Cauliflower and peas curry

Spicy vegetable curry

When everyday cooking takes a toll on my imagination, I go blank very often and look for some inspiration in my cook books. I wrote down this recipe from a woman’s magazine many years back. It is a rich, creamy curry with cauliflower and peas that has made repeated appearance in my kitchen. The infamous stinky cauliflower transforms into an aromatic delicacy when fried in ghee. That changes this dish into something incredible making any cauliflower hater fall head over heels, when the smell wafts in the air. It is my ‘go to’ recipe when I have guests because it is a suitable curry to go with any flat bread.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 cup green peas
• 1 tbsp ghee
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 large onion sliced
• 1/2 cup curd
• 8-10 cashew nuts
• 1 tsp poppy seeds
• 1 piece cinnamon
• 2 green cardamons
• 4 cloves
• 1 tbsp crushed ginger
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• coriander leaves to garnish

1. Wash and cut cauliflower into small florets.
2. Grind poppy seeds and cashew nuts to a paste adding water.
3. Powder cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
4. Fry onion till golden brown.
5. Add curd to fried onion and grind to a fine paste.
6. Fry cauliflower florets in ghee till light brown in colour.
7. In a heavy bottom pan add 1 tbsp oil and splutter cumin seeds in hot oil.
8. Add ginger, red chilli powder, spice powder and stir well.
9. Immediately add fried cauliflower and peas to the pan.
10. Mix well adding onion paste and cook for 5 minutes covered.
11. Add poppy & cashew nut paste.
12. Wait for all the spices to blend into a thick gravy.
13. Simmer the curry for 5 minutes adding enough water.
14. Turn off heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Cook cauliflower and peas until they are soft but still retaining their shape.

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