'Spicy Cauliflower and Potatoes' and a meal

I recently bought a cook book titled ‘the best-ever Vegetarian Cookbook’ by Linda Fraser. This is the first cook book I’ve bought and it felt good. It’s only very recently that I’ve discovered my passion for cooking, and all this while I have been following mom’s or grandma’s recipes. I know back home my mom has a huge collection of cook books, one being a 23 book set Encyclopedia, half of which she doesn’t use because they have non-veg recipes in them. When I was back in India, I always spent time looking through these books, not because I liked to cook then, but rather the pictures and illustrations were very appealing. Mom hardly made anything from there because all of the recipes called for ounces, which was of course Greek to us! I miss those books now that I know what an ounce is!

Here’s the cook book I bought. And since it’s all vegetarian, I now have a good number of recipes to try sooner or later.

One dish I made from this book is Spicy Cauliflower and Potatoes. I’m sure each of us would have tried this combination with our own spices. This particular recipe caught my attention because the method of cooking was different and also the recipe had its own twists compared to how I usually make it.

Spicy Cauliflower and Potatoes

You will need:

2 medium potatoes cubed
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Corriander powder
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
¼ tsp Red chilli powder (Cayenne)
1 green chilli chopped
1 medium cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 cloves of Garlic, thinly shredded
3-4 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste
Chopped Corriander for garnish

Cook potatoes in salted boiling water till done, cubes should still hold shape. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan. Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric powders. Also add the chopped green chili. Let spices sizzle for a few seconds. Add the cauliflower florets and about ½ cup water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for about 6-8 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Add salt and remove from heat. Heat remaining oil in a smaller pan, add the cumin seeds and garlic. Saute till garlic turns light brown. Pour this over the potato cauliflower mixture. Top with chopped coriander, toss and serve.

To make this a complete meal I made two more dishes from other’s blogs.

Theeyati Chaaru from Jugalbandi

Vankaya Ullupai Pachchadi (Eggplant Onion chutney) from Veggie Platter

A complete meal --