Cauliflower Rassa

Learning my mom’s recipes has been all about getting familiar with “families” of ingredients.  These families are what makes up the various curry powders and pastes.  One family, already featured in the Chana Masala recipe, consists of cumin, coriander, turmeric, and chili powder.  

Another family, not “curry” but integral to many Maharashtrian dishes, is a pungent union of green chilis, ginger, and garlic. 

This trio is deliciously sinus-clearing, especially after the required chopping/grinding that brings them together before you begin cooking.  If you’re using this mix and you’re low on time, I would recommend chopping up a big batch of the chili/ginger/garlic trio ahead of time and freezing them in an ice-cube tray.  Once frozen, you can store them in a ziploc bag and then just thaw them out or throw them directly into the pot when you’re cooking. 

Since I’ve been home I’ve been asking my mom to introduce me to some of the more ethnic dishes and spice combinations, so hopefully I can meet some new mixtures soon to show you soon!

Ingredients

• One head cauliflower cut into medium sized pieces (separate long stems from their florets)
• 4 Tbsp canola/vegetable oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 1 serrano chili minced/ground in a morter & pestle
• 5 cloves garlic minced/ground
• 2″ ginger peeled and minced/ground
• 1.5 tsp salt
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1.5 cup peas (I use frozen)
• 0.5 cups cilantro

Heat the oil on a medium-high flame for a minute or two. Sizzle the cumin seeds for 1-2 minutes. Add the onions and sautee until they become translucent, about 6 minutes. Add chili, ginger and garlic sauté till fragrant, about 3 minutes (or before it starts looking dry). Add chopped tomatoes and sauté until they break down. Add the turmeric and cayenne and mix with a spoon. Add cauliflower and salt and sauté until well coated with spices and slightly caramelized, about 3-4 minutes. Add peas and 1 cup of water. Mix thoroughly.  Put the spoon in the pot, cover the pot with a lid so that the spoon creates a gap, and simmer till fork tender.  Add the cilantro and mix.  Salt to taste if needed. 

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