This recipe came out of the New York Times, originally from Meera Sodha’s cookbook Made in India. It was adapted by Jennifer Steinhauer and further adapted by me. I always read the comments after the recipe is in the Times, they are entertaining and frequently very helpful. Many commenters wrote that the spices should be doubled (which I did). I will put the original measurement in parenthesis after the ingredient.

The original recipe also called for the addition of 1/2 cup of frozen peas, which would be beautiful. (If you decide to use peas, add them at the last 5 minutes.) I had a package of cubed butternut squash that needed cooking, and used it instead. I lightly coated the cubes with coconut oil and roasted them at 450 degrees F till brown and almost tender. I then added them for the last 5 minutes to reheat and soften, garnishing the finished dish with pea tendrils and cilantro.

Cauliflower Coconut and Cashew Curry

Whenever my mother made curry, she laid out small dishes of ingredients we could add ourselves. Those would have included chutney, raisins, more toasted nuts, plain yogurt, some kind of pickle, chopped scallions and hot chilis. It made the meal seem like a celebration of sort and would be appropriate here as well.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• 1 (1 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 green chili (I used a serrano), roughly chopped (seeded for less heat)
• Kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons of neutral oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon of ground coriander (NYT 1 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin (NYT 1 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1 teaspoon of chile powder – I used ancho (NYT 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 large head cauliflower broken into bite sized pieces
• 1 (14 ounce) can of unsweetened lite coconut milk (NYT full fat)
• 4 ounces unsalted cashews, toasted
• 2 cups of cubed butternut squash, roasted
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (NYT 1/2 teaspoon)
• 1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped
• 1 cup of pea shoots
• 1 lemon wedge

Cauliflower Coconut and Cashew Curry

Method:

1. Place the ginger, garlic and greet chili in a mini food processor with a pinch of salt. Chop finely until nearly a paste.
2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat 3 tablespoons of oil on medium heat. Cook the onions until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, chili and garlic. Cook, stirring until fragrant (maybe 3-4 minutes) being careful to not burn the garlic.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, coriander, cumin, chile powder and 1-1/4 teaspoons salt. Stir in the cauliflower and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook the cauliflower until it is tender, about 10-12 minutes.
4. Add the butternut squash, garam masala to the cauliflower mixture and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt if needed.
5. Top the curry with the cashews, cilantro and a squeeze of elmon before serving.
6. Serve with steamed rice.

Cauliflower Coconut and Cashew Curry