Monday, October 13, 2014

Easy Cauliflower Mellun Curry

Yum

It's Columbus Day here in the US and the kids are home from school.  They love to eat a big rice and curry meal for lunch when ever they are home so I made this easy cauliflower mellun curry with lentils and some chicken curry for them to enjoy.  I am lucky my kids have quickly taken to spicy food.  I don't serve too much spicy gravy from the chicken curry in their meal, but they enjoy the spicy food and get annoyed with me if I hold back the spice. 

If you ever eat spicy food and it overwhelms your mouth my advice is to drink some milk.  Sometimes, even yogurt based salads are good to offset the spicy food.  My mother always taught me to make a mild dish like the basic lentils to always give a balance to a spicy meal.   

Now let me talk a little bit about what a mellun is..  it's basically a dish that has some dessicated coconut added to it.  I have made several melluns here on on the blog from kale, green pea etc...   So if you have never tried coconut (unsweetened of course) in a savory dish, you are missing out.  It's a wonderful texture and taste in Sri Lankan cooking.





Cauliflower Mellun Curry

by Curry and Comfort
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 25
Serves: 
(6-8)
Ingredients
  • 1 large head of fresh cauliflower
  • 1 cup dessicated unsweetened coconut (available at Indian Grocers)
  • 1 tsp of turmeric
  • 2 tsp of red chili powder (or to taste)
  • 1 onion diced or sliced
  • 1 inch stick of cinnamon
  • 1 tsp of mustard seed
  • 1 tsp of cumin seed
  • salt (to taste)
Instructions
1. Cut cauliflower into small pieces. Place cauliflower, with some salt and water into a pan with a tight fitting lid.
2. Steam cauliflower on medium heat until cauliflower is tender but not mushy. If needed add water a little at a time until steam to your desired texture.
3. Drain steamed cauliflower into a colander and remove from pan.
4. In the same pan you steamed the cauliflower, saute onion, mustard seed, cumin seed, cinnamon stick, green chili and curry leaves in 2Tbs of canola oil.
5. When onion begin to soften, add drained steamed cauliflower and saute for several minutes.
6. Then add turmeric powder, red chili flakes and dessicated coconut. Saute for another 2-3 minutes. Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Serve with rice and curry meal. Enjoy.
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 Step by Step Directions:
Cut cauliflower into small pieces.  Place cauliflower, with some salt and water into a pan with a tight fitting lid.

 Steam cauliflower on medium heat until cauliflower is tender but not mushy.  If needed add water a little at a time until steam to your desired texture.

 Drain steamed cauliflower into a colander and remove from pan.

In the same pan you steamed the cauliflower, saute onion, mustard seed, cumin seed, cinnamon stick, 
green chili and curry leaves in 2Tbs of canola oil.
 
When onion begin to soften, add drained steamed cauliflower and saute for several minutes.

Then add turmeric powder, red chili flakes and dessicated coconut.  Saute for another 2-3 minutes.   Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.   Serve with rice and curry meal.  Enjoy.





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