About thirty years ago, in a Canadian swamp, someone discovered a flaming orange cauliflower. It was cool looking, but not so delicious. Crossing this glow-ball with ordinary cauliflower, Cornell breeders developed it into a tastier veg, which has been available as seed to growers since 2004. Purportedly it is somewhat more nutritious than its paler relations. Of course, I neither knew nor cared about this history when I saw my first orange cauliflower at the West Side Market in Cleveland while visiting this weekend. But I'm sure you can see why I couldn't resist it, and wound up with a cauliflower in my suitcase. This picture (see it in its uncooked state, below) really does not do it justice, the orange is far more lurid.
What to make with it? I decided on a slightly altered (only to adapt to the state of my cupboard) version of Suvir Saran's Party Cauliflower, from Indian Home Cooking, which I made once before, for company. This time, I decided to make it ahead, up to the last step on one day, and finish preparing it to have for my own supper, the next day after work.
A cauliflower for supper is, of course, not a traditional "balanced" meal. However, I believe, with MFK Fisher, Betty Fussell, and many other folks who have mulled this over, that a balanced diet does not require that each meal be balanced, but only that a balance of foods is acheived over the course of a day or two. I would often rather have one nicely prepared food I actually want, at the end of a busy day, than try to throw together a multi-part "balanced" meal hastily. It is so much more pleasant and rewarding, when you are not entertaining, or feeding a large family, to eat one appealing dish, in a relaxed way, than to run around trying to fix several courses quickly, because you feel it is somehow required.
This lovely dish is very festive, and makes an excellent party food, because it is delicious and quite glamorous, and because it can mostly be made ahead. It does, however, include bathing the cauliflower in a tasty red sauce, so that you can only actually appreciate the vivid color of your veg when you cut into it. When you do, it looks as if it was somehow magically tumeric-infused. As you probably suspected, the orange cauliflower tastes just like the traditional white version.
This is what you need:
1 cauliflower, of any hue, trimmed
canola oil
1 giant onion
2 gloves garlic
1 1/4" piece peeled fresh ginger
3 tbsps canola oil
cinnamon stick
5 cloves
3 bay leaves
salt
1 tbsp coriander, whole and one half tsp cumin, ground in coffee mill
pinch tumeric
pinch red pepper flakes
28 oz can whole plum tomatoes
garam masala
Steam the cauliflower in 1" of water with a bit of milk and a pinch of the garam masala. About 7 minutes, covered, should do it.
Heat canola oil about 2" deep in a wok or kadai, to about 375F. Fry the cauliflower, 1/2 at a time. First, lower the top gently into the oil, holding the stem as you lower it. Cook until browning-about 1 minute. Using slotted spoons or 2 large forks, or 1 of each, turn it over, and cook the other side. This will take a minute longer, because the oil is cooler, and the stem tougher than the rest of the cauliflower. Remove with the same tools, to a pile of paper towels. Top with more paper towels. Pat dry, and set in an oven proof serving dish or bowl.
Now make the sauce. Put the onion, garlic and ginger in your food processor and process until smooth. In a pan, heat 3 tbsps of oil, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves for a minute or 2. Add the contents of the processor and cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to brown around the edges. Meanwhile, drain the tomatoes, and blend until smooth, without bothering to wash the processor bowl. Add remaining spices and a drizzle of water, and cook until the water evaporates. Add the tomatoes and a pinch of garam masala, and cook 5-10 minutes more. Spoon sauce over cauliflower, and cover and refrigerate until it's time to eat. Bring to room temperature, then reheat in a preheated 300F oven for about 10 minutes. Cut in wedges to serve. Pretty and good. This takes a bit of time, but you can make it ahead, a great boon for parties and tired out workday people. It is a very nice side dish with a curry or fish. I am having it with some toasted pitas and some beer, and will take my leftovers for lunch tomorrow.
Lindy,This sounds and looks so good.No orange cauli's here but some offwhite ones available now.
Posted by: deccanheffalump | October 12, 2005 at 11:35 AM