I received an email recipe from seriouseats.com which sounded so good that I had to try it. They called it the cauliflower dish you will want to make every day of the week. I don’t think so – but it is very good, fragrant and full of flavor. Another recipe from Chetna Makan, adapted. She was a contestant on The Great British Bake Off and has published 5 books on Indian cooking (I don’t own any – surprise! surprise, but not for long as I search Amazon for her published cookbooks).
I was first introduced to Chetna through Food52 and posted another cauliflower recipe https://cookingwithauntjuju.com/2021/05/31/chetna-makans-cauliflower-butter-masala/
“Sabzi” means “vegetables” and covers a wide range of vegetables. If potatoes are added to the cauliflower it goes by the name aloo gobi. The spices in Chetna’s recipe are in the Punjabi-style and include ground cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala. Seasonings do vary depending on the family and region.
Cauliflower Sabzi
- 2 tbsp. neutral oil
- 1 tsp. cumin seeds
- 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion (8 oz.) coarsely chopped
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 plum tomato (I used 2 – maybe more – I do like tomatoes)
- 2 tsp. ground coriander
- 1 tsp. garam masala
- 1 tsp. ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp. chile powder, such as Kashmiri
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 lbs. cauliflower florets
- cilantro (I used parsley)
- roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
- cooked basmati rice and dal, for serving – some naan bread would be delicious too!
In a large skillet with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add cumin and mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop. Add onion and cook, stirring about 8 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium-low, add tomato, cover and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, and salt. Add 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling add the cauliflower and stir to combine. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until the cauliflower is tender, 10-20 minutes. Adjust heat to high and continue to cook, uncovered, until any liquid has evaporated.
Sprinkle cilantro (parsley) and peanuts over cauliflower and serve.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
This dish must be so tasty and fragrant. A great option to have for a vegetarian dinner.
The peanut addition is very interesting here. I would expect it more in a Thai dish, rather than Indian, but I like it all the same! 🙂
I’ve been enjoying Indian cuisine more lately and cauliflower is a favorite. There are 3 nuts commonly used in Indian cuisine; almonds, peanuts and cashews. Some times the nuts are ground and in a sauce do you don’t know they are present. I also use them in Sichuan recipes besides Thai. Nuts are a great addition in dals and also mixed in with toppings for all kinds of cuisines 🙂
Indian cuisine is one of my favorites when choosing a restaurant, which is probably why I don’t cook Indian dishes too often. But when I do, I mostly use cashew nuts, for their sweetish creamy texture. However, peanuts or almonds would be just as tasty. I’ll definitely give this dish a try soon. 🙂
Personally, I prefer cashews (my favorite nut ever) – I just followed her recipe. I’ve used ground almonds with shrimp in a sauce and peanuts and cashews always provide a little crunch and a different texture 🙂
This sounds wonderful. Almost like a British cauliflower cheese. The peanuts are fun.
I just looked up British cauliflower cheese which is loaded with cheese, cream and very few seasonings. Nothing like my Indian recipe which is a healthy way to fix cauliflower – no cheese, cream but lots of fragrant spices 🙂 You must be thinking about a different recipe!
This sounds fantastic. I’m always a fan of the folks on the Bake-Off, so I’m sure this is worth a try!
Just like the author cauliflower is a favorite veggie as you can flavor it so many different and delicious ways. This is a tasty version