Cauliflower in tomato carrot gravy

I have started cooking Cauliflower in the Bengali way. Well, in this method, break down the cauliflower into florets.Put these florets in a vessel filled with water. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric & a tsp of salt to the vessel.Bring the water containing the florets in water to a boil on a gas stove. .Put off the gas.Drain the water. The cauliflower florets are ready to be cooked.This method removes residual pesticides from cauliflower. Cauliflower is sprayed with too many pesticides. Hence, this method to make it safer for consumption.

I had boiled  cauliflower florets in salt turmeric water & kept in the morning. I was trying to prepare a gravy when the bell rang. It was the gas pipeline fellow .He said he is going to check for leakage in gas pipeline. He checked & found all to be fine. He then put off the gas supply as they were fixing the gas pipelines all over the building where I reside. I knew,that I will have to use the microwave. The gas supply was to be restored by six in the evening.I decided to use the microwave to make the sabzi.

Ingredients : 200 gm Cauliflower florets boiled in salt turmeric water , 1tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1 medium carrot peeled , 2 tomatoes-chopped into cubes, 1/2 tsp flax seed powder ( optional ) , 2-3 green chillies roughly chopped, 1/2 tsp grated ginger,  few curry leaves,1/4 tsp black pepper powder,  1/4 tsp garam masala powder, salt to taste.

Method : Grind the chopped green chillies, grated ginger & curry leaves into a grainy mix. Keep aside.

Grind chopped carrots & tomatoes into a fine paste. Keep aside.

Take oil in microwave able vessel & add cumin seeds to it. Microwave on high for 1 minute.Add grated chilli-ginger-curry leaves mix to the vessel.Microwave on high for a minute.Add carrot tomato paste to vessel.Remember that cualiflower florets have been boiled in salt water.Microwave on high for 2.5 minutes. Add 1/4 water & salt to taste  to vessel. Add flax seed powder to vessel. Give the mix in vessel a good stir with a spoon. Microwave again on high for another 2.5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets to vessel.Give the vessel ingredients a stir.Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes. Give the ingredients another good stir. Add  pepper powder & garam masala powder & give it another stir. Microwave on high for 2-3 minutes.Put off microwave. Let it cool.After five minutes, take out the vessel from microwave. Serve with rotis and or pulao .

As flax seed powder was added, the gravy was quite thick .So very doubtful , if this gravy can be had with plain rice in place of dal.Though with pualo, its should work out fine.

Aloo -gobhi in pressure cooker.

Well, there is a joke, about any such mixed veggie dish-if it is aloo gobhi ,it has more potaoes less of cauliflower & if it is gobhi aloo ,it has more cauliflower & less of aloos. !

My vegetable recipe has no such standard.I just added aloo,gobhi ,tomato & some spices & pressure cooked it.

Ingredients : 1/4 kg cauliflower -cleaned & cut into medium sized florets,2-3 aloos -peeled & diced into big chunks,1 tomato,1/4 inch ginger -grated,1 green chilli -chopped in two -three pieces,2 tsp oil,1 tsp all spice powder ( garam  masala ) or a mixture of pepper,dhania & jeera powder,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 hing,salt to taste.

Method : Take oil in a kadhai & put it on the gas for cooking.As the oil gets warmer ,toss aloo chunks,grated ginger & green chilli.Shallow fry for 2-3 minutes.Add haldi & hing & mix all to enable haldi & hing to nicely coat the aloo pieces.Now put in the cauliflower florets & mix all veggies once again.Lastly add tomatoes,all spice powder & salt & nicely mix.Put off the gas.

Take all this veggie mix & transfer it into a vessel which can be fitted into the cooker.Sprinkle little water & mix all together.Pressure cook for two to three whistles.Check for the veggie after the cooker has cooled down.It will have cooked well.Mine had cooked after 2 whsitles.If not ,it can be cooked outside cooker or pressure cooked for 1 whistle.This method uses little oil.Water is sprinkled on the veggie so that florets don't get overcooked & aloo pieces get cooked.

Kadhai Gobhi

I had sent in this recipe to HT cafe & it was in the weekly column "Ghar Ka Khana" on 16th April,2009.

Ingredients:250gm cauliflower cut into medium sized florets,2 carrots diced,6 beans cut into 1/2 inch pieces,1 small bowl of peas,1 large capsicum diced,1 medium sized tomato diced,1/2 inch ginger grated,1 large green chilli cut into 1/2 inch pieces,1 tbsp dhania powder,1 /2 tsp pepper powder,1 tbsp oil for cooking,1/2 tsp turmeric,1/4 tsp hing,salt to taste.
Method : Heat oil in the kadhai & add grated ginger & green chilli pieces.Then add cauliflower florets,carrots,beans & peas.Add turmeric & hing.Keep a plate filled with water on the kadhai whilst the veggies are getting cooked.Add a little water to the veggies in the kadhai to cook the veggies after 5-10 minutes of cooking.Once the veggies are tender,add capsicum.After 2-3 minutes add tomatoes followed by dhania powder,pepper& salt.After 5 minutes ,put off the gas.Garnish with coriander.

This is a sabzi wherein you can add aloos  & pyaaz also if you wish.