Super Quick Cauliflower / Gobi Biryani Recipe

Yes, I totally made this recipe up. There's no such thing as a Cauliflower Biriyani. No, you are right, cauliflower does get added on to vegetable biriyani occasionally there's no biriyani that's exclusively dedicated to cauliflower.

I am also going to say this up front before you read through the whole recipe and get disappointed. You need Biryani Masala to make this recipe. Its not one of those grind-your-spices-fresh type of recipe because that would make this a non super quick dish, and today we are all about super quick.

Its also a prerequisite to like cauliflower inorder to enjoy this dish.

Gobi / Cauliflower Biryani Recipe
Serves 3

Ingredients:
1.5 cups basmati rice (or any long-grained rice)
1 large onion + 2 green chillies, ground to a paste
1 large tomato, pureed
A handful of green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 medium sized cauliflower, washed and cut into florets (around 4 cups)
1 tbsp ghee (or oil)
Fresh chopped coriander leaves for garnish (optional)

The Masala
1/2 tsp jeera / cumin
1 tsp dhania / coriander powder
A pinch of turmeric
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 heaping tbsp of biryani masala
Salt to taste

How I Made It:

1. Cook the basmati rice in 5 cups of boiling, slightly salted water until cooked but still firm. Set aside.

2. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the onion-green chilly paste. You can also slice the onions and chillies and add it that way but I felt like grinding it so I did. Fry the onion paste for about 2 mins. It will start losing moisture and get thicker.

3. At this stage, add all the masala ingredients in the order given. Fry well for about a minute till it starts smelling gooood.

4. Add the tomato puree, peas and cut cauliflower florets. Give it a good mix and cook closed on low fire until the cauliflower is cooked soft, yet retains its shape (about 5-7 mins). You can sprinkle some water if you feel the mixture is getting too dry.

5. Once done, check salt and then mix in the cooked rice gently until well combined. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with any raita and papad.

The preparation time for this biriyani is significantly less because you are not pounding any masala last minute. Depending on what biriyani masala you use, you will get a distinct flavour each time - I love that variety!

Tandoori Cauliflower

Aaaaaaannnd, I'm back! Did I get everything done that I wanted to? Nope. But, I got my major project done so that feels pretty good. In my absence I participated in Vegansaurus' project to veganize the wining recipes from Top Chef Just Desserts (just about the hardest thing I have ever had to do in the kitchen), and just tonight I made the Lemon Pies and Salted Caramel Ice Cream for Vegan Mom's birthday. Delicious!

This is a recipe I have been meaning to share since the summer. It is adapted from Gordon Ramsay's Great Escape, which is both a cookbook and a TV show. You can watch the show here, but I will warn you that he comes off as a culturally insensitive clod, and he whines a lot when he goes to southern India and can't eat any meat. The part in the ashram is just downright embarrassing. I used the BBQ and a clay baker to finish off the dish, but you could also put it in the oven at 450.

INGREDIENTS
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1 cup soy yogurt
- 1 inch piece of ginger, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp tandoori spice blend
- salt to taste

- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 onions, cut into rings
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 -2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp tandoori spice blend

METHOD
1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then cook cauliflower florets for 2-3 mins, until just tender. Drain and rinse with ice cold water. Leave to drain.
2. While cauliflower is cooking/draining, whisk spices (including the salt) into the yogurt, then toss with the cauliflower in a bowl. If you have time, let this sit for a few hours in the fridge, covered.
3. Heat the BBQ to about 500 degrees and transfer the cauliflower to a clay baker. Cook, uncovered (but with BBQ lid down), for 15-20 mins, or until the cauliflower is tender.
4. While the cauliflower is baking, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute onion rings for 10-12 mins, until a golden brown. Add tomato paste and water and cook for a few mins more, then add spices (add a splash more water if need be). Cook for one min, then put on top of the cauliflower. Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and serve.

Easy Gobi Manchurian Recipe

You are away from home for an extended period of time. You have tasted most of what the local cuisine has to offer you. Your mind wanders back to the dosa and sambar, chaat, dal chaawal, rasmalai, aloo paratha.. all those things you took so much for granted back home.

