Cauliflower Coconut Curry
Photo: Gaunti Recipes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Blend shredded coconut into a can of full-fat coconut, then simmer the florets in it until a knife just meets resistance. A hard boil turns the cauliflower to mush and splits the sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into florets
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1 (13.5-ounce) can full-fat unsweetened coconut
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Instructions
Blend the shredded coconut with the canned coconut and water until mostly smooth. A few flecks are fine.
Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute.
Stir in the coriander, cumin, turmeric, pepper, and cayenne. Cook 30 seconds, until the spices smell toasted.
Pour in the coconut mixture. Bring it to a bare simmer, then add the cauliflower, carrots, and ½ teaspoon of the salt.
Cover and cook at a low bubble for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring once, until a knife meets slight resistance in the thickest floret. Do not let it boil hard.
Uncover and simmer a few minutes more if the sauce is thin. Stir in the garam masala, lime juice, and the rest of the salt. Taste and add more salt if it needs it. Scatter the cilantro over the top and serve with rice.
Notes
Orthodox fasting: olive oil only. On oil-free days, soften the onion in a splash of the coconut mixture instead of oil. The can is the unsweetened cooking kind, full-fat. The sweetened mixer sold in a can, and sweetened shreds, make the curry taste like dessert. Shredded coconut loosened with water works if you have no can, though the sauce will be thinner. The florets collapse if they boil. If the sauce splits, take it off the heat and stir in another spoonful from the can.