Tomato Sauce Pasta

As my husband is a fan of Alfredo sauce pasta, i hardly try something else with pasta. Also, for some reason I do not like red color pastas (tomato sauce pasta) from anywhere outside, I feel it is more ketchupy :). So, this home made one was a step I wanted to take before denouncing tomato sauce pastas for good. Yes, it was not ketchupy when prepared fresh, it was tangy and different. I liked it and he quite liked it.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1.     Pasta - 200 gm

2.     Tomato - 4

3.     Yellow bell pepper - 1

4.     Garlic - 4 cloves

5.     Onion – 1

6.     Corn starch – 1 tbsp

7.     Salt to taste

8.     Sugar - 1 pinch

9.     Italian seasoning - 1/2 tsp

10. Pepper crushed - 1 tsp

11. Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1:  Cook the pasta as per instructions on the pack, toss with few drops of oil and keep it.

Step 2: Puree the tomatoes in a mixer slightly chunky if you prefer, chop the bell pepper & onion in the size matching the pasta used and fine slice the garlic.

Step 3: Heat a non- stick pan add a tablespoon of olive oil, sliced garlic and chopped onion. Toss the bell pepper with it. Sprinkle a pinch of crushed pepper and salt.

Step 4: Add to it the cooked pasta and toss them well and keep aside.

Step 5: In the same pan or another one, add less than a spoon of oil and add Italian seasoning to it. Pour in the pureed tomato and let it boil for 5 minutes.

Step 6: Mix corn starch in some water and stir in the boiling tomato sauce to thicken it. This gives an even consistency to sauce.

Step 7: Add salt and crushed pepper to the sauce.

Step 8: While serving spread the pasta and pour the sauce on top.

TIPS:

*Garnish with shredded cheese if you like it and do not mind some extra calories.

Coriander chutney

Until recently, I used to prepare coriander chutney with only coriander which used to taste good when fresh but turn dark, grainy and separate water after 15 minutes or so. I tried this coconut combined coriander chutney that is the restaurant style one and it was good in texture, taste and color and goes perfectly with south Indian tiffin but may not go well with chats or parathas kinds.

Serves: 2

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

1. Coriander - 1 bunch

2. Coconut - 5" piece

3. Lemon juice - 1 tbsp

4. Green chilies - 3

5. Salt to taste

6. Oil - 1/2 tbsp

7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

8. Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp

9. Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

Step 1: Grind fresh coriander, coconut, green chilies, salt and lemon juice together in a mixer jar.

Step 2: Prepare tempering by spluttering mustard seeds in hot oil, then roast urad dal in it till golden brown and throw in curry leaves.

Step 3: Pour the tempering over the chutney and serve with idli or dosa.

Maainji (Mango-ginger) Rice

I have not had mango-ginger in any form other than pickle. This time when I got mango-ginger I wanted to prepare anything but pickle; from internet (more specifically from www.7aumsuvai.com) I learnt mango ginger rice can be prepared and was more than happy to try it out. It so flavorful but tastes & looks more like lemon rice.

Ingredients:

1. Mango ginger -  4" piece
2. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
3. Dry red chilies - 3
4. Oil - 2 tbsp
5. Urad dal - 1 tbsp
6. Bengal gram - 1 tbsp
7. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
8. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
9. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
10. Onion - 1 small (optional)
11. Lemon juice - 1-2 tbsp (optional)
12. Cooked rice - 2 cups
13. Salt to taste


Method:

Step 1:  Wash, peel and grate the mango ginger; chop onion finely if using.
Step 2: Heat oil in a kadai, splutter mustards seeds in it, fry bengal gram & urad dal, add broken chilies, curry leaves and sprinkle asafoetida & turmeric powder.
Step 3: Saute onion (if using) and then grated mango-ginger.
Step 4: Now add cooked rice, salt to taste and mix thoroughly. Drizzle more oil and lemon juice if required.
Step 5: Serve with any fries or papads.

TIPS:
* Roasted peanuts can be added in the tempering which will make it more tasty and healthy.

Palak Dosa

There is no need mention the health  aspects of spinach or palak for even a small kid would say how powerful the popeye becomes on consuming spinach, thanks to popeye (or whomsoever designed and linked the character with spinach) by whose courtesy feeding greens to kids have become way easier. I had some not-so fresh spinach in fridge and thought if I can color and fortify my dosas with that... and it worked.