Me? I crave Gobi Manchurian. One evening, I drove TH nuts saying I want gobi manchurian and I want it now. Its easy to find Indian food in Singapore, especially North Indian, but Indo-Chinese, not so much unless you are ready to go the extra mile to Little India, literally.

That evening we went, and I was happy only after I polished off an entire plate of gobi manchurian all by myself.

The next day, I made it at home. Yes, the very next day, why do you ask?

I really wish I had step by step pictures, especially to show the batter consistency, but I have measured out the ingredients quite accurately so this should come out well for you.

Gobi Manchurian Recipe

What I Used:

2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets

Oil to deep fry

For the batter:

5 tbsp maida / plain flour

3 tbsp cornflour

1/2 tsp red chilli powder (optional, depending on heat level preferred)

1/4 tsp pepper powder

1 garlic clove, minced

A pinch of salt

About 1/4 cup water

For the sauce:

1 small onion, chopped fine

1/4 cup capsicum, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 green chillies, slit midways (use to taste)

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp green chilli sauce (optional but recommended)

2 tsp soy sauce

2 tsp vinegar

2 tsp cornflour mixed with 4 tbsp water

Salt, check before adding

How I Made It:

1. Let's start with the sauce. Heat oil and fry the onions, capsicum, green chillies, if using, and garlic until the onions turn golden brown.

2. Add the ketchup and the green chilli sauce to the onions and mix well. Fry for 30 seconds.

3. Turn the heat to high and add the soy sauce and vinegar. Mix well for 5 seconds and lower heat back down. Fry for 30 more seconds.

4. Now add the cornflour-water mixture and mix until the sauce thickens. Check salt and add more only if necessary, since the soy sauce and chilly sauce may have salt. Set sauce aside.

5. Mix ingredients for the batter until you get a slightly loose batter of pouring consistency. Heat oil until its just short of smoking hot, coat each cauliflower with the batter and drop it into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and drain on kitchen towels. Repeat.

6. Once all the cauliflower florets have been fried, add to the sauce and mix well. Serve hot garnished with coriander leaves or green onions.

Note: this recipe is for the dry version of gobi manchurian that's usually served as an appetizer. You can stick toothpicks into the florets and serve as an appetizer or add more water-cornflour mixture and make the sauce looser to serve with fried rice.

Creamy Chunky Cauliflower Chowder

Say it! Say "chow-dah!" I don't think this is actually a chowder (when does soup become chowder, anyway?), but I wanted to go with an alliterative title. The temperature dipped down to 2 degrees the other night which suddenly put me in the mood for soup. Of course, now it's about 22 degrees, so that mood has passed. If it is still warm where you are, file this recipe away for later. It is creamy and chunky and perfectly satisfying. The boys loved it as well, which is great because they often balk at soups (or any dish where they can't identify the individual components or separate them out). The chowder has a slightly cheesy taste from the nooch and miso that is well-balanced by the leeks and roasted pepper.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp margarine
- 1 sweet onion, halved and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 leeks, white and light green part, thinly sliced
- 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 medium red potatoes, skins on, diced
- 4 cups water
- 1 roasted yellow pepper, skinned, seeded, chopped
- 1 recipe cashew cream
- generous tbsp yellow miso
- generous tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste

METHOD
1. Heat oil and margarine in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and leeks and saute for 12-15 mins, or until reduced down and golden.
2. Add cauliflower and potatoes and water (salt the water if you want). Bring to bubbling, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 15-20 mins, until cauliflower and is very tender.
3. Remove half of the veggies with a slotted spoon. Add the roasted yellow pepper to the remainder and blend with an immersion blender until smooth.
4. Add removed veggies back to the pot along with the cashew cream. Add miso, mustard, and nutritional yeast and mix well. Season to taste, heat until just bubbling, and serve.

Gobi Paratha: Step By Step Recipe

I have been putting away this post for the longest time possible. I made this over a month back and took step by step pictures. I was too lazy to edit and upload and post so kept picking the simple recipes to post. Today I had to share this with you because I tried making layered gobi paratha in a different way and it was so much better than the traditional method of making the paratha, addng the filling, bringing the edges together and rolling it out again before cooking it on the tawa. I have given the shots of the usual method below.

Now for the different method I tried, you have to endure the whole post :D

Let's start with 1 cup minced cauliflower or gobi. Make it as tiny as possible. Like this.

