Curried Cauliflower with Peas recipe

Originally posted March 1, 2013

A big thank you to Aida Mollenkamp for this recipe for Curried Cauliflower with Peas from her book Keys to the Kitchen. I have made this twice, both times with much success.

The children (now almost 9 and 7) loved it as well. I put my Family Chef spin on it so it’s not quite as spicy. I hope you’ll try it, even if you think your kids are picky eaters. It’s worth a shot!

Curried Cauliflower with Peas

Yield serves 3 – 4

Adapted from a recipe by Aida Mollenkamp

• 1 – 2 tablespoons neutral vegetable oil like avocado
• 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 – 3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or ginger paste)
• 2 – 4 teaspoons mild curry powder, divided (see note)
• ½ to 1 teaspoon fine sea or kosher salt, divided

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 – 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 – 2 russet potatoes (or 2 – 3 Yukon gold), peeled and diced

Optional: 1 cup cooked beef or chicken (ground or chopped)

• 1 cup frozen peas, slightly thawed
• ¼ cup or more cilantro or mint, roughly chopped
• 6 – 8 gluten-free flour tortillas, heated, or about 2 cups cooked rice

Optional additional ingredients: a squeeze of fresh lime or lemon and plop of yogurt (I used cashew)

Note: To make your own mild curry powder, mix together 2 tablespoons each cumin and coriander, 2 teaspoons turmeric, and ½ teaspoon each ground ginger and mustard. Add cayenne or crushed chile peppers to make it spicy. Store in a spice jar until ready to use.

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1. Heat 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. As soon as the oil is shimmering, add cauliflower, the ginger, and half of the curry powder. Cook for about 3 minutes. This will enable the curry powder to toast a little. Add more oil if needed or if the cauliflower looks very dry.
2. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the cauliflower is golden brown, about another 3 to 5 minutes. Adding the salt should release some of the liquid from the cauliflower which should enable the brown bits to release (that’s called the “fond”). Remove all of the cauliflower and set aside.
3. Add another 2 teaspoons oil to the pan and heat again to medium. Add onion, black pepper, and remaining curry powder (you can add more later). Once onion is soft, add remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and the minced garlic. Cook 1 minute.
4. Add broth, potatoes, cauliflower, and meat, if using. Stir.
5. Raise heat slightly. When it just starts to boil, cover and lower heat to a simmer. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Continue cooking until potatoes are knife-tender.
6. Add peas and cook about 2 to 4 minutes until heated through. Adjust seasoning with additional salt or curry powder as needed.
7. Top with chopped cilantro or mint and serve with tortillas like a taco or simply over brown rice. Add a squeeze of lime or lemon and yogurt if desired.