Ingredients:

1. Spinach - 1 small bunch

2. Green chilies - 2

3. Dosa batter - 2 cups

4. Salt to taste.

Method:

Step 1: Clean and chop the greens and chilies and put them in a mixer and blend well.

Step 2: Mix it with dosa batter, adjust consistency and salt.

Step 3: Prepare palak dosas as normal dosas.

Step 4: Serve hot with chutneys or sambar.

TIPS:

*  Alternatively you can saute the chilies and greens slightly or steam them and then blend it,  if greens are not pre-cooked, the dosas take a slightly longer time to cook.
* You can add chopped onions to batter or spread them on top like in uttapams to mask the flavor of spinach if you do not like the flavor.

Gobi Paratha

Stuffed parathas are tedious job for me, but they are well worth the effort; Kundan is fond of them. Someday, if I feel like getting appreciated no-matter-what, I just prepare parathas; from that angle parathas are simple. Usually phool gobi or cauliflower is fried to prepare the stuffing which I did not do, I used it raw but I think frying it slightly gives better texture and flavor. 

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower florets - 1 cup

2. Onion chopped - 1/2 cup

3. Coriander - 5 sprigs

4. Green Chilies - 2

5. Juice of half a lemon

6. Salt to taste

7. Butter & Oil as required

8. Wheat flour - 2 cups

9. Carom seeds - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Step 1: Knead wheat flour with required salt, carom seeds, a spoon of oil and required water into a soft and elastic dough.

Step 2: Clean the cauliflower florets and grate them (I 'drrr' them in the mixer); chop onion, coriander and green chilies finely.

Step 3: Add cauliflower, onion, green chilies, coriander, salt, chili powder and lemon juiceto a bowl and mix well; this is how I prepared my hassle-free stuffing. [However, the tastier one is got by: spluttering cumin seeds in hot oil; then saute the chilies, onion, grated cauliflower in it; add chili powder, turmeric powder,  garam masala, amchoor powder and finally adding the coriander]

Step 4: Now divide the dough and stuffing into equal number of similar sized portions.

Step 5: With the help of dry flour roll the dough portion and grease center with some oil, place a portion of stuffing in there, fold on top-bottom sides and then side edges towards the center thus forming a square shape.

Step 6: Massage gently with fingers to spread the stuffing inside evenly, then with the help of some dry flour roll it again to a thinner paratha, retaining the shape. Repeat for all parathas.

Step 7: Heat a tawa, grease some oil or butter and roast both the sides to nice brown; ensure the inside is cooked as the parathas are thicker and multi-folded.

Muhammara

Sometimes we like cooking something fancy in our kitchen right, muhammara fell on my sight for such a trial.  This is a Syrian dip made primarily out of red bell pepper and walnut which I replaced with almonds. I had bought this lovely bright triangles from store though. Until I ate it, I did not think that it could taste as good as it looks, yummm... If you have the required ingredients at home, it is worth a try definitely.

Ingredients:

1. Red bell pepper - 1 large

2. Walnut or roasted almonds - 1/2 cup

3. Garlic - 4 cloves

4. Roasted cumin seeds - 1/2 tbsp

5. Crushed pepper - 1 tsp

6. Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp

7. Chili powder - 1 tsp

8. Salt to taste

9. Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup

10. Lemon - 1

11. Olive oil - 1/4 cup

Method:

Step 1: Wash and pat dry the bell pepper. Brush some olive oil onto the surface of it and roast it on direct stove. You can also roast it in a microwave oven. Cool it down, peel of the charred skin, de-seed and chop them roughly.

Step 2: Now in a mixer jar, add bell pepper and all other ingredients and grind into a thick dip. (My bell pepper is not roasted enough and hence looks stiff; ideally it should be pliable)

 Step 3: Garnish with coriander or mint and drizzle some olive oil over it and serve with crispy nachos/ tortilla chips.

TIPS:

* Pomegranate molasses is another key ingredient used in traditional recipes of muhammara, you may get that sweet and sharp pungency by adding it. 

