Nepalese Cauliflower Curry {Misayeko Tarkari}

It’s hard to explain all the sensory satisfaction you get from eating this dish–it has a little creaminess, a little exotic spice, a tingle of heat that dances on your tongue, a touch of sweetness and so many wonderful textures and flavors all mingling together beautifully. The color is so vibrant too, it’s even a treat for your eyes.

I’ve been intrigued with the idea of cauliflower in a curry for quite a long time … and really amazed at how versatile cauliflower is. It’s wonderful in it’s own right … I love to munch on it raw (or dip it!), but when cooked, it can become into mashed “potatoes”, a healthy creamy cheese sauce, fried “rice”, pizza crust … get my gist? This super-healthy veggie is a blessing to those who crave carbs, but who want a lower-calorie, healthier substitute.

At my cooking class at work later this month, I have some guest cooks/friends from Nepal making their amazing Nepal-style pork dumplings with dipping sauce. I am so happy to have them making their scrumptious dumplings (and can’t wait to get my hands on that recipe!), but I thought we needed some veggies to balance out our lunch that day.

I went looking for Nepal vegetable curry recipes (because I just happen to know they definitely eat good curry in Nepal) and found many versions of a vegetarian curry that they (in Nepal) call Misayeko Tarkari. The common theme I saw in all of the recipes I looked at was cauliflower (and peas) in a richly spiced tomato curry sauce. I took bits and pieces from each and added a little twist of my own and shared my results with my Nepalese friends to get their response. (They are a couple.) He was a little puzzled by the sweetness and wondering where that sweetness came from … also he said he wouldn’t normally add carrots and he would add more heat. She (the quiet, polite one) said it was delicious and when I asked her if it tasted authentic, she said yes.

My take from this conversation and from my knowledge of my friends is that my curry is a little sweeter (and perhaps milder) than most traditional Nepalese curries. If you want your curry more authentic as the natives in Nepal enjoy, I think you may want to omit the honey and carrots and add some more hot pepper. I personally wouldn’t mind some more hot pepper in this dish, but I have to tell you, I loved the taste of this curry so much, I found myself using my finger to get every drop of that heavenly spiced sauce onto my tongue.

Nutritionally speaking: if you divide this recipe into 5 servings, each serving has about 150 calories, with 6 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, 4.4 grams of fat and 10.5 grams of sugar. It’s low in cholesterol, high in vitamins A, B6 and C and high in potassium and manganese. Your body and your taste buds are going to love you for making this dish.

Nepalese Cauliflower Curry {Misayeko Tarkari}

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 - 6 servings 1x

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Ingredients

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• 1 golden or red potato, peeled & cut into small chunks
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• a pinch of cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger root
• 2 – 5 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled & chopped into chunks (about 2 cups)
• 1 – 2 carrots, peeled and sliced (optional)
• 1/2 of a large head of cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 pint jar of home-canned tomatoes or 1 15-oz. can of tomatoes
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 1 cup of frozen peas
• 2 teaspoons honey (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 – 1 teaspoon cayenne or other hot pepper powder (to taste)
• A handful of fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

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Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl, toss the chopped potato with the olive oil and microwave for 2 minutes. Stir and test the potatoes … if not done, microwave for 2 – 3 minutes more. Set aside.
2. In a large saute pan over medium heat, add the oil and butter and let the butter melt. Add the bay leaves, cumin, coriander, turmeric, curry powder and cinnamon and let the spices “toast” in the butter for a few minutes, until they are very fragrant.
3. Add the ginger, garlic and onion and saute until the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the potato,carrot, cauliflower, and tomatoes. Cook and stir for about 5 – 10 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender. Stir in the peas, honey and salt, just until the peas are warm. Add the cayenne powder to taste, or stir in some chopped hot peppers. Stir in the cilantro just before serving and sprinkle some more over top. Serve over hot basmati rice (or just eat it).

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Notes

RECIPE SOURCE: http://www.sumptuousspoonfuls.com/

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Is your mouth watering yet?

This recipe was shared at: Hearth & Soul Bloghop.