I recently got a Philips chopper/blender/whisk set and used the chopper blade to get it minced. Its super quick and I use this for pretty much all my chopping now.

Since my kitchen has lousy lighting, I don't have step-by-step pics of how I made the filling but its quite straightforward. Here is the recipe:

Minced cauliflower - 1 cup

Onion - 1/4 cup, minced

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Cumin / jeera - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Heat oil, add the jeera and when it starts spluttering, add the minced onion and fry till golden brown. Next add the ginger garlic paste, garam masala and the chilli powder. Mix well with salt for a few seconds. Then add the cauliflower, sprinkle some water and cook covered on sim for about 10-12 mins. The cauliflower should be cooked well by now.

It should like this at the end. I added some crumbled paneer for good measure. You can add some chopped coriander leaves as well. I just didn't have any.

Now you need to make the dough. You will need 3 cups atta/whole wheat flour, salt and about 1 cup and a little more water. Mix in the salt and add water little by little to to the atta to make a firm dough. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

Make lime-sized balls and divide each ball into two, like below. Now, for all those smart ones who ask "why can't we just make smaller balls instead of making a big one and dividing into two?" the answer is: we need the two halves to be of the same size because we are going to roll out the halves and then superimpose them with the filling in between.

Ok let me show you that. Let's start with halving each lime-sized dough ball.

Then roll out each half. I know this is not a perfect circle. I like it this way.

Ok I admit, I can't ever get a perfect circle. You caught me. I forgot this is why I never take step-by-step pics while making rotis or parathas. Well, too late now. Damn!

Once both the halves are rolled out, spread some prepared filling on one half..

and super-impose it with the other half. Like so.

I know I haven't done a perfect job of super-imposing either but I am going to ask you to stop finding fault if you genuinely want to learn how to make gobi parathas. Great gobi parathas!

Good. Now dust with some flour..

.. and roll it out. Some of the filling will come out and that's fine. The edges will be slightly thicker so make sure you give some extra rolling-time there.

Once you have rolled out all the parathas you can out of the prepared dough, cook them on a hot griddle or tawa until both sides are golden brown. Most of my parathas fluffed beautifully, more than parathas made the traditional way ever did.

I should probably hook up some studio lights in my kitchen. I so wanted to show off how well they fluffed. Anyway..

See how lovely the filling looks inside once they are done? I didn't add any extra oil while cooking. The filling gives out some and that was enough for me. If you want, go ahead and indulge by dabbing the cooked parathas with some butter while they are still hot.

I couldn't get over how the layers separated while eating and showed the lovely filling inside. Make sure you dip them in some curd / raita and pickles while eating.

Here is the recipe with measurements again in case it was lost up there among all those pictures.

Gobi Paratha Recipe

For the dough:

3 cups atta/whole wheat flour

1 cup and a bit more water

Salt

Mix in the salt and add water little by little to the atta to make a firm dough. Let it rest for about 30 minutes.

For the filling:

Minced cauliflower - 1 cup

Onion - 1/4 cup, minced

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Cumin / jeera - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Oil - 2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Heat oil, add the jeera and when it starts spluttering, add the minced onion and fry till golden brown. Next add the ginger garlic paste, garam masala and the chilli powder. Mix well with salt for a few seconds. Then add the cauliflower, sprinkle some water and cook covered on sim for about 10-12 mins. The cauliflower should be cooked well by now.

Autumnal Mash

Thanksgiving is fast approaching for us Canadians (next Monday), so tonight I experimented with a few dishes to prepare for our holiday meal with family. This dish is easy to make and tastes great (and is a great way to get kids to eat squash), and is also easy to blog. I am spending tonight working on my cookbook, so I will leave the more complicated dish for tomorrow's post.

INGREDIENTS

- equal parts of:

- peeled and cubed potatoes

- cauliflower florets

- peeled and de-seeded squash, chopped

- water

- margarine

- salt and pepper

METHOD

1. Place all veggies in a large pot (quantity will vary depending on how many people you are planning to serve). Cover with water, cover pot with a lid, then bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 mins, or until veggies are good and soft. Drain well.

