Fulkopi Posto (Bengali Cauliflower curry with poppy seeds)

BM# 63: Journey through the Cuisines 
Week 1: Bengali Cuisine
Day 6: F for Fulkopi Posto (Bengali Cauliflower curry with poppy seeds)
Here's another different way of cooking with veggies, the Bengali way. First up was a simple mixed vegetables flavored with just panch phoron, then it was okra in a spicy yogurt sauce and today it is cauliflower cooked in creamy poppy seed gravy.

Letter F was one of the tough letters to find a dish. Initially I wanted to make 'Fuchka', a Bengali variation of our beloved pani puri. But then after looking at couple of recipes, I wasn't sure if it was puchka, phuchka or fuchka. With so much ambiguity, I left it at that (but I still have a pack of store-bought puris waiting to be used). Then I thought of making Fuluri, a lentil based bajji but I wasn't in a mood to deep fry, so finally chose a simpler and easier to make dish.

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Creamy Cauliflower Soup

Blogging Marathon# 61: Week 1/ Day 1

Theme: Taste of Home Top 100 recipes of 2015

Dish: Cauliflower Soup

Starting a new month with a new edition of blogging marathon today. My theme for the first week is cooking from 'Top 100 recipes of 2015 from Taste of Home'. It was quite a task choosing just 3 dishes from that list. I scrolled up and down that page a million times before picking my dishes.

First up is this creamy and delicious cauliflower soup. It is a very easy recipe to make -- cook cauliflower, make cheesy white sauce, mix them together and serve hot!!

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Roasted Cauliflower Steaks (with Indian spices)

Blogging Marathon# 58: Week 4/ Day 2
Theme: Bookmarked Dishes 
Dish: Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Indian Spices 

For the second day of bookmarked recipes, I have a very simple and tasty roasted cauliflower steak recipe. My husband recently had it at a restaurant and he really liked it, so I set about making it at home. I followed this recipe from The Kitchn.

Before I get to the recipe, I have to show you the cauliflower I bought. It was one gigantic sized one, I've never seen this big cauliflower ever in my life. The Indian grocery store had a ton of these humongous ones for just $3.00 each. I immediately picked one up, not really thinking of what to make but this roasted cauliflower steak was the best use for half of it.

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Dry Potato-Cauliflower Curry (Sukhi Aloo-Gobhi Subzi)

Blogging Marathon# 57: Week 4/ Day 2

Theme: Side Dishes for Rice/ Roti

Dish: Dry Aloo-Gobhi Curry

Today's side dish is with a popular combination of Aloo and Gobhi (potato and cauliflower). If you have watched 'Bend it like Beckham' movie you know how important it is to learn to make Aloo-GoBHI in Punjabi families :-)

There are quite a few different ways of making this curry. This particular recipe is from a Telugu cooking show and the chef said this is dhaba style of making this dish. I never ate in a proper dhaba, so I cannot vouch for the authenticity of the curry, but all I can say is it tastes amazing.

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Roasted Cauliflower & Rice Bowl

Blogging Marathon# 55: Week 1/ Day 1

Theme: Healthy Family Dinners

Dish: Roasted Cauliflower with Ras el Hanout & Rice Bowl

My theme for he first week of this month's blogging marathon is 'Healthy Family Dinners'. Ever since I signed up for this theme, I have been thinking what 'healthy' actually means. It has become such a subjective matter. what I think as healthy may not be really that healthy.
For example, recently I read somewhere that broccoli has to be eaten as fresh as possible and if it is stored in the refrigerator, it loses its nutrients. So if I cook something with broccoli after about 4~5 days from buying, does that mean it's not healthy or nutritious anymore? The more articles I read on this, the more confused and clueless I keep getting. So, I've decided not to worry about it too much -- I try to cook with fresh ingredients and keep processed foods to the minimum.

So for the next 3 days, I'm going to post 'healthy' dinners that taste good and are enjoyed by the whole family. Roasted cauliflower is my newest favorite and with all the amazing health benefits it has, cauliflower is sure a superfood. Roasting makes it so much more delicious and in this recipe, cauliflower is roasted with tahini and a Moroccan spice powder called Ras el Hanout. It is a very flavorful dish and I served it with some brown rice and veggies.

