Tuesday, January 31, 2006

ARF #5 - Cauliflower Tomato Curry

I know that there are quite a few who arent fond of cauliflower and tend to use less of this antioxidant rich under-appreciated vegetable in their cooking.I guess, its mostly the manner in which cauliflower is prepared/cooked that is a major deciding factor whether one hates or loves it.I love cauliflower and if its cooked right, its one the best tasting vegetables.Quite a few are put off by the odor while steaming or cooking the vegetable.Try this method which removes the odor and the cauliflower turns a crispy golden brown ..first blanche the florets in salted boiling water for a few minutes which will remove the natural bitterness and then stir fry these blanched florets in some butter or oil till they turn golden brown and then cook this vegetable as the recipe calls for.Believe me,cauliflower cooked in this manner is absolutely delicious and yes,even the person who hates it will begin to love it.

Today’s vegetarian recipe, which is also low in calories, is an antioxidant rich food with, cauliflower,tomato,turmeric and garlic ..all of which are high in antioxidant properties and also my entry for this week's ARF 5 Day Tuesday #5.Cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower and brussels sprouts contain a compound called indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a potent antioxidant that breaks down estrogen in the body, that reduce the risk of breast cancer and other estrogen-sensitive cancers, like cancer of the ovaries and cervix.

Tomatoes contain lycopene and is twice as powerful as beta-carotene. They also contain the antioxidant glutathione, which helps boost immune function.Infact eating cooked tomatoes is better for our body as the heat allows more desirable antioxidants in tomatoes to be made available to the body. And because lycopene is fat-soluble, eating tomatoes with oil can improve absorption.

Garlic is one of oldest culinary herb, full of antioxidants, that keeps the heart healthy by lowering cholesterol levels, reducing blood pressure, fighting free radicals and keeping blood from clotting.

Turmeric has been used for centuries in India as a spice in ancient Indian food and medicinal herb to treat a host of ailments.A major notable inflammation-fighting compound called curcuminoids is present in turmeric and the most important of these is curcumin.Curcumin is as powerful an antioxidant as vitamins C and E and even beta-carotene.Antioxidants are also powerful preservatives, which also explain why using turmeric in food helps retain its freshness.
Ingredients:

1 medium sized cauliflower (wash the florets and blanche in salted water)
8-10 garlic flakes
4 medium sized onions finely chopped
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd
1 tsp red chilli pwd
1/2 tsp coriander pwd
1/4 tsp cumin pwd
salt to taste
3 big tomatoes finely chopped
big pinch of garam masala pwd
oil
1/2 tsp jaggery(optional)
chopped fresh coriander leaves for garnish


Heat 1 tsp butter or oil in a vessel and add the blanched florets and stir fry for 4-5 mts continuosly till you get a light golden color.Remove and keep aside.
In the same vessel add 1 tbsp oil and add garlic flakes and fry for 10-15 seconds.Now add the chopped onions and fry till transparent.
Add all the powders except garam masala and salt and mix well.
Add the tomaotes and cook till oil seperates.
Add the fried florets and cook covered on low heat for 3 mts.
Add 3/4 cup water,jaggery and garam masala and cook till you get the desired gravy consistency.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
This low calorie and vegetarian recipe goes well with rice or rotis.

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15 comments:

Ilva said...

I love cauliflower and I have all the ingredients at home, including the spices so you can bet that I will make this dish for lunch tomrrow! Thanks!

Deetsa said...

Ahhhmmmmmmmmmmm.... I LOVE cauliflower and tomato curry. It's one of the first recipes I made when I was on my own for the first time. Yours is a bit different than mine. I'm sure I'd love your version too. I may have asked you this before but what can you use instead of jaggery if you have no chance of getting some any time soon?

Anonymous said...

Yum - this does sound tasty! I'll have to try it ... I'm always looking for new ways to cook with cauliflower!

Stephanie said...

I love cauliflower too & I personally think the Indian way of cooking them is the best! I make this at home quite a lot but I do have some friends who would always give me a pained look when I tell them it's cauliflower! LOL.

Anonymous said...

sailu, it's a nice & informative post!

Journal Actif said...

I agree this post is very informative, as always Sailu. I bought 8 beautiful tomatoes still on vine yesterday and my sons ate them all, raw, as if they were apples. Too bad because I bought a cauliflower too and I could have tried your recipe. My sons eat cauliflower raw. They don't like it cooked. But I'll try my luck with this recipe because I prefer my cauliflower cooked. :-))
Thank you!

Shammi said...

Hi Sailu

I'm one of those that doesnt like cauliflower very much, so I absolutely have to try this and see how it works out! :)

sailu said...

Do tell me how it turned out,Ilva.I am sure you will enjoy it.

Jaggery is also called 'Panela'in Mexico and S.America...its unrefined traditional whole sugar. It contains minerals and vitamins present in sugarcane juice & this crowns it as one of the most wholesome and healthy sugars in the world. Its also called a medicinal sugar and rich in iron, magnesium and potassium.Its a healthy alternative to sugar.
Hope this helps,DD.

You will love it, rorie.

I couldnt agree with you more,MM.

Thanks,Lera.

Your fortunate you have sons who eat their veggies..:)

Do try it Shammi.

Anonymous said...

2morrow i am goin to cook this, as its my turn.

Dawna said...

I love cauliflower, but even so I don't cook with it all that often. Your recipe looks great - I make an aloo gobi without tomatoes, but now I think perhaps I should add some in.

I think that maybe people can be put off by needing to buy a whole head of cauliflower at a time - it just seems like so much! Some markets will give you a half-head, which is perfect if you're just cooking for one or two.

Shilpa said...

Hello sailu,
I have added u to my blogroll. U have a very nice collection of recipes. I will soon try some of them soon.
BTW...thanks for visiting my blog.
Shilpa

Kay said...

Sailu, This is exactly, what's cooking, in my kitcehn right now. :) My version uses ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and cummin seeds and leaves out cummin powder, garam masala and jaggery.

Yummy dish!

sailu said...

Tin,I am doing great.:)
You will enjoy this dish for sure.Do try it.

Arun,you guys will love this dish.Do let me know how it turns out.

I agree with you,Dawna.Some markets do give a half head.I love aloo gobi too.

Thanks for dropping by,Shilpa.I love your collection of recipes too..:)
I have you added to my blogroll.

Kay,your recipe sounds good with ginger garlic paste and cumin seeds.

Anonymous said...

This is my first time in your blog and what a coincidence that we had this cauliflower curry for dinner last night except that I cook it with potatoes, coconut milk powder, tsp of sugar instead of jaggery and finely snipped strips of kafir lime leaves ... the aroma is absolutely divine!! Will certainly be back here in this space for more recipes.

Anonymous said...

excellent recip...turned out very good ! I liked it :)