2. Add a large spoonful of margarine to the pot, then mash well with a potato masher. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Aloo Gobi / Potato-Cauliflower Dry Curry

I am not a huge fan of Aloo Gobi but TH loves it! He loves anything with potatoes in it and cauliflower is his favourite vegetable. Last week he actually requested for this dish to have with chapatis, and it came as a surprise cuz normally he leaves the decision-making to me.

This is a simple, easy recipe that was done in about 20 minutes, perfect for a weeknight quick-fix dinner. It is also unarguably one of the most popular dishes in North Indian restaurants everywhere, especially outside India. A meal out is not considered complete without a nice and mildly spiced Aloo Gobi to go with the rotis (flat Indian bread)

What I Used (to serve 2):

Cauliflower/Gobi - 2 cups, cut into florets
Potatoes/Aloo - 2 medium sized ones, cubed
Onions - 1 big, chopped fine
Tomatoes - 1 cup, pureed
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp (or use 2 garlic pods and a 1/2" piece of ginger, both minced)
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch (about 1/4 tsp)
Coriander powder (malli podi)- 1 tbsp
Cumin powder (jeeraka podi) - 2 tsp
All-purpose curry masala - 1 tsp (optional)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 pinch (if you can't 'pinch' them, just use 1/4 tsp)
Salt - to taste

How I Made It:

1. Cook the potatoes covered in just about 1 cup water till semi-done (Insert a fork and it should barely be able to come out). This should take about 5-6 minutes.

2. Add the cauliflower to the potatoes and cover again, adding a little more water if necessary, along with the turmeric powder. Cook till cauliflower is just tender and not too mushy.

3. Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and temper the mustard seeds. Add the chopped onions and saute till the ends turn brown. Shouldn't take more than 2 mins.

4. Now add the ginger-garlic paste/minced and saute for another 30 seconds.

5. Once your kitchen starts smelling a bit nicer, add the chilly, cumin, coriander and curry masala (optional) to the above. Fry for another minute till the masala turns brown.

6. Its time to bring the pureed tomatoes into the spotlight now. Reduce fire and pour in the tomatoes mixing well with the existing contents of the pan. Add salt. Cook this for a good 5 minutes until the oil separates and there is a thick paste of masala, onions and tomatoes. (Your stove area is going to be a bit messy cuz tomato paste with splutter a bit. Ok, not a bit, a LOT)

7. Add the cooked potato-cauliflower pieces and blend well. Adjust salt if necessary. Cook till the curry becomes dry and the gravy just about covers the potatoes-cauliflower mixture.

8. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve hot with rotis.

This Sensational Side goes to the Monthly Mingle for September, hosted by Ruth and conceptualized by the talented, Meeta.

Related posts:

Gobi Ka Kheema
Gobi Peas Masala
Gujarati Khattai Aloo
Potato Masala

Nupur's Ultimate Bombay Street Food - Pav Bhaji

Ever since we reached Singapore, TH and I have been craving for chaat. It is definitely available in places like Little India and Serangoon Road but when we do go there once in a while, we opt for a full fledged meal and never chaat. One day I decided I should just make pav bhaji at home. Pav Bhaji is TH's favourite and the easiest to make when it comes to variety of ingredients involved.

The final taste was definitely 'cleaner' than you would find it on the streets but I did add copious amounts of butter like they do :D

This recipe is inspired by Nupur. Hers was the first search result when I was looking for a recipe. I have merely recreated her recipe here with the changes in measurements that I made.

What I Used:

Serves 4

Cauliflower - 2 cups, cleaned and chopped
Potatoes - 1 cup, cubed
Capsicum/green bell pepper - 1, minced
Tomato paste - 1 cup (or fresh tomato puree - 1.5 cups)
Peas - 1/2 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
Pav bhaji masala - 1.5 tbsp (I used Kohinoor)
Vegetable oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 1 tbsp and slightly more
Onions - 1/2 cup, minced
Coriander leaves - a bunch, minced

How I Made It:

1. Pressure cook the cauliflower and potatoes till tender.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan and saute the capsicum. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for another 20 seconds.

