17 Feb 2011 No Comments
Curried Cauliflower and Chickpeas
I can’t recall the last time I went so long without blogging. But I’m sure you understand that the life of a college student is hardly an idle one, and this week was on the stress filled side. I did, however, get the time to de-stress a little monday night and cook with my friend Ari in a real kitchen. The two of us are sharing Fruit and Veggie co-op, exactly where we get a weekly shipment of create. We managed to pull together an amazing vegetarian, quasi-ethnic meal that Ari called “the United Nations of meals” using all of our produce. The eggplant was completely Ari’s performing, and it was so wonderful that it merits its own post. For now, let’s focus on the cauliflower. First of all, cauliflower happens to be one of the most unappreciated vegetables. Unfairly criticized as albino broccoli, unfortunate childhood memories of mushy, overcooked cauliflower diminishes its potential. Roast it with lots of olive tankless water heaters oil and you’ve a filling side, crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, almost reminiscent of french fries. But where cauliflower shines probably the most, in my opinion, is in curry. I had a vision of a wholesome vegan dish with excessive amounts of turmeric and cumin, tempered with the sweetness of cinnamon and kicked up with cayenne and chili paste on the side. Because my spice blend was Indian, I opted for chickpeas rather than tofu. I wanted some thing to give it richness: hence, coconut milk. But too frequently, soupy coconut curries leave us too full, and Ari and I weren’t having any rice to absorb the sauce. Luckily, I occurred to have the cutest miniature cans of coconut milk. Just 1 of these babies was sufficient to bind the cauliflower and chickpeas, but not so much that the coconut flavor was overwhelming. The coconut is there, to be sure, but by no means metal detector upstages the spices and herbs. A handful of cilantro and mint liven up the dish. Add a squeeze of lemon and feast. Gone is cauliflower’s pale facade: it’s spiced up, golden and glamorous. Hardly albino broccoli. Here’s the ingredients: 2 large onions, diced; 6 cloves of garlic, chopped; 2 TBSP olive oil/ other oil: I’m sure ghee would be delicious); 1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets; 1 TBSP turmeric; 2 tsp powdered ginger (If you have fresh ginger, that’s even better– add at least a 1-inch pice of it, sliced); At least 1 tsp cumin; 1/2 tsp cayenne; 1/2 tsp paprika; 1 tsp Cinnamon; Salt and pepper; 1-2 TBSP curry spice blend such as garam masala; Water as needed; 1/2 large can of coconut milk, or one small can; 2 cups cooked chickpeas; 1/2 cup chopped cilantro; 1/4 cup chopped mint; Juice of one lemon. Parboil microdermabrasion machines the cauliflower. Do this by having a big pot of water to a boil, dropping the cauliflower in, returning to a boil, and waiting until the cauliflower are the vegetable same as al dente. Don’t overcook. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. While the cauliflower is boiling, heat oil on medium high heat. When it sizzles, add the onions. Let onions saute until translucent, then add the garlic. Saute a minute or two much more and add seasonings. Proceed to cook the onions on low until they’re extremely soft. Add the hard money lenders cauliflower, coating it with the spice mixture and adding more of whatever you need to taste. Subsequent, add the coconut milk and bring back to a boil. Let it all cook through. Finally, add the chickpeas at the last minute so you do not overcook them. Heat everything, turn the heat back down and add the cilantro, mint, and lemon juice. Add salt, pepper and seasonings to taste (you’re probably going to want a lot more than you initially added). Serve with extra lemon and chili paste on the side.