Indian Curried Cauliflower

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Quick-fingered Harriet St. Amant was the first of about a zillion
readers to send me this one:

California vintners in the Napa Valley area that primarily produces
Pinot Blanc and Pinot Grigio have developed a new hybrid grape that
acts as an anti-diuretic and will reduce the number of trips an older
person has to make to the bathroom during the night. They will be
marketing the new wine as Pinot More.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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This dish, with its exotic flavors from common ingredients, also makes
an excellent vegetarian main dish.

Indian Curried Cauliflower (Dum Phool Gobi)

2 onions, finely chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1-inch (2 cm) piece of fresh ginger, chopped
2 tsp (10 ml) garam masala* or curry powder
1 tsp (5 ml) ground turmeric
Cayenne pepper to taste (optional)
1 cauliflower, cut into florets
2 Tbs (30 ml) vegetable oil
2-inch (5 cm) piece of cinnamon stick
2 whole cloves
4 cardamom pods* (optional)
3-4 tomatoes, chopped
1 cup (250 ml) fresh or frozen green peas
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain yogurt or sour cream
Chopped cilantro (coriander leaves) for garnish

* Available in finer supermarkets and Indian specialty shops

Combine the onions, garlic, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, and
optional cayenne pepper in an electric blender or food processor and
puree to form a thick paste. Cook the cauliflower in boiling salted
water for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a pot over
moderate heat and saute the cinnamon stick, cloves, and optional
cardamom pods, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted and
fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the onion paste and cook, stirring
frequently, for 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes, peas, salt, and pepper
and cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat
and stir in the yogurt. Transfer the cauliflower to a baking dish and
spread the sauce on top. Bake covered in a preheated 375F (190C) oven
for 30 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Wed Mar 9 09:18:36 2005