Cauliflower In Coconut sauce/गोभी की सब्जी नारियल के ग्रेवी में(Indian savory)

auliflower in Coconut sauce

Cauliflower is a compound flower. Small florets are attached to one common stalk. The vegetable is eaten before the buds get converted to flowers, thus it can be safely said that cauliflower is collection of large number of undeveloped buds attached to the same main stalk. This vegetable is rich in sulphur, calcium and iron. Due to the presence of sulphur it has typical flavor and taste. White color cauliflower is most common and consumed, though orange, yellow, purple variants also exist.

Cauliflower is cooked in spices, sauces, roasted, baked, boiled and converted to soup. All variations taste as delicious as they can get.

Whichever way we may cook this white beauty, we must never over cook it and make it mushy, because then the taste, flavor and texture is lost.

I love my cauliflower in peanut milk sauce, Hemp seeds sauce and coconut milk sauce. Each of these milks have different flavor and texture and I love them all. Coconut milk is rich in lots of micro nutrients and is very healthy but rich in fats as compared to peanut and hemp seeds milk.

Let us make cauliflower in coconut sauce.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 6 large Servings

Nutritional Facts: (Approx.) for 6 large servings

Calorie 460

Fats 56.2 gm

Sodium 96 mg

Potassium 1038mg

Carbs 15.6 gm

Fibers 4 gm

Sugars 13.8 gm

Protein 11 gm

Calcium 40mg

Iron 5mg

Phosphorous 192 mg

Magnesium 92mg

Ingredients Required To make Cauliflower in Coconut sauce:

• 200 gm Florets of Cauliflower
• 200 ml. Milk of coconut / 1 coconut
• 1 Medium size Potato (Optional)
• 4 Teaspoons Thick Curd (Not too sour)
• 1/2Teaspoon cooking oil (I use olive oil)
• 1 (1/2 + 1/2) Teaspoon Mustard seeds
• 1 (1/2+1/2) Teaspoon Cumin seeds
• 1 Pinch of Asafoetida
• 1 Whole Red Chili
• 3 Stalks of Curry leafs / sweet neem
• 2 Green Chilies
• 4-5 Sprigs of Fresh Coriander
• Salt to taste

How to make coconut Milk:

• Remove the coconut kernel from shell and grate / cut to small pieces.
• Pulse the grated/ pieces of coconut with water (200 ml added in small portions) till it becomes smooth paste.
• Sieve the thick milk of coconut from the paste. Keep the thick milk aside. It should be between 100-150 ml.

 Fresh Thick Milk Of Coconut

• Take the remainder solid of coconut and pulse it again with 150 ml. luke warm water to extract whatever milk is left in coconut. This will be the thin milk of coconut. It will be nearing 130-140 ml. keep aside for further use.

Directions for making Cauliflower in Coconut Sauce:

• Cut the florets of cauliflower to long pieces. I prefer them thick and little bulkier.
• Wash the cut florets.
• Take 500 ml. water and 1 teaspoon salt in a big pan and boil it. 
• When the water comes to boil add washed florets in it and cook for 2-3 minutes on low heat or till they change color and become tender to touch.
• Drain water from the cooked cauliflower florets and pour chilled water on them to stop from further cooking with the remainder of heat in them.

El Dente Cauliflower

• Cut potatoes to 1 inch cubes and cook them in salt water like cauliflower. Only while cooking potato pieces make sure they are cooked el dente.
• Drain water and keep aside the blanched florets, discard water.
• Split green chilies and remove the seeds. Keep aside.
• In a wok take 1/2 teaspoon oil and heat.
• Add
• Mustard seeds
• Cumin seeds
• 2 Stalks of Curry leaves and split green chilies.
• Cook for 30 seconds on high/medium heat. The seeds will splutter and a wonderful aroma of spices and curry leafs will emanate.
• Add asafoetida and mix.
• Add cooked potato pieces and mix nicely. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes on low heat with stirring once or twice.
• Add cauliflower floret pieces and mix.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 1-2 minutes with once or twice stirring. The potaoes should become soft and cooked.
• Add thin coconut milk and cook on high flame with constant stirring till the liquid reduces to half.

Thin Milk Of Coconut added

• Add thick milk of coconut and cook on medium heat with constant stirring for 2 minutes.

Just before Curd To be Added

• If you are using canned coconut milk, then add 100ml. water to the vegetable, cook for a minute and then add coconut milk and cook. This will make sure that the sauce does not become too thick and sticky.
• Beat curd and add to the vegetable and give one boil.

Curd Added 

• Add salt to taste and few chopped coriander leafs. Mix, switch off the heat and cover the wok. Let the flavors mix nicely.

Caouliflower In coconut suace brfore Tempering

• Heat the cooked vegetable and take out the cooked cauliflower in coconut sauce in a serving bowl.
• Prepare the tempering by heating 1/2teaspoon oil in a pan.
• Add Mustard seeds
• Cumin seeds
• 1 Stalk of Curry leaves
• One whole red chili
•  cook 30 seconds.
• The color of chili will darken, mustard will split and the curry leafs will become crisp.
• Pour the tempering over the cooked vegetable and garnish with coriander leafs.

 Cauliflower in Coconut Sauce

Enjoy the yummy Coconutty cauliflower with Roti/Rice or crisp toasted bread.

Tips:

• Omitting potato from ingredients will reduce some caorie and carb/starch contents, instead of omitting potato you can reduce the amount.to half a potato.
• Make sure the cauliflower is cooked el dente while blanching. Otherwise while cooking with coconut sauce it will become mushy.
• To stir while cooking the cauliflower with coconut sauce is very important, as this makes sure that the sauce will not stick to the bottom of the wok and get burnt.
• Using luke warm water while taking out milk from coconut ensure complete extraction of the milk.
• Thinning the canned milk is necessary to make sure that the sauce has the correct texture and consistency.
• Even though it should not happen yet if at any stage you feel that the milk is curdling just add paste of 1 teaspoon of corn flour/ whole wheat flour/rice flour. 
• Curd should not be thin and too sour. It is added to give the subtle acidity to the sauce.

Suggested variations:

• Coconut milk powder can also be used instead of freshly extracted milk/canned milk. Just add warm water to the coconut milk powder mix nicely to get smooth paste and then add water to get the correct consistency for milk. I use 200ml. water for 50 gm coconut milk powder.