Cauliflower is one of the vegetables that we find most people like. It is nutritious (click here for its nutritional values), filling, and very easy to prepare.
Recently in Toronto, due to the fall of the Canadian dollar and bad weather in Florida, the price of a medium-sized cauliflower had reached the unbelievable price of $8! Fortunately, in Toronto, where we live, a large cauliflower has returned down to a reasonable price of around $2-3.
But, sometimes, having just steamed or boiled vegetables can be boring and redundant. So, we went on a mission to find a method to prepare this veggie that would be as easy as steaming it, but a different flavour from our typical oil and lemon. We were inspired today!
With a little effort, we found a flavourful, beautiful cauliflower recipe that put a twist of flavour on our table. It was almost as easy as boiling the head of cauliflower for ten minutes, but gave us a much different result. This can work with a full head or several pieces of cauliflower that may be leftover. We have many times cut a head in half and used only one half at a time. The spices and the amount of cauliflower can be adjusted for large or small quantities.
For this recipe, you will need the following:
1 head cauliflower
1 tsp cumin -- ground or seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric
2/3 cup water
salt to taste
a Table spoon of lemon juice (optional)
Clean the cauliflower of the leaves, any blemishes, and cut it into large florettes. Cauliflower is easy to cut into the large pieces, and it is always attractive on a plate. Measure the seasonings, and have everything ready to use. This recipe will take about 11 minutes to make start to finish, so you can make this last minute for the dinner table.
Start by putting the cumin in a dry pan on medium-high heat. There is no oil in this recipe; do not add any. Heat the cumin or the cumin seeds until it is fragrant. This takes about 1 1/2 minutes. The kitchen will smell delightful for the next half hour.
Once the cumin is hot in the dry pan, add the cauliflower. Mix the florets around the pan to make sure they are coated with the cumin. Now, add the water. Put a lid on the pan and allow the water to come to a boil. For the next 8 minutes, steam the cauliflower with the lid on the pan.
After 8 minutes, remove the lid, and add the turmeric to the cauliflower. Mix well to assure that all the cauliflower has turned that beautiful yellow colour that turmeric offers. We chose to put the lid back on the pan and shake it to make sure that everything was evenly coated. Do it the way you are comfortable to make sure all the cauliflower is coated. Sprinkle a little salt over the mixture, and then test one piece of cauliflower to make sure it is cooked all the way through. If it is fully cooked to the softness that you like, then turn off the heat and serve this dish. Otherwise, allow this to steam for one or two more minutes until your cauliflower is cooked the way you like.
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| A family member insisted that we use a small splash of lemon juice while the cooking was taking place to brighten up the recipe. Indeed, the flavour was light and bright and not sour at all! |
This recipe can be made quickly and easily. It can also be eaten quickly and easily. We found that the turmeric did add a beautiful colour, and the cumin gave just enough flavour to make this different. One family member squeezed some lemon on top of the cauliflower which brightened the flavour and brought this up to another level of eating. For oil-free fasting days, this was a nice change to make a difference with a common vegetable.
"Better is a dish of vegetables where love is than a fattened ox served with hatred."
Book of Proverbs 15:17
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