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Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower Sauce

Blogging Marathon# 50: Week 3/ Day 1

Theme: Different Pasta Sauces

Dish: Roasted Cauliflower Sauce

My theme for this week's Blogging marathon is 'Different Pasta Sauces'. Like most kids, my kids love pasta and I make it at least once a week. I'm always looking for new pasta sauces, so this week I've tried 3 new pasta sauces that I enjoyed quite a bit and have been added to my weekly repetition already.
First up is this creamy and yummy roasted cauliflower pasta. Couple of years ago, cauliflower was the hottest veggie in town (just like kale) and chefs and food bloggers have cooked and posted many many interesting recipes. This roasted cauliflower pasta sauce is inspired from some of those recipes.

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Cream of Mushroom Soup (Low Fat)

Blogging Marathon# 26: Week 2/ Day 3
Theme: Soups & Salads
Dish: Cream of Vegetable -- Cream of Mushroom Soup

For the 3rd day of blogging marathon with 'Cream of Vegetable' being the star ingredient, I made Cream of Mushroom soup. But the creamy consistency for the dish actually comes from pureed cauliflower. I thought  using  pureed cauliflower instead of cream or other thickening agents in a soup is a genius idea!! Don't you think?? It's not my idea though, I found this amazing vegan cream of mushroom soup here and absolutely loved the idea.

I added some fat free half-and-half that needed to be used up instead of non-dairy milk and hence this is not a vegan recipe. Also instead of cauliflower I used broccoliflower which is a hybrid of cauliflower and broccoli. Other than that I followed the recipe to the 'T' and this soup is super creamy and hearty, perfect for the chilly weather.

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Aloo-Gobhi Paratha (Potato-Cauliflower Stuffed Indian Flatbread)

I can't help but smile when I try to translate Indian dish names into English. Take this post's title itself, even though the English name conveys what the post is about, it still seems funny to spell out the full dish name, it's almost like constantly calling someone with their first & last name. 

Today I have "Aloo-Gobhi Paratha" on the breakfast menu for day 5 of BM# 16. This is quite an elaborate dish for my breakfast standards, but this being the long weekend, I decided to treat the family with a hearty breakfast. After eating 2 of these delicious parathas, we were all ready for a shopping spree and fun in the sun.

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Spicy Cauliflower curry (Masaaledar Phool gobhi)

I can't believe it is the last day of BM# 5 and I can't believe that I posted everyday for 2 weeks. Big thanks to Valli for organizing this marathon and choosing interesting themes. So for day 7 of the marathon, I thought I'll make something from "660 Curries" cookbook by Raghavan Iyer.

This is a simple curry with cauliflower and tomatoes and can be cooked within 30 minutes. Goes great with rice or roti.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 medium head, cut into 1" florets

Red onion - 1 small, thinly sliced

Tomatoes - 4, medium or 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes

Garlic - 3-4 cloves, cut into thin lengthwise slivers

Ginger - 2" piece, julienned

Ground cumin (jeera) - 2tsp

Ground coriander (dhaniya) - 2tsp

Red chili powder (Cayenne pepper) - 1tsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Chickpea flour - 2tbsp

Salt - t0 taste

Cilantro - for garnish

Method:

• Heat 2tbsp oil in a sauté pan over medium heat; add onions, ginger and garlic and sauté until onions start to caramelize, about 8-10 minutes.
• Add cumin, coriander, chili powder, turmeric and salt. Cook for about 30 seconds.
• Then add the tomatoes, cauliflower and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 12-15 minutes.
• Sprinkle in the chickpea flour and quickly stir into the sauce to thicken it slightly. Allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, for another 1-2 minutes to thicken further.
• Stir in chopped cilantro and serve.

Lets see what my fellow marathoners have been cooking up on the final day of the marathon.
Curry in a hurry under 30 min: Aarthi, Divya, Jayashree, Kaveri, Pavani,
Seven Days of Indian Sweets:Gayathri, Priya Suresh,
Seven Days of Microwave Meals: Monika,
Seven Days of Regional Specials:Harini, Vaishali, Suma, PJ
Seven Days of Colorful Dishes Kid's Special: Kalyani
Summer Coolers: Jayasree, Kamalika, Srivalli

Vegetable Vindaloo in Slow Cooker

The latest addition to my bursting at the seam kitchen cabinet/ counter is a Hamilton Beach Slow cooker. I borrowed this Vegetarian slow cooker cookbook from the library to get a better understanding of what and how to cook in a slow cooker. I decided to make vegetable vindaloo as my first dish in the slow cooker.

