For some reason I can't quite fathom, I always think of cauliflower as broccoli's ugly stepsister. Plain, pale, kind of stinky, cauliflower is definitely
not going to the ball. However, it
is cheap. And as my mom always says, "What's not to like about cheap?" When a fresh, locally grown vegetable has a 99 cent sticker on it, it is not only calling my name, it's practically jumping outta the bin and into my cart, as
Billy Ocean would say. Okay, so Billy Ocean wouldn't exactly say that, but I did have that song stuck in my head the minute I saw the price tag. I had to buy one.
Now if I was a cauliflower and I wanted a make-over, I'd definitely head for the Indian kitchen. Almost no cuisine I've heard of has done as much to put cauliflower in the spotlight. Spiced up, dolled up and with bell peppers as their wingman, you can't beat it.
Cauliflower With Peppers and Peas
Here's what to do:
In a large skillet or kadhai, heat up 2 Tbs of vegetable oil.
When the oil is hot toss in:
1 fresh serrano chili finely chopped
1/8 tsp of turmeric
1/4 tsp of cumin seeds
Stir them around for one minute
Then add in one head of cauliflower broken into small florets
1/2 cup of red bell peppers thinly sliced
1/2 cup of yellow bell pepper thinly sliced.
Stir it all around and saute it until the cauliflower has browned all around the edge.
Turn down the heat a bit and add in:
1 cup of defrosted frozen peas
1/2 tsp of salt
1 Tbs of lemon juice
1/2 tsp of
sambar powder.
Stir everything together, so it's well mixed, sprinkle with a bit of fresh chopped cilantro and serve it up.
Serve it with some rice, another vegetable side and some hot chapattis. Or it's equally at home snuggling next to a chicken breast or any other Western-style main dish. This is the dish that confirms..."Nobody puts Cauliflower in the corner!"
