Spicy Cauliflower

The perfect Indian side dish.

It seems like every time I make this recipe, it turns out a little different. It’s always quite tasty but I do like to experiment with the spices. Cauliflower is quite bland so it’s fun to try to come up with new tastes when cooking it.

Today, however I decided to write the recipe down step by step so that I could finally get it onto the blog.

It’s funny as cauliflower is one vegetable my kids wouldn’t touch before I started cooking it with a little more spice. I don’t really know why. They aren’t huge spice fans and I usually end up toning my curries down a heat notch or two for them.

This dish isn’t what I would call spicy but it does have  a nice bite to it. It’s great served as a side dish. I’ve also served this spicy cauliflower wrapped in homemade dosas and chutneys which really went down well.

Start by frying the cauliflower in the hot oil. Then add the spices.

Stir in the fresh coriander.

Dig in!

You could also add a teaspoon of cumin seeds at the same time you add the fennel.

Yield: 4

Pan Fried Spicy Cauliflower

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

• One large head of Cauliflower cut into one inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon black mustard seeds
• 10 fresh curry leaves (optional) - chopped
• 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
• 3 tablespoons fresh coriander.
• 3 cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli flakes
• A pinch of hot red chilli powder
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Pour the oil into a pan over medium heat.
2. Throw in the mustard seeds, chopped curry leaves and fennel seeds. The mustard seeds will begin to pop.
3. When they do, add the cauliflower and stir it all up in the pan for a few minutes.
4. Now add the garlic and fry for a further couple of minutes.
5. Stir in the turmeric, red chilli flakes and chilli powder followed by the fresh coriander.
6. The cauliflower will begin to cook through. You want the florets to be cooked through but still have a bit of resistance. Some of the smaller pieces will become nice and crispy.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.