Ingredients:
Potatoes – 1 medium, chopped
Carrots – 2 small, thinly sliced
Capsicum – 1 medium, diced
Zucchini – 2 small, sliced into ¼“ pieces
Cauliflower – 2 cups chopped into small florets
Onion – 1 large, chopped
Kidney Beans – 1½ cups cooked or 1 15 oz. can
Tomato Sauce – 8 oz. can

For the Masala paste:
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Ground Coriander – 1 tsp
Ground Cumin – ½ tsp
Turmeric – pinch
White Wine vinegar – 1 tbsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp


Method:

• Blend all the masala paste ingredients into a smooth paste; keep aside.
  
• In a medium sauté pan, heat oil and add onions and carrots. Cover and cook till tender about 5 minutes.
  
• Add the onions mixture to the slow cooker and start it on Low and cook for 1 minute. Add the masala paste, all the other veggies including the beans, tomato sauce and 1½ cups of warm water. Mix well; season with salt and pepper.
  
• Cover and cook on Low for 6 hours (We came back after around 4 hours of cooking and I got a little impatient with slow cooking, so I cranked up to High and cooked for 1 hour.)
  

Serve with Rice (I made Pudina Rice w/ Peas) or roti.

I thought cauliflower was going to crumble up and potatoes were going to be mushy. But even at the end of 6 hours each veggie held its identity and the curry itself was delicious having simmered for the whole day. I will be posting more slow cooker recipes going forward.

On another note, my son is turning ONE on Monday.. OMG.. I cannot believe this past year flew by so fast. I still think he’s this tiny little bundle that the nurse showed me in OT right after he was born. Now he’s crawling around the house pulling everything he can reach. This is him arranging my books (or pulling down the house??)

I still remember waiting for him in the hospital room waiting to hold him. And now I can’t wait to see his smiling/ giggling face when I pick him from the day care. This is him

I still remember how disappointed I was when the nurse said he looks just like his father (and nothing like me). And now I see a little of both of us in him and also this little human being with his own personality. I wish time just takes it a little easy.. He's already leafing through the books (or ready to tear it apart)

I’m planning to make vanilla and chocolate cupcakes for kids in his daycare and Carrot cupcakes for us at home. Will post pics of the cupcakes soon.

Punjabi Thali for RCI-Punjab

I finally made it before the dead line for the RCI-Punjab event hosted this time around by Richa of As Dear As Salt. I thought I was on top of it till the 15^th of this month and never realized it’s already the 23^rd.

So here is my Punjabi thali (in Anti-Clockwise direction) Tandoori Naan, Jeera Rice, Tandoori Gobhi, Paneer Makhmali and Mango milk shake.

Both the curry recipes are adapted from Tarla Dalal’s Swadisht Subzi recipe series. I served the curries with store-bought Tandoori naans and jeera rice (sautéed cumin (jeera), caraway seeds (Shah jeera), bay leaves and green chilies in 1 tsp oil and mixed this with rice).

For dessert I made thick mango shake instead of mango lassi, because my husband is not a big fan of yogurt and lassis. For the milk shake, I blended chunks of fresh mango with light cream and sugar till light and fluffy.

On the whole, this is not a very heart healthy thali, but definitely delicious and satisfying. (A 30 minute work-out might help you with the guilt)

Tandoori Gobhi

This can be served as a side dish for rotis, chapathis and naans or as an appetizer (with less gravy). This dish is my new favorite. All the masalas (spices) blend so well that it tasted nothing like I imagined and my husband didn’t even notice the yogurt.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower (Gobhi) – 1 small, cut into florets
Onion – 1 medium, thinly sliced
Green peppers – 1 medium, thinly sliced (I used half green, half red)
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Salt – to taste

For marinade:
Yogurt – ½ cup, beaten
Besan (Chickpea flour) – 3 tbsp
Chili powder – 1 tsp
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Garlic paste – 2 tsp
Kasoori Methi – 1 tsp
Salt – 1 tsp

Method:

• Microwave cauliflower in some water for 3-4 minutes or parboil on stove top.
  
• Mix all the ingredients for marinade thoroughly. Add cauliflower florets and leave for at least 15 minutes.
• Heat 1 tsp oil, add cumin seeds and after they splutter, add onions and peppers and sauté till transparent about 8-10 minutes.
  
• Add cauliflower along with the marinade and cook for 7-8 minutes or until cauliflower is cooked through. Season with salt and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves.
  