Fresh Pepper & Mango-Ginger Pickle

This is watery pickle which goes perfectly with curd rice. Fresh pepper corn sprigs and mango ginger are available during season and my granny or mom grabs them at every possible chance to make this mouth watering pickle. Unlike most pickles of India that betters on ageing for months, these are eaten fresh say within 15 days or so; the pickle contains water and  the crunch of them is lost in time which could be the reason.

Ingredients:

1. Mango ginger - 1 cup chopped 

2. Fresh pepper corn sprigs - 4

3. Gingelly oil - 1 tbsp

4. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

5. Chili powder - 1 tbsp

6. Salt - 3/4 tbsp

7. Fenugreek powder - 1 tsp

8. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

9. Lemon - 1

Method:

Step 1: Peel and chop the mango ginger into 1/2 " pieces.



Step 2: Break the pepper spring into small ones with each containing not more than 10 pepper corns.

Step 3: Heat a cup of water and keep it ready.
Step 4: Now heat gingelly oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and switch off the stove.
Step 5: Immediately before the heat subsides, add to it the chili powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and salt.
Step 6: When the spices foams up fully, add the hot water and add in the mango ginger & pepper. Squeeze in lemon juice.
Step 7: Mix well and store in air tight container after cooling down.
Step 8: Serve with curd rice.

TIPS:
* Store in refrigerator if using for more than 2 days.

Jowar Stew with Garlic Bread

Jowar is nutrient rich grain that is generally consumed in countryside than in cities. I had tried preparing a stew with this and other ingredients available at home along with some garlic bread. The combo made a good  wholesome dinner for us.

Ingredients:

1. Jowar - 1 cup

2. Whey water - 1lt

3. Salt to taste

4. Carrot chopped - 1 cup

5. Bush beans chopped - 1 cup

6. Tomato chopped - 2

7. Onion chopped - 1 cup

8. Potato chopped - 1 cup

9. Fresh beans - 1/2 cup

10. Oil or butter - 1 tbsp

11. Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

12. Spinach - 5 leaves

13. Coriander - 4 sprigs

14. Lemon - 1/2

15. Pepper crushed - 1 tsp

16. Chili powder - 1 tsp

17. Garam masala - 1 tsp

 For garlic bread:

1. Bread - 4 slices

2. Olive oil - 2 tbsp

3. Crushed pepper - 1/2 tsp

4. Salt as per taste

5. Dry Italian spice mix - 1/4 tsp (If available)

6. Garlic - 4 cloves

Method:

For Jowar stew:

Step 1: Wash and soak the jowar over night; you can also sprout them which is what I did. Then before preparing the stew, pressure cook it with salt for about 7 whistles.

Step 2: In a handi, heat the oil/ butter and splutter cumin seeds in it; then saute onion and add other vegetables one by one. 

Step 3: When they become glossy, add the cooked jowar and add the stew. Cook on simmer for 20 minutes.

                                      

Step 4: Now add the dry spices: chili powder, garam masala, crushed pepper and adjust salt.

Step 5: Tear the spinach leaves and throw into the stew, stir well and switch off the heat.

Step 6: Now squeeze in juice of a lemon and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.

For Garlic bread:

Step 1:  Grate the garlic cloves finely. 

Step 2: In a small cup, take olive oil mix in it the grated garlic and italian spice mix.

Step 3: Brush this mix onto both the sides of each bread slice.

Step 4: Stack the bread slices and cut them into 4 quadrants.

Step 5: In a heated tawa, roast the bread pieces in simmered heat until brown and crisp.

Step 6: Sprinkle salt and pepper over them and serve with the hot stew.

Karuveppilai Podi

This is another simple and  flavorful creation from my mother-in-law's kitchen. Curry leaves are unique in Indian more specifically south Indian cuisines. The aroma of 'talippu' is to die for and like in the tamil song '...pasi konda neram, thallipu osai sringara sangeetham...' the sound of tempering (talippu or tadka) is itself so very musical; curry leaves are very instrumental in this process of tallipu. Usually, people consume the flavor but not curry leaves fully; so recipes like these are really very useful to completely benefit from the goodness of curry leaves.

Ingredients:

1. Curry leaves - 2 cups

2. Dry red chilies - 4 or 5

3. Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup

4. Salt to taste

5. Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash and dry the curry leaves preferably  in shade to retain color.

