curry

March – Cauliflower Coconut Curry with Cashews
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March – Cauliflower Coconut Curry with Cashews

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

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

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

Cauliflower Coconut and Cashew Curry

December in the kitchen – Pear and butternut squash soup
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December in the kitchen – Pear and butternut squash soup

Heavy rain was forecasted for the San Francisco bay area today, I think there was way too much media hype about this storm. It frightened everyone, they even closed the schools. This is how winter used to be before the drought of the last three years. A tree came down at the end of our street and there is some minor flooding in the neighborhood because of fallen leaves in the storm drains. It’s a perfect day for staying in and making soup.

I’ve wanted to make this recipe for some time; it is adapted from one in the cookbook “plum gorgeous” by Romney Steele. The original recipe calls for a medium butternut or kabocha squash, and curry powder. As usual, I ended up improvising. I couldn’t find the curry powder (the spice drawer needs a major overhaul) and my fridge only had 2 cups of cut-up butternut squash, not enough. I wasn’t about to brave the storm for a trip to the grocery store. I used the butternut and added 2 small sweet potatoes. As a substitute for the curry powder, I used Ras el Hanout. It’s a spice blend I purchased a few weeks ago from the Oaktown Spice Shop. You’ll find a link to their website here. If you get a chance to visit, don’t miss it. It’s heavenly just walking in the door, the aromas are amazing! Ras el Hanout is a custom blend of paprika, cumin, ginger, Ceylon cinnamon, cassia, turmeric, grains of paradise, allspice, nutmeg, mace and cayenne. Wow! They recommend using it to season chicken, lamb tagines, or scent rice. Using the curry powder suggested in the initial recipe would also be excellent. Mine eventually turned up in the back of the drawer, too late for the soup.

To make this recipe vegan, I used coconut water instead of chicken broth and added a cup of coconut milk at the end for richness. It ended up being both warming and delicious, perfect for a stormy day.

Soup - pear, butternut squash, and sweet potato

Pear and butternut squash soup

Pear, Butternut Squash, and Sweet Potato Soup

  • 2 cups cubed butternut or other squash
  • 2 small sweet potatoes
  • 2 large or 3 small pears, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 2 tablespoons of coconut oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons of Ras el Hanout or curry powder
  • 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, skinned and finely grated
  • 4 cups of coconut water or vegetable broth
  • 1 cup of coconut milk
  • chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Cut the squash into large chunks and arrange in a baking pan, cut side down. Prick the sweet potatoes and add them to the pan (cut them in half if large). Add about ¼ cup of water to the pan, drizzle with coconut oil, and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. They should be soft.
  3. Cool, then scoop out the flesh into a bowl.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the coconut oil in a heavy pot. Add the onion, carrot and garlic and cook on medium heat until lightly browned and soft. Do not let the garlic burn.
  5. Stir in the Ras el Hanout or curry powder and fresh ginger. Mix with the vegetables for about 30 seconds, until aromatic.
  6. Add the squash, sweet potato, pears, coconut water or stock, and ½ teaspoon of salt to the pot.
  7. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 25 minutes until the vegetables and pears are soft.
  8. Puree in the blender or with an immersion blender.
  9. Add the coconut milk and gently reheat, thin with water or stock if needed.
  10. Serve garnished with chopped cilantro.
Pear soup

Pear and Butternut Squash Soup

This soup was perfect, a little sweet but with a spicy kick.

I think the folks at Gluten Free Fridays will like this one since it is both gluten free and vegetarian. Come see what else is cooking.