Kitchen3N

Recipes and food fun from Apt 3N

Cauliflower Stir Fry

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I had to make something vegetarian after my husband made me watch HBO’s Vice the other day. This particular episode was on the industrialization of the meat industry and man was it terrifying. The ghastly amounts of meat we eat day in day out. How the farm-to-table movement is essentially our savior if we want to reap the rewards of our earth in any sort of sustainable fashion. Scary stuff! But we can do our part by 1) supporting businesses like Honest Chops and local farmers market vendors that only source from sustainable farms and 2) eating less meat. There’s a world of protein out there (eggs! chickpeas! tofu!) explore!
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If you’ve been trying to to eat less meat, or just eat/cook more vegetables at home, I’ve summarized some pointers for cooking veggies below. Luckily for you I’ve made so many mistakes when cooking veggies throughout the years I have some words of wisdom to impart, especially when dealing with cauliflower:

  • Don’t waste. I use the outer leaves as well as the florets. It’s often discarded in American cooking shows, but why the heck wouldn’t you eat it?I just toss the tough inner core, and finely chop the rest. Time consuming, but a worthwhile endeavor.
  • Dicing it into tiny tiny pieces is major key. Cauliflower can be bland, so the best way to ensure it absorbs as much flavor as possible, is by dicing it super small, increasing its surface area.
  • Sequence is also key. Once you start cooking vegetables regularly, you get a sense for which ones take longer to cook than others. Root vegetables like carrots, potatoes and turnips always take longest. Then onions, peppers and cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, etc.). Finally, your tender greens (zucchini, spinach, peas).
  • Garlic is your best friend. With some veggie dishes like spinach or broccoli/mushroom stir fry, I’ll fry the garlic in the oil so it the flavor of the garlic diffuses through the dish. I only do this for quick cooking vegetables. If you try to do this in a dish like this, or potato hash, the garlic will simply burn. Thus I add it after the vegetables have had an initial cooking period.
  • anchovy paste is also a fun way to flavor your vegetables. It’s salty and nutty when dissolved in oil. A fun trick I learned in Italy.

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The same guidance I gave for the garlic goes for the mustard seeds. Many recipes will say to first heat mustard seeds or pach phoron (Bengali 5 spice) in oil until they start to pop. Once again, because the total cook time for a stir fry with veggies in this quantity can go over 20 minutes, I wanted to avoid burning any of the elements.
img_8555Hope you enjoy this Bengali staple and add it to your Meatless Monday menu. The zucchini at the end can be swapped out for many other vegetables. Growing up my mom would always keep a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, to add to a stir fry like this and really stretch a buck.
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Serve with rice, daal, and any other protein of choice.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 large potato, diced small
  • 1 head cauliflower, diced small
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 2 zucchini, diced small
  • 2-4 green chilis, split down the middle
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, finely chopped

Directions

  1. In a large wok, heat oil over medium high heat. Add the potatoes in a single layer, then the cauliflower on top of them. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes without stirring.
  2. After the potatoes have started to cook, stir to evenly distribute the cauliflower and potato, and add the mustard seeds, garlic, salt and turmeric. Depending on whether you like it spicy or not, add the chilis at this stage as well. Stir to combine and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the zucchini and continue to cook. If you like your feed less spicy, add your chilis now. Cook for an additional 7-8 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Take care to moderate the heat, and move the vegetables from the bottom of the wok to the top, so nothing browns excessively and all the veggies cook slowly.
  4. Add the cilantro in the last minute of cooking. Taste for seasoning. I used a total of 2 3/4 tsp salt when I made this dish. Serve with white or brown rice.

Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry (Bhaji)

IMG_1625When I go to a Bengali restaurant for takeout, I usually overlook the greasy curried meat dishes or the fish floundering in murky masala waters and the bhortas that usually fall short of the homemade version. At most Bengali places, these dishes are laid out buffet style so you know exactly what you’re getting. I usually opt for one of the Biryanis (chicken or goat) and a side of some sort of mixed vegetable stir fry. These things always get me salivating. I guess it’s because they strike a fabulous balance of spice and sweetness. I’m not the type of person who goes gaga for sweet and spicy, but the sweetness in this dish is brought out by the slow caramelization of the vegetables (rather than sugar or honey) and just rounds out the flavor from the usual round up of spices, plus the extra Bengali zinger: pach phorom. IMG_1630Pach phorom is a combination of five aromatic seeds: black mustard, cumin, black cumin (also known as nigella), fenugreek (methi) and fennel. It can be found at any Indian grocery alongside all the usual spices. They have a licorice flavor, which adds an extra dimension to the dish’s flavor profile. This is important for vegetable dishes that have to compete with a follow up course of a rich meat or curried fish dish. IMG_1637This is something my mom made at the beginning of the week to just last the course of the whole week. It starts out with a base of softened onions, spices and garlic/ginger paste. You can play around with the vegetables to add your favorites, but to start, I used the two vegetables I found consistent in most Bengali mixed vegetable dishes: cauliflower and cabbage. Now, the two put together makes A LOT, so make sure your wok or pot is large enough to accommodate everything. I had to add the vegetables slowly, allowing some of the cabbage at the bottom to wilt and decrease in volume before adding more, and mixing to combine.  IMG_1641While that goes, you’ll want to work on the second batch of veggies in a separate pan. I used just 2 cups of plain old frozen mixed vegetables. You can use the equivalent amount of zucchini, pumpkin, butternut squash, peas, string beans, whatever you like as long as you have a balance of green, orange, and white veggies.  IMG_1643The cauliflower and cabbage steam in the wok for about 20 minutes. They get all tender and sweet. I ended up needing a shocking amount of salt but feel free to start out small and gradually increase to taste. Top with fresh cilantro. Serve alongside rice or naan or stuff inside a pita for a delicious wrap!IMG_1657IMG_1649

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup light olive oil or veg oil
  • half a spanish onion, diced small
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp pach phorom
  • 1/4 tsp chili powder (or more if you like it hotter)
  • 2 tsp garlic/ginger paste (or 2 tsp minced garlic and/or ginger)
  • 1 head of cabbage, cut into half inch strips
  • 1 head of cauliflower, stalks and florets cut into half inch pieces
  • about 5 green chilis (optional) with slits cut into them (also optional)
  • 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tbsp light olive oil or veg oil
  • 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp coriander
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 3 handfuls of cilantro

Directions

  1. Heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and let soften for 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cumin, coriander, turmeric, pach phorom, chili powder and garlic/ginger paste. Stir to combine. Add the cabbage in batches, allowing the bottom most wilt a bit before adding the next batch. Continue until all the cabbage is in the pot. Stir to combine. Next add the cauliflower, one batch at a time, ensuring everything gets an even coating of the oil/onion/spice mixture.
  2. Add the green chilis, salt, pepper, and water and stir to combine. Put the lid on and let it steam. It will take approximately 15 to 20 minutes for all the vegetables to cook through. Occasionally lift up the lid, and stir the vegetables, bringing the bottom vegetables to the top so everything gets an even cooking. Take care towards the end not to break apart the cauliflower florets.
  3. In a separate shallow fry pan, heat 1 tbsp oil over medium high heat. Add the frozen vegetables and remaining cumin, coriander and turmeric. Season to taste. Break apart with a wooden spoon and stir to make sure everything gets seasoned and cooked evenly. When heated through, turn off the heat.
  4. When the cauliflower and cabbage are cooked through, add the mixed vegetables and cilantro and stir to combine. Add a teaspoon or two more salt, according to taste.