Step 2: Heat half a tsp oil in a tawa and roast the chilies.

Step 3: In the same tawa, add another half a tsp oil and roast coriander seeds until aroma fills the room.

Step 4: In the same tawa dry roast the curry leaves just to make them crisp.

                

Step 5: Cool them down and powder them between coarse and fine, slightly flaky.

Step 6: Store in a airtight container for even more than a month.

Step 7: Serve it with hot steamed rice and ghee. 

TIPS:

* You can also add this powder to the sabjis and curries to give it flavor and fortify it ;).

Shahi Tukda

Shahi tukda is a famous gilt-edged dessert from north India. I made it as an instant dessert for my sweet toothed husband, so it is not the typical one but a easy and relatively healthy variant, I would say.

Ingredients:

1. Bread slices - 4
2. Gulkand - 3 tbsp
3. Butter/ Ghee - 2 tbsp
4. Almonds - a fistful
5. Milk - 250 ml.
6. Sugar - 2 tbsp
7. Cardamom powder - 2 pinches
8. Slivered or chopped nuts - 1 tbsp
9. Rose petals (Optional)

Method:

Step 1: Soak almonds in water for an hour and peel off the skin. Make it into a paste with some milk.
Step 2: Trim the edges of the bread slices by stacking them; then diagonally cut them to get symmetrical triangles.
Step 3: Smear ghee or butter generously on both the sides of the bread triangles and roast them on a simmered tawa to get crisp golden brown toasts; keep working on them so that they don't become tough and rusk-like.
Step 4: Bring the milk to boil and simmer to reduce it; once it becomes thick flavorful, add the almond paste, sugar and cardamom powder and reduce further until it gets a very thick flowy consistency.
Step 5: Now make four triangular gulkand sandwiches with thick layer of juicy gulkand.
Step 6:Arrange the sandwiches in the serving plate and pour the reduced flavored milk over them.
Step 7: Top with the slivered or chopped nuts.
Step 8: Serve as is or garnish with rose petals if available.

TIPS:
* The gulkand can be fried slightly if it is to thick to smear on bread; it contains sugar which loosens on heating.
* The traditional recipe requires the breads to be deep fried in ghee or oil and dipped in sugar syrup.
* You can roast the bread in microwave oven to get it evely roasted and it also helps to keep nil or minimum butter/ ghee.

Rice Kheer

I am starting the new year with an usual sweet, that I had prepared to share with neighbors and friends around. This is one sweet that we don't get bored with, so most festivals and occasions run on this dessert. 

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 1 lt

2. Water - 1/2 lt

3. Salt - 1 pinch

4. Jeera rice - 1 1/2 cups

5. Sugar - 1 cup

6. Melon seeds - 4 tbsp

7. Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash and soak the rice in water for 15 minutes.

Step 2: Bring to boil half a liter milk mixed with half a liter water with a pinch of salt.

Step 3: Simmer the stove and add the drained rice and let it cook; stir occasionally. This may take 20 minutes time approximately.

Step 4: Once the rice is cooked well, add sugar and melon seeds. You can roast the melon seeds in ghee if you want, I prefer to add them raw.

Step 5: Let it cook for more 5 minutes and then turn off stove. Mix in cardamom powder. 

Step 6: Serve hot or chilled.

TIPS:
* The consistency thickens on cooling, you can dilute with milk while serving.
*. My mom does not add cardamom as jeera rice has its unique flavor. Flavoring is optional, and rose flavor also suits well for this kheer.
* Basmati rice can be used if jeera rice is unavailable.
* Nuts like almonds or cashews can be slivered and replaced for melon seeds. As few desserts use melon seeds, I use them wherever applicable.

Carrot Ginger Soup

Actually, this is an uncomplicated thick soup probably would fall under bisque category. I prefer accompanying this with light or no dinner. There are few dishes I like to add cooked carrots and this is one of them that brings out a wonderful flavor, taste and color of carrots.

Ingredients:

1. Carrot - 5

2. Ginger - 2" piece

3. Milk - 1/2 cup

4. Olive oil - 1 tbsp

5. Pepper crushed - 1/2 tsp

6. Salt to taste

Method:

Step 1: Peel and slice the carrots and ginger.

