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.