Kurma is to South Indian cuisine as Subzi is to North Indian Cuisine. The spices and ingredients used in the kurma are slightly different and most of the kurma recipes have coconut in them. Coming to this Cauliflower curry recipe is more of a South Indian kind of side dish that goes well with roti as well as rice.
Why make this recipe
If you are a cauliflower lover, then this is a recipe for you to try. Cauliflower is the star ingredient of this Kurma. This recipe for cauliflower Kurma is so versatile that it can be paired with rice or flatbread. In this particular instance, I served this kurma with Poori (a deep-fried Indian flatbread). But we often eat it with rice as well. The spices are very simple and the recipe is very easy to make. I have added some expert tips at the bottom of the post to make sure that your cauliflower does not turn mushy. Mushy cauliflowers do not taste as they should in any recipe. It is a Vegan recipe. If you are not a vegan, then you could cook the Cauliflower Kurma in ghee for added flavor.
Ingredients Needed -
Vegetables that we will need to make this kurma are basically Cauliflower along with onions, tomatoes, and Green chilies. I used a medium head of cauliflower, which was approximately about 4 cups of florets. Then we have the assortment of spice powders (turmeric powder, Red chili powder, coriander-cumin powder, and garam masala) that I have pictured above. Along with those spices we need a spice/masala blend. For that, we soak coconut, cashew nuts, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, and green chili in water for a few minutes and then grind it into a smooth paste.
Step-by-Step Process to make Cauliflower Kurma
Clean the cauliflower and remove the florets. Heat water in a large pot and add salt to it. Add the prepared cauliflower florets to the boiling water and parboil them until it is fork tender. Make sure that it still has a crunch to it and is not too mushy.
Drain the florets and then sauté them in 1 tablespoon of oil until light brown spots appear on them. Remove from the pan and keep it aside (Step 1).
In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoon of oil and fry the cumin seeds. Add the onions and saute until golden brown. Then add the ginger garlic paste.
Add the dry spices; turmeric powder, red chili powder, Dhania jeera powder, garam masala, and salt.
Fry for a minute more and add the chopped tomatoes.
Mix well and let it fry on medium heat until the tomatoes are mushy and the oil separates from the masala.
Soak the cashew nuts, poppy seeds, coconut, fennel seeds, and green chilies in warm water for about 10 minutes and then grind it into a paste along with other ingredients on the list. Keep it aside. (Step 5)
Add the ground coconut masala and let it cook on low to medium heat for about 5 to 7 minutes. (Step 6)
Next, add the sautéed cauliflower florets and mix well. Add water needed to adjust the consistency of the gravy and let it come to a boil. (Step 7)
Simmer for a few minutes and then garnish the Cauliflower Kurma with cilantro. Serve with roti or rice. (Step 8)
Cauliflower tends to become mushy when cooked. But I have a tip that works to keep the cauliflower florets intact in any recipe. Par boil the cauliflower until it is just tender. Drain the florets and saute them in a pan until it starts to develop golden brown spots. Then keep them aside and proceed with the recipe.
I use freshly grated coconut for the recipe. Frozen fresh coconut works very well. If you don’t have either of those, use desiccated coconut, but make sure they are not sweetened.
The amount of red chili powder and green chilies are added to suit our spice level. You can decrease or increase them based on what you like. This kurma was medium spiced.
We can add green peas or any other vegetable as well along with the cauliflower.
More Cauliflower Recipes
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