Step 2: In a pan, toss sliced vegetables with  olive oil in medium heat. 

Step 3: Saute them until tender. Let it cool down.

Step 4: Grind them fine in a mixer jar with some water as required.

Step 5: Heat milk in the same pan that is used to saute, stir in the pureed veggies and season with salt and pepper. Adjust consistency with water or milk.

Step 6: Garnish with fresh cream and serve it hot or warm.

Kathirikai kaarakuzhambu

Kaarakuzhambu is a thick spicy curry that is eaten with steamed rice. Coming from a village background, I have grown up seeing peasants and laborers consuming this almost everyday for supper. This is a preferred curry for mass cooking as it is simple, economical and quite filling. Even today, while I stand in the balcony or terrace, I see in the construction sites here and there someone cooking with small stoves making rice in pots and karakuzhambu in sattis, the aroma appetites me in no time. More than the taste of the dish itself, it is the love and gratitude I've seen these people eating it with after the whole day's exhaustion, they celebrate the mere satisfaction of hunger for food; sometimes they stay far away from their families for work yet become family with people around. I really envy their attitude of living in the present.

Ingredients:

1. Brinjal - 5

2. Onion - 1

3. Tomato - 1

4. Garlic - 1/2 pod

5. Gingelly oil - 2 tbsp

6. Vengaya vadagam - 1/4 ball or 1 heap tbsp 

7. Curry powder - 2 tbsp

8. Tamarind - gooseberry size or 2 tbsp store bought pulp

9. Salt to taste

Method:

Step 1: Wash and chop brinjal, tomato, onion and peel the garlic cloves.

Step 2: If using tamarind, soak the tamarind in water and squeeze out pulp and keep aside.

Step 2: In a kadai heat the gingelly oil and add vengaya vadagam to it. 

Step 3: Once the spices splutters and browns well, add onion, garlic to saute until soft; then add tomato and finally the brinjal. Saute for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Add curry powder, salt and water and let it boil for 10 minutes in low flame.

Step 5: Add the tamarind pulp and stir to boil for 5 more minutes.

Step 6: Serve with hot steamed rice along with papad.

TIPS:

* Vengaya vadagam is a mixture of spices along with onion that are soaked in castor oil and then sun dried; it is said to have lot of medicinal properties in addition to the strong flavour it renders to the curry. 

* If vengaya vadagam is not available, you can splutter the spices like mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek, asafoetida, red chilies, curry leaves and urad dal seperately before adding the vegetables.

* Kaarakuzhambu can be prepared with other vegetables like potato, ladies finger, radish, colocasia or drumstick also.

Beetroot Juice

Today my husband prepared some beetroot juice for me with little help from me which entitles me to add it into this blog. I have had beet soups still not really the beet juice; usually beet juice is mixed with carrot juice for some reason but he made with plain beets. It had a very dark purple color and was dense in flavour. Beet juice is said to have treasures of minerals and is beneficial for blood. It looked so glamorous and tasted good.

Ingredients:

1. Beetroot - 4

2. Salt - 1/2 tsp

3. Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

4. Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash, peel and cut the beet roots into cubes.

Step 2: Using a juicer or a mixer jar extract juice from the vegetable. Strain it well if you are using mixer jar.

Step 3: Chill it in refrigerator, better not to use ice cubes.

Step 4: Add salt, cumin powder, pepper and mix well and pour into serving glasses.

Step 5: Garnish with mint leaves if you've.

Colocasia Fry

Many people do not like colocasia for texture when cooked or for its taste itself. The leaves of colocasia is also rich in iron and has wider culinary usage; however, fry is the most preferred recipe for making this vegetable edible in tamilnadu and I've not seen the leafy colocasia sold around here. Normally colocasia fries are marinated and deep fried; I do not choose to deep fry because I hate reusing that spice flavoured oil and  so I keep away from such recipes as much as possible. And I made a low oil fry, but it is little time consuming relatively but the taste and texture is equally good if not better.

