It’s no secret that I own…a number of cookbooks. I can’t bring myself to count them so I couldn’t tell you the exact number, but it’s probably embarrassingly large and might have three digits. I do try to keep a lid on the buying and it hasn’t gotten to the point where I’ve actually altered my home to fit them, but I think we are nearing maximum capacity. I’ve taken to hiding the new ones that arrive and sort of blending them into the existing collection when no one is looking.
The point I’m trying to make here is that I’ve read and cooked from a lot of cookbooks. I love some of them for their beautiful photos and fascinating introduction chapters on places I’ve never been. Some of them contain uneven recipes (in the log I keep of all things cooked and to-cook, there are some notes that just say “Disaster.”), but are still lovable for the times when they really hit it out of the park. But I’ve realized recently that none is as consistently amazing as one I bought last summer, 660 Curries. I’ve made a number of the recipes and every single one of them – every one! – has been truly delicious and memorable.
660 Curries is the kind of book that doesn’t look like it’s going to be great. It’s an enormous paperback just filled to the brim with recipes and zero photos. But upon closer inspection, it’s a treasure. It has an incredible glossary of ingredients. Every single of those 660 recipes has a description and often serving suggestions for pairing with other recipes, which I think cuts out some of the intimidation of cooking an Indian menu. And most importantly, the recipes are precisely written, the flavors are amazing and the dishes are spot on every time.
I’ve cooked this cauliflower curry twice in two weeks. I’ve eaten it paired with a tomato-based shrimp dish, and with a mace-marinated chicken dish. I’ve eaten it cold from the refrigerator out of the container for breakfast. It’s been delicious every single time. It takes about 30 minutes of hands-on prep, and only contains one ingredient that’s a little hard to find, which is white poppy seeds (I easily found them at Kalustyan’s and I’m sure you can get them online, so just plan in advance to do that). The only piece of equipment you’ll need is a food processor. If you have these items, you’re ready to transform a head of lowly cauliflower into a delicacy.
Indian food is one of my favorite things to cook at home, because once you have the right ingredients, it’s so easy to nail the technique and create something that you won’t be able to believe you made. It’s honestly kind of like magic. You may stain your counter with turmeric in the process and realize that the coats hanging by the door all smell like spices days later, but, my gosh, is it ever worth it. Make this sweet, nutty, spicy cauliflower your next – or first – foray into Indian food. You won’t be sorry!
Note: You should be able to find frozen shredded coconut at the grocery store. If not, to reconstitute dried unsweetened coconut, cover it with 1/2 cup of boiling water, set aside for about 15 minutes and then drain.
Ingredients
- 1 cup shredded fresh coconut; or 1/2 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut, reconstituted
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher or sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
- 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches long), broken into smaller pieces
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 4 lengthwise slices fresh ginger (each 1 1/2 inches long, 1 inch wide, 1/8 inch thick), finely chopped
- 1 lb. cauliflower, cut into 2-inch florets
Instructions
- Combine the coconut, cashews, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, salt, turmeric, chiles and cinnamon pieces in a food processor. Puree, scraping the inside as needed, to form a slightly gritty, yellowish-red paste.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Toss in the onion and ginger and stir-fry until the mixture is light brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the coconut paste to the skillet and stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Once it starts to stick, pour in 1/2 cup water and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release the browned bits of paste. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer the mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until it acquires a roasted aroma and a yellowish -brown color as some of the oil starts to separate from the sauce, about 15 minutes.
- Pour in 1 cup of water and add the cauliflower. Stir the curry once or twice, cover the skillet, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the florets are fork tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Then serve.
Notes
From 660 Curries
