Cauliflower Pattani (Cauliflower and Peas)

I'm not sure what the story behind this recipe's name is. As far as I know, Iyer normally gives his recipe titles in English and Hindi. In which case I'd expect the first word to be "ghobi". Maybe this is more of an Anglo curry and that's why it's got English in the name? He doesn't offer any explanation in the preamble, so I can only guess. Either way, it's surprisingly tasty for how simple it is. And, as he notes, is a very mild curry and thus good for serving to those who are not fond of spicy food.

Iyer suggests serving this curry with pooris and sweetened mango puree with milk (a recipe which I haven't gotten around to trying yet). I ended up serving it with vegetable-stuffed paratha and a shallot & coconut milk sambhar. I quite liked it this way. The sambhar and cauliflower were both good on their own, but I think they were even better mixted together into one delicious concoction.

Cauliflower Pattani

Slightly adapted from 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp. canola (or other neutral) oil
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1 Tbsp. skinned split black lentils (mapte beans/urad dal)
• 1 small to medium head of cauliflower (or 1/2 a large head), cut into florets
• 1 c. fresh or frozen green peas
• 1 tsp. coarse sea salt
• 1 c. water
• 1 Tbsp. rice flour
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tsp. karuvapillai podi (curry leaf spice powder)

Directions

1. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the mustard seeds, cover, and cook until the seeds stop popping (30-60 seconds).
3. Add the lentils and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds.
4. Immediately add the cauliflower, peas, and salt.
5. Stir-fry for a minute or so to coat the vegetables.
6. Add the water and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes.
8. Sprinkle in the rice flour and stir it in. The sauce should quickly thicken.
9. Sprinkle in the cilantro and the curry leaf powder and serve.