Hannah Steiner shares with us a warming and fragrant cauliflower curry, perfect for those looking for authentic South Asian food with a vegan spin.
A friend of mine travelled around Sri Lanka a couple of years ago and picked up this delicious coconutty recipe along the way. This dish usually uses chicken thighs, but I have veganised it and opted for the ever-versatile cauliflower instead.
Ingredients (Serves 2)
- 1 thumb of ginger (about an inch)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp cardamom pods
- 1 cauliflower, broken into bitesize florets
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 white onion, diced
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 small fresh chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 400g can coconut milk
- 2 kaffir lime or curry leaves, torn
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
To serve (optional)
- Cooked rice
- A handful of fresh coriander
- Pomegranate seeds
Method
- In a pestle and mortar, pound the garlic, ginger and cardamom pods together until they form a paste, and set to one side.
- In a mixing bowl, toss together the cauliflower, turmeric, chilli flakes and pepper until the florets are completely coated. Heat 1 tbsp of coconut oil in a large non-stick frying pan and sauté the cauliflower until it has browned slightly. Transfer back into the mixing bowl and set aside.
- Add the remaining coconut oil and the diced onion to the same pan and fry until soft. Then add the paste, cinnamon and fresh chilli and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Pour in the coconut milk, add the kaffir lime/curry leaves, the fenugreek seeds and the cauliflower mixture, and season with salt to taste. Mix well, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Serve with rice, and garnish with the coriander and pomegranate seeds, if using.
For advice on how to make the switch to a vegan diet, check out Hannah’s piece on her (plant-based) rocky road to veganism.
