to make, has a nice flavor and is among my favorite dishes. I enjoy it with vegetable pulao or vegetable biryani/fried rice. Cauliflower kurma is my aunt's (pinni/chithi/maasi) signature dish! Her recipe includes a number of shortcuts which means spending less time in the kitchen. My family has all kinds of cooks - slow track as well as fast track, those who take a detailed approach and those who want get the job done as fast as possible. I enjoy cauliflower kurma, cooked by my aunt with her style of biryani. Again that is a shortcut biryani. Stay tuned for the shortcut biryani recipe :-) Coming up in next few days...

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 30 florets (medium size)
• Yogurt - 1/3 cup (optional)
  
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cilantro - 1 tablespoon (for garnish)
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Salt - 1 and 1/2 teaspoon
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon (takes the tartness away from the tomato gravy)

Gravy ingredients:

• Onion - 2 cups (1 and 1/2 big)
• Tomatoes - 3 cups (3 tomatoes approximately)
• Ginger - 1 tablespoon
• Garlic - 2 teaspoons
• Cinnamon - 1 inch stick (1 teaspoon cinnamon powder)
• Cloves - 2
• Bay leaves - 1
• Red chili powder - 1 and 1/2 teaspoons

Preparation for gravy:

Puree all the above gravy ingredients.

Boil/microwave the cauliflower florets adding or sprinkling 1/2 teaspoon of salt for 3 minutes in the microwave. Add bell pepper (capsicum) to bring color and flavor to the dish.

Preheat the kadai/skillet with oil, add cumin seeds. Let the seeds splutter, add the gravy to the seeds.

Fry/sauté the gravy till it no longer smells of the fresh onions and tomatoes (approximately 10 minutes). Add the florets to the gravy, and mix well. Add sugar, 2 cups of water and yogurt ( I did not add in this recipe) and boil and turn off the stove in 5 -8 minutes after the desired consistency is reached.

Add salt, garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with fried rice or with roti.

Preparation time: 20 - 30minutes
Servings: 3 - 4

Recipe by: Sri Valli

Tips:

Add 1/ 4 teaspoon ajinomoto (MSG) to give a zing to the vegetable.