Ingredients:

1. Colocasisa - 10-15
2. Gram flour - 1 tbsp
3. Rice flour - 1 tbsp
4. Corn flour - 1/2 tbsp
5. Curry powder - 1 tbsp
6. Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
8. Salt to taste
9. Oil - 2-3 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Wash, par boil the colocasia, peel them and make thick slices out of them.
Step 2: Mix all the given dry ingredients in a cup well.
Step 3: Heat oil in a non-stick fry pan and put the dry mix into it. Fry for half a minute in low flame and add the colocasia delicately into the pan.
Step 4: Toss to coat the vegetable with masala and them spread them evenly on the surface of the pan with a flat ladle.

Step 5: Flip or toss after 5 minutes to brown on the other side of the vegetable. Keep the heat low  to medium throughout.
Step 6: Once crisp and brown, turn off heat. Overdoing would harden the vegetable.
Step 7: Serve with sambar rice or rasam rice or curd rice. 

Strawberry Custard Pudding

Custards are harmless desserts, I mean it is as good as a milk shake without grease or loads of sugar. We can enhance its goodness with fresh fruits and flavours. I use china grass alias agar-agar as the solidifying agent, it is a vegetarian substitute for gelatin and I learn it has certain health benefits as well.

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 1/2 litre
2. Sugar - 4 tbsp
3. Custard powder - 2 tbsp
4. Strawberry - 8-10
5.Strawberry essence - few drops (Skip if your custard powder is flavoured or you don't have essence)
6. China grass - 1 tbsp (if it is available as strands take say 5-6 of them)

Method:

Step 1: Boil milk with sugar in a thick bottomed pan.
Step 2: In  few spoons of cold milk dissolve the custard powder.
Step 3: Boil  1/4 cup water in a cup and dissolve china grass in it. Strain it if necessary.
Step 4: Slowly pour the custard mix into the boiling milk and keep stirring to avoid formation of lumps. Add essence if you are using it.
Step 5: Switch off the stove and pour the dissolved china grass into the custard. Let it cool down for sometime.
Step 6: In the mean time wash and cut some strawberry slices and arrange them flat in the bowl you are going to set the custard.
Step 7: Chop or pulp the rest of the strawberries and mix it in the custard.
Step 8: Pour the custard slowly into the bowl and set it for at least 6 hours.
Step 9: Take a big plate whose circumference is larger than the custard bowl's; cover the plate upside down over the bowl and now topple it. Tap slightly if it is not coming onto the plate.

TIPS:
* Pineapple/ Raspberry/ Mango and Vanilla are other common flavours of custard pudding. Caramel forms the crust for vanilla flavour instead of fruits.
* The stiffness of custard pudding depends on amount of china grass used and creaminess depends on custard powder and milk.
* Use bowls without inside grooves else the fruits don't stay in place, also while sliding out they may get broken.

Cauliflower Masala

Phool gobi is a big winter gift; those heap of cute, white blossoms are lovely to just look at in the vegetable market, let alone the umpteen recipes that wait the whole year for these to come in season. I still remember the plain salted and blanched cauliflower that I had in Auroville when I was 4 or 5 years old. Cauliflower is so nice as is; so I usually eat a portion of simply blanched gobi whatever dish I prepare with it after that.

I had prepared gobi masala today with phulkas for lunch. It is perhaps a basic recipe that people adapt for gravies like these.

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower - 1 small
2. Onion - 1
3. Tomato - 1
4. Cashew nut - 5
5. Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
6. Oil - 2 tbsp
7. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
8. Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tbsp
9. Chili powder - 1 tsp
10. Salt to taste
11. Garam masala - 1 tsp
12. Coriander chopped - 2 tbsp

Method:

Step 1: Soak the cashews, poppy seeds and grind them into a smooth paste.
Step 2: Clean the cauliflower well and chop or break it into small florets.
Step 3: Heat some water, add turmeric, salt and blanch the florets for just 2 minutes so that they are cooked but firm. Drain them and keep aside.

Step 4: Heat oil in a kadai, crackle cumin seeds, saute ginger garlic paste, finely chopped onion, then add chopped tomato and saute well.
Step 5: Add little water and the ground paste to it and let it boil. Add chili powder, garam masala and salt as per taste.
Step 6: Once the gravy loses raw smell of poppy seeds, toss the blanches cauliflower to it and mix well. Add water you want to thin the gravy, but make sure you don't boil the vegetable longer else it will become mushy.
Step 7: Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with phulkas.