The chill in the air conjures up images of creamy pot-pies, hearty braised meats and oozing mac-and-cheese. The devil on my shoulder told me to start making a bechamel sauce in preparation for the cheesiest mac-n-cheese ever. The angel on my other shoulder gasped in horror and suggested a vegetable stew in stead. In the end, the angel won mostly because I realized I didn’t have any cheese in the house. It all started with cauliflower and a can of coconut milk. Then I decided to head in a meat-free direction partly to satisfy my effort to eat vegetarian a few times a week and partly because I didn’t want to go to the store. Then I remembered that a few days earlier I had given my spice cabinet a yearly cleaning and made a little spice mixture with the bottom dregs of a few savory spices. From all of these elements some kind of Indian-influenced one-pot curry dish started to take form. After digging up some cashews from the freezer, I was on my way. Twenty-five minutes later I was sitting down to dinner. It was comforting, creamy and delicious……everything I needed.
Cauliflower Coconut-Cashew Curry
serves about 4
1 cup cashew pieces
1 tbl coconut oil (olive oil is also fine!)
1 cup finely diced onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
4 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp corriander
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
1 15 oz can coconut milk
1 cup frozen peas
Heat a small soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the cashews and stir until toasted. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the oil and the onions, garlic, ginger and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until tender.
Add the cauliflower, tomatoes, all the spices and the salt. Toss to coat. Add the coconut milk and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until mixture has thickened slightly and cauliflower is soft.
Remove from heat, stir in cashews and peas.
Serve with some store-bought naan or rice.
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