3. Add the turmeric powder, chilly powder, some salt and saute for a few more seconds.

4. Now add the tomato paste, peas, boiled potatoes and cauliflower, pav bhaji masala and butter.

5. Keep sauteeing and mashing it together till it is a smooth mixture, adding water as required. I used a potato masher like Nupur suggested and it worked like a charm. This is the step where you need a lot of patience. Do this saute-mix-mash step for about 25-30 minutes. I adjusted masala and chilly at this stage but my ingredients list mentions it with the changes I made. When you try it, change the spice level according to your taste.

6. Serve with pav if you are lucky enough to get it where you are. I served with buns, which were a far cry from the real thing. But it had to do. Slice it into half, dab on a generous amount of butter and toast it lightly. Serve the bhaji with some chopped onions, lemon wedges and coriander leaves on top.

It was a yummy dinner. Thank you Nupur! I am sending this to Sunshinemom's event - Food In Colour - Red.

Veggies in a Clay Baker

Not really a recipe tonight, more of an idea/method. I love cooking stuff in cast iron pans on the BBQ, and in clay bakers like the one seen here. This particular pig is happy that no one is eating his body. Tonight I filled him up with cauliflower and broccoli, about an inch of water, and placed in on the grill for about 20 mins.

Gobi Ka Kheema/Minced Cauliflower and Peas Curry

I remember seeing this dish a long while back on Suganya's Tasty Palettes. I followed her link to the original recipe on Ashwini's Food for Thought and immediately fell in love. The fact that both of them take amazing pictures could have also played a small part :D



Anyway, now am at home and my sister's kids are also here. They are vegetarians and one day there was just rasam and potato masala for lunch for them. I quickly looked up this recipe and it turned so so yummy that I am sure to make this again and again.

Gobi Ka Kheema
(recipe adapted from here)

What I Used:
(serves 4)

Cauliflower - 1 medium, cleaned and chopped fine
Bay leaves - 1-2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Onions - 2 medium, chopped fine
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Tomatoes - 3 big, pureed
Peas - 1/4 cup, boiled
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tsp + 2 tsp

How I Made It:

1. Heat 3 tsp oil in a pan and fry the chopped cauliflower till its semi-fried and golden brown.

2. Simultaneously, boil the peas till its cooked. Keep both aside.

3. Heat the 2 tsp oil in a pan and fry the onions till golden brown. Add the red chilli powder and the garam masala and fry for a minute.

4. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry for another 30 seconds.

5. Add the pureed tomatoes and the peas. Mix well.

6. Now add the fried cauliflower and mix again till the moisture from the tomatoes leaves the curry.

7. Add salt and remove from fire when the curry is thick enough and the ingredients have blended perfectly.

8. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro.

We had it with rice but next time I intend to make it as a side to chappathis. It was really yummy!

Cheesy Creamy Casserole

You may have noticed a few new things on the blog. I have put in a video bar that links to PETA's "Meet Your Meat," and to Morgan Spurlock's "Supersize Me." Actually, watching "Supersize Me" is what started me on the road to veganism. After seeing the film I started reading the books of the people he interviewed: John Robbins' Diet For a New America; Marion Nestle's Food Politics; Eric Scholsser's Fast Food Nation. There was no turning back from there. In the spirit of "Supersize Me," I also have started posting fast food "nutritional" info (although I know I will largely be preaching to the choir). It always blows my mind that vegans are seen as dietary weirdos, but eating a burger with 55 grams of fat is considered normal.

Tonight's meal was an attempt to use up the broccoli and cauliflower in the fridge in a way the boys would like. They loved it.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

- large handful baby spinach

Sauce

- 1 pkg firm tofu

- 1 onion, chopped

- 1 clove of garlic, minced

- 1/3 cup raw cashews

- 3/4 cup roasted red pepper (I used bottled peppers)

- 1-2 tsp salt

- freshly ground pepper

- 3/4 cup nutritional yeast

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 1 tsp mustard

- 1/4 cup arrowroot powder

- 3 cups soy milk

Topping

- 1/2 cup bread crumbs

- 1/3 cup ground almonds

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. Steam broccoli and cauliflower for 5-6 mins, until softened but still firm.

2. While veggies are steaming, make the sauce. Place sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to bubbling, whisking constantly.

3. Mix together steamed veggies, chickpeas, and spinach with sauce and pour into a large casserole dish. Top with bread crumbs and almonds. Bake for 40 mins, until bubbling and top is browned.

