Cauliflower, Cashew, Pea and Coconut Curry

As an adult I've really enjoyed exploring some of the ethnic cuisines that I didn't grow up with, which means basically anything other than meat and potatoes. I started with recipes from Mexico, France, Spain and Greece (relatively safe) and then moved to the cuisines of China, Japan, Thailand and Korea which I think are more exotic.  I've gained enough confidence to finally start exploring Indian food which I consider to be possibly the most exotic and intimidating of all, probably because I think most Indian food is fiery hot, complicated to make, and uses a ton of unusual ingredients.  So, I've been looking for recipes that seem less intimidating and not fiery hot.

I came across this recipe from Meera Sodha's cookbook Made in India, which is "rooted in tradition and complexly flavored yet approachable for a weeknight", so I decided to walk out on the thin ice. Yes, you're going to need a couple of spices, but at least you can find all of them in any normal grocery store.  And if you follow the suggestions in the note below and eliminate the jalapeno seeds and chile powder, it's quite mild.  Hot sauce at the table allows everyone to add heat to their own taste.  Baby steps, as they say.

We loved this dish.  The flavor is very complex and exotic, and the variety of textures (crunchy, creamy, tender) makes it a very satisfying main dish.  The fact that it's vegan makes it even more exceptional. I'm kind of proud of myself.

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Cauliflower, Cashew, Pea and Coconut Curry

Serves 4

Note:  if you remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeno and eliminate the chile powder, this is a mild dish.  In that case, serve with hot sauce at the table so diners can make it as hot as they wish.

1 (1”) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped (remove seeds and ribs for less heat)

Kosher salt

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 ¼ teaspoons ground cumin

½ teaspoon chile powder (see note above)

1 large head cauliflower (about 1¼ lbs), broken into bite-sized florets

1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

4 ounces cashews (about ¾ cup), lightly toasted

½ cup frozen peas

½ teaspoon garam masala

1 small bunch cilantro, leaves chopped

4 lemon wedges

Hot cooked basmati rice, for serving

Place the ginger, garlic and jalapeno in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of salt.  Mash until a paste forms and set aside.  (Alternately, finely chop everything, sprinkle with salt, and mash it into a coarse paste using the flat side of a chef’s knife.)

In a large skillet with a lid, heat the canola oil over medium.  Cook the onions until golden, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the ginger paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, chile powder and 1¼ teaspoons salt.  Stir in the cauliflower and coconut milk and bring to a simmer.  Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, 10-12 minutes. 

Add the peas and garam masala to the cauliflower mixture and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.  Taste and add salt if needed.

Divide the hot basmati rice between 4 shallow bowls.  Serve the curry over the rice and top with cashews and cilantro leaves.  Add a lemon wedge to each bowl for squeezing over the top.