Paneer Makhmali

Slightly different take on our regular paneer recipe and tasted awesome with naan and rice.

Ingredients:
Paneer – 3 cups, cubed
Onion – 1 medium, chopped
Tomato puree – 2 tbsp
Garam masala – ½ tsp
Milk – 1/4 cup (I used light cream)
Salt – to taste

For the marinade:
Mint leaves – 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves – 2 cups
Green chilies – 3-4
Ginger paste – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 3 tsp
Cashews – ¼ cup
Salt – to taste

Method:

• Grind all the ingredients for the marinade into a thick paste with little water.
  
• Marinate paneer pieces in this mixture for at least 15 minutes.
  
• Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan; add onions and sauté till pink. Add tomato puree and 1/4 cup water, cook covered for about 5 minutes.
  
• Slide in the paneer pieces and cook for 8-10 minutes.
  
• Add milk (or cream) and cook on medium low flame till the milk cooks and evaporates.
• Add garam masala and season with salt. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

RCI-Maharashtra: Flower-Batata Rassa

This month’s Regional Cuisine of India (RCI – brain child of Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine) event is being hosted by lovely Nupur (@ One Hot Stove). And this month’s state is Nupur's very own Maharashtra.

Many of Maharashtrian dishes are simple made with basic ingredients from the pantry (just like Andhra food). I would like to thank Nupur for giving this opportunity to learn more about this cuisine.

This recipe is adapted from this site (thanks again Nupur for the site). I wanted to buy black Maharashtrian masala listed in the recipe to make the dish more authentic, but couldn’t find it in the Indian grocery near me, so I used garam masala instead.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower – 1 bunch, broken into florets
Potato – 2 medium, chopped
Onion – 1 medium
Green chilies – 4, chopped fine
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1tsp
Ginger + Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Garam masala – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Salt – to taste
Method:

• Heat 1tbsp oil in a pan; add cumin seeds and after they crackle, add turmeric, ginger + garlic paste and fry for 30 seconds.
  
• Add chilies and onions and fry till onions turn golden.
  
• Add potatoes and cauliflower florets, 1 cup water and mix. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or till they turn tender.
  
• Add garam masala, powders, salt and mix gently taking care not to break the florets. Let the gravy simmer for 5 minutes to thicken the gravy.
  
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapatti.

Vangi Bhath (Eggplant Rice)

Eggplant is my favorite veggie (I might have told you many times) and can eat it almost everyday of the week. Back home, my mom used to make so many different varieties of curries with brinjals. My husband is not a big fan (in other words… he never liked), but I have successfully steered him to at least try a little without complaining.

Last night I wanted to make vangi bhath and realized I didn’t have enough eggplant to make it, so I ended up adding a quarter cauliflower that was left from the cauliflower rice (Menu Today’s awesome recipe) I made over the weekend. I turned out pretty good.

Ingredients:
Cooked Rice – 2cups
Eggplant – 1 medium, chopped fine
Cauliflower florets – 1 cup
Green peas – ½ cup
Green chilies – 4
Peanuts – handful
Cashews – 10
Tamarind pulp– 3tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Masala powder – 4 tsp (recipe follows)
Curry leaves – 6
Salt – to taste

Method:

• Heat 1tsp oil/ghee in a pan, fry peanuts and cashews until they are golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Add green chilies, curry leaves and fry for 1 minute.Add the chopped eggplant and cauliflower, mix well to coat all the veggies with the oil. Cover and cook on medium-low flame till they are soft enough.
• Add the peas (I used frozen peas-thawed), tamarind paste, masala powder and cook for 5 minutes.
  
• Add 1 tsp of oil/ghee and turmeric to the rice, mix well. Add eggplant mixture, fried peanuts & cashews, salt and mix well.
  
• Serve with any kind of raita.

I had my vangi bhath with tomato kadhi and Papads.

Masala Powder: This is the same masala used for Bisibeli bhath.

Ingredients:
Chana dal (Senaga pappu) - 2tbsp
Urad dal (Minapappu) - 2tbsp
Coriander seeds - 1tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1"
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 4
Grated coconut (fresh or dry) - 1 tbsp
Red chilies - 5
Cumin seeds - 1tbsp
Method: Roast all the above in 1tsp ghee. Cool and grind into powder. Any left over masala can be stored in a air-tight container and used as needed.