steamed cauliflower with spicy tomato sauce
(vegetarian)

recipe by mb

just the recipe

what I was looking for

Something veggie-filled from our new cookbook of the month.

what I made

I followed Ruta Kahate's recipe for Steamed Cauliflower with Spicy Tomato Sauce
(5 Spices, 50 Dishes, pgs. 26-27) with a couple of substitutions to fit my hectic schedule.

grades for my version

healthy	A	This has veggies, spices, and a little bit of fat, so it's pretty much ideal.
fast	A	It's the perfect side dish because it takes no time at all.
easy	A	Piece of cake.
cheap	A	The truth of the matter is this: Any recipe that is nothing but veggies is going to be cheap.
delicious	B-	The taste was flat, like something was missing, even though I'm positive I didn't leave out any ingredients. Frustrating.

yield

I made this as a side dish for the hubby and myself, and it was definitely too much for just the two of us. Also, let me say that I only scaled it back a tiny bit (which was kind of silly considering that Kahate's recipe says it serves 4-6). I'm going to agree with her and say that it would serve 4 as a side dish. But I also think as a main dish it serves 2 quite nicely.

equipment

   no special equipment needed

the cauliflower

ingredients	Kahate	mb	why?
cauliflower	2 small heads	1 medium head	scaling [1]
	left as whole heads	cut into pieces	tastier [2]
Notes
[1]	This is it, folks ... the one and only place I scaled the recipe back. Not very exciting and it doesn't make for a giant change in the portion size. Silly.
[2]	I like my cruciferous vegetables to be crunchy as hell (what other people deem "undercooked"). If you leave the head whole, then in order to get it to come apart at the table it'd have to be much more cooked than I want it to be, so I opted for cutting the head into smaller pieces to start out with.

Cut the cauliflower into pieces (quartered, halved, or full florets) and discard the stems. Steam the cauliflower in a covered pot until the desired consistency is reached, about 5 minutes if you're like me and like it still quite crunchy. While it's cooking, make the sauce.

the beginning of the sauce

ingredients	Kahate	mb	why?
fat	3 Tablespoons canola oil	3 Tablespoons ghee	tastier
grated ginger	1 teaspoon	1 Tablespoon	tastier
	fresh	jarred	easier
garlic	2 large cloves	4 large cloves	healthier
	grated	crushed	easier
ground turmeric	½ teaspoon	½ teaspoon	no change

In a saucepan heat the ghee over medium heat and then add the ginger, garlic, and turmeric and let the mixture come to a deep golden brown while stirring constantly.

the rest of the sauce

ingredients	Kahate	mb	why?
canned tomatoes	1 can, 14.5 oz.	1 can, 14.5 oz.	no change
cumin	½ teaspoon seeds, freshly roasted and ground	½ teaspoon pre-ground from a jar	faster [1]
coriander	1 teaspoon seeds, freshly roasted and ground	1 teaspoon pre-ground from a jar	faster [2]
serrano chile	1 medium, quartered	1 Tablespoon canned chopped green chiles	easier and faster [3]
cayenne	½ teaspoon	½ teaspoon	no change
Notes
[1]	Kahate wants us to roast the cumin and coriander seeds and then grind them ourselves in a coffee grinder. While I'm sure that this makes a world of difference in terms of taste (could this be what was missing from my version?), I just don't have the time or energy to do so.
[2]	Easier and faster. Sorry.
[3]	In order to find a serrano chile I would have had to go to an entirely different grocery store. So using an unknown type of canned chile = faster and easier.

Next add the entire can of crushed tomatoes and wait for it all to start bubbling furiously, then add the cumin, coriander, canned chile, and cayenne. Stir well, turn the heat down to low, and let the sauce simmer for about 10 minutes.

the last touch

ingredients	Kahate	mb	why?
cilantro	2 Tablespoons minced	2 Tablespoons minced	no change

Then stir in the cilantro, pour the sauce over the cauliflower, and serve.

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