Potato Cauliflower Mash

OK, I admit that the picture for this is pretty weird (and so is the name), but it is really tasty. Let's face it: potatoes and cauliflower are friends. Combine these two with onions and garlic and you have a delicious combination that comforts you from head to toe. Not only that, the boys love it.

INGREDIENTS

- 3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

- 3 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

- 1 large onion, diced

- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets

- 2 cloves garlic

- dollop of margarine

- salt to taste

METHOD:

1. Place potatoes, onion, cauliflower, and garlic in a large pot and fill with enough water to almost cover the veggies. Bring to boiling and simmer for 20 mins, until all veggies are soft. Drain well.

2. Mash veggies well with margarine and salt. I use a electric beater to really blend it all well. Serve.

Cauliflower and Roasted Garlic Soup

We had two unused heads of cauliflower in the fridge, so I whipped up this soup for lunch. I was aiming for a creamy yet hearty texture, and this really fit the bill.

INGREDIENTS
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 3 leeks, thinly sliced (just the white parts)
- 2 heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
- water
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- plain soymilk
- salt and pepper to taste
- dried herbs for garnish (I used parsley, but I think chives would be nice)

METHOD
1. Saute onions, celery, and leeks for 15 mins on med-hi in a big stockpot. Seriously. This recipe makes a lot of soup.
2. Meanwhile, peel all the cloves in the head of garlic. Place in a pouch of aluminum foil with a splash of oil. Roast on a med-hi BBQ for about 15 mins.
3. Add in cauliflower florets. Add in water until it sits just under the veggies (i.e. not covering them). Cover and simmer until cauliflower is soft and easily broken up with a spoon.
4. Add in garlic cloves and blend in the pot with a hand blender. Blend in soymilk until desired consistency is reached (I used about 3 cups). Blend in nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each bowl with dried herbs when serving.

Cauliflower in a Cashew Sauce

We had family over this weekend, so we cooked up an Indian feast. As always, I made a large pot of dhal and some tandoori tofu. Both were big hits with our non-vegan guests. I also made this Cauliflower in a Cashew Sauce--awesome.

INGREDIENTS

- 3 onions, peeled and quartered

- 1 small can tomato paste

- 2/3 cup raw cashews

- 3 tsp garam masala

- 3 garlic cloves, crushed

- 2 tsp chili powder

- 2 tbsp lemon juice

- 1/2 tsp tumeric

- 2 tsp salt

- 4 tbsp soy yogurt

- 4 tbsp oil

- 2 1/2 cups water

- 1/2 bunch fresh coriander, chopped

- 1/4 cup golden raisins

- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets

- 2 cups mushrooms, cut in quarters

METHOD:

1. Put first 10 ingredients (onion through yogurt) into a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Heat oil in a large pot or wok on medium. Fry lixture from blender for 2 minutes. Add cauliflower and mix well.

3. Add water, raisins, and half the coriander. Cover and cook until cauliflower is tender (about 15 - 20 minutes).

4. Add mushrooms and cook for another 10 mins. Garnish with reminaing coriander and serve

Indian Feast, Part 2

Cauliflower and Potato Curry
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 medium sized potatoes
- 1/3 head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 fresh green chili, chopped
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp tumeric
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 tomato, chopped

METHOD:
1. Peel potatoes and cube. Parboil them with the cauliflower for about 6-8 mins. Drain.
2. Heat oil in a wok, or large pan. Fry chili for 1 min, then add potatoes and cauliflower and fry for 5 mins.
3. Add spices, tomato, and water. Cook until veggies are tender (10 mins or so). Garnish with chopped cilantro if you have it.

Tandoori Tofu
I use a commercial tandoori masala spice mix for this one, but I suppose you could make your own. I take tofu that has been frozen and thawed, slice it into thick slabs, and marinate in the following:
- 1/2 cup of plain soymilk (you are really supposed to use yogurt, but the only soy yogurt I can find here is expensive and pretty nasty.)
- 2 tsbp oil
- 2 tsp tandoori masala (or more, if you like)
The thawed tofu will soak up the liquid. Then, grill on a vey hot and well oiled grill for 5 mins per side.