I’m really not lying when I say Indian cuisine is my favorite type of food. And coming from the girl who lived exclusively on dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets, this is one small step for Lauren, but one giant leap for mankind.
It’s the spice, aroma, taste, texture, and feelings (and I’m not talking gastrointestinal feelings, thank you very much) I get when eating Indian food that has set me on a path to tasting and testing as much as I can – beginning with curries.
A curry is typically a dish including some type of protein cooked in an Indian-style sauce including various spices (most notably turmeric – hello yellow color!), and is often served with rice. Now that we’re on the same page about what a curry can be, let’s introduce my favorite type of curries: CAULIFLOWER COCONUT CURRY. My boyfriend (and primary taste tester) hates coconut, so I never take the opportunity to make coconut curries knowing that he can’t/won’t enjoy it. I know, I know, I’m such a giver….
Well, not really, because I went ahead and experimented with making my own Spicy Coconut Curry, which calls for an entire can of coconut milk, and LO AND BEHOLD, my boyfriend LOVED it. It’s spicy from the red chile pepper, garlic, and various aromatics, but the coconut milk provides just enough sweetness to offset the heat. You won’t have tears escaping your eyes (unless it’s from the nirvanic taste), instead, you’ll be able to enjoy the sweet and spicy flavors of this dish. Feel free to swap the extra roasted veggies for your protein of choice – chicken, lentils, or garbanzo beans would be delicious!
Prepare your palate for an Indian experience you’ll want to recreate over and over again.
Spicy Coconut Curry
Yields: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- ¼ white onion
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1” knob of ginger, finely minced
- ½ carrot, chopped
- 2 cups cauliflower
- 1 small head of broccoli
- ½ sweet potato
- ½ – 1 red chile (dependent on spice preference)
- 1 can coconut milk
- ½ t stir fry spices* (my blend includes fenugreek, cumin seeds, black fennel, marjolaine, aniseed) completely optional
- 1-2 T curry powder
- ½ t cinnamon
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Oil for cooking
For Rice Base:
- 1 cup basmati rice
- ¼ cup cilantro (for rice + topping)
- 1-2 T lime juice
DIRECTIONS:
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- 2. Chop sweet potato and broccoli in similar sizes, place on baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and roast for 20 minutes.
- 3. Meanwhile, place rice in sauce pot with 2 cups water, and let simmer until rice is fluffy and fragrant (about 20 minutes).
- 4. In a large sauce pot, heat oil over medium heat and saute onion and carrots until soft. Then add minced garlic, ginger, red chile (if using) and cauliflower florets. Continue stirring until fragrant, and veggies have begun to cook down.
- 5. Add all spices, allowing their flavors to coat all the veggies.
- 6. Add full can of coconut milk and lime juice. Taste for salt and pepper preference.
- 7. Let simmer for 20-30 minutes (until cauliflower is totally soft).
- 8. Once rice is finished cooking, stir through chopped cilantro and lime juice.
- 9. Top rice with curry and roasted veggies. Include protein of choice and enjoy!!
the exhale 