New Recipe: Grilled Cauliflower Moilee
A rich but simple curry from Kerala infused with fresh curry leaves. Typically made with fish, it’s a perfect accompaniment for the delicate flavour of the roast cauliflower. If you can find a beautiful heirloom variety of cauliflower or romesco variety then even better. This makes a wonderful centre piece dish perfect served with warm naan breads and bright fresh kachumber.
Serves 4
Ingredients for the moilee sauce:
2 tbsp light oil
100g White onion, peeled and diced
4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 cm piece Ginger, peeled and finely grated
½ tbsp Black mustard seeds
6 Fresh Curry leaves
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 bird eye red chilli, finely chopped
400ml coconut milk
250 g creamed coconut cut into thin slivers
1 tsp salt
Ingredients for the cauliflower:
1 medium cauliflower, cut into 6 wedges
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch Turmeric
30 ml oil
Salt and pepper to taste
To finish:
50g toasted cashew pieces (if you can get spiced ones then even better)
chopped coriander leaves
2 tbsp. goji berries rehydrated in lime juice
lime wedges
naan bread
Method
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the white onion, ginger, garlic, and curry leaves. Cook for 8–10 minutes, or until softened, stirring regularly.
Stir in the chili, black mustard seeds and turmeric, and cook for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, coconut cream, and salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the coconut cream is completely dissolved.
In the meantime, cut the cauliflower into wedges. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and blanch the cauliflower for 3 minutes. Drain well.
In a mixing bowl, combine the turmeric, cumin, salt, and pepper with the oil, and rub the mixture over the cauliflower wedges.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Place the cauliflower wedges on a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.
Plate the cauliflower in a deep serving dish and pour the moilee sauce over it. Scatter the toasted cashews on top and finish with some fresh coriander and lime wedges on the side. This dish is also great served with coconut rice.