Bengali baked cauliflower, brown rice and pickled onions

Recipe By Chef James Dodd

Chef James Dodd prepares perfect, easy dishes to cook for your partner on Valentine's day. Cauliflower is a superb and versatile bit of veg and a great alternative to a piece of meat.

For the Cauliflower
 1 Medium Cauliflower (trim the root, but leave the leaves)
 1 tbsp Garam Masala
 Salt
 Splash of oil
For the Pickled Onions
 1 Red Onion
 Pinch of Allspice and Sumac
 Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
For the Curry Sauce
 75 g Fresh Ginger
 35 g Garlic
 10 g Green Chilli
 100 ml Veg oil
 ½ tbsp Turmeric
 25 g Ground Cumin
 ½ tsp Chilli Powder
 2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
 20 g Salt
 10 ml Vinegar
 50 g Brown Sugar
For the Rice
 180 g Brown Rice (Soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours)
Down to the cooking...
1

Make the onions, slice as thin as possible, preferably on a mandolin and toss with the allspice, sumac and pinch of salt. Rub between your fingers to break up the layers of the onions then finish with a splash of red wine vinegar and leave to macerate.

2

With the cauliflower, rub with the oil and season well with salt and the garam masala, set aside whilst you make the curry sauce.

3

Finely grate or preferably blend in a food processor the ginger, garlic and chilli to a paste.

4

Add the oil to a deep cast iron pan with the paste and from cold bring up to a low/medium heat all whilst stirring and gently fry for about 10mins, adding the spices and allow to mingle and warm together for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients and bring up a notch to simmer for 20mins.

5

Whilst the sauce simmers, heat the oven to 200c and put a deep pan of seasoned water on to boil to cook the rice.

6

Once the sauce has cooked for 20mins place the cauliflower in the sauce and pop the lid on. Place in oven and bake for 20-30mins.

7

Whilst the cauliflower is baking, drain and rinse the rice once before adding it to the boiling water and cooking until tender, around 10-15 mins. Drain and put back in the same pan with the lid on and keep warm.

8

Check a knife can softly go through the cauliflower and turn the oven up as high as it will go and put the cauliflower back in and allow to brown well before removing.

9

Serve with pickled onions on top and the rice on the side.

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower
 1 Medium Cauliflower (trim the root, but leave the leaves)
 1 tbsp Garam Masala
 Salt
 Splash of oil
For the Pickled Onions
 1 Red Onion
 Pinch of Allspice and Sumac
 Splash of Red Wine Vinegar
For the Curry Sauce
 75 g Fresh Ginger
 35 g Garlic
 10 g Green Chilli
 100 ml Veg oil
 ½ tbsp Turmeric
 25 g Ground Cumin
 ½ tsp Chilli Powder
 2 Tins of Chopped Tomatoes
 20 g Salt
 10 ml Vinegar
 50 g Brown Sugar
For the Rice
 180 g Brown Rice (Soaked in cold water for at least 12 hours)

Directions

Down to the cooking...
1

Make the onions, slice as thin as possible, preferably on a mandolin and toss with the allspice, sumac and pinch of salt. Rub between your fingers to break up the layers of the onions then finish with a splash of red wine vinegar and leave to macerate.

2

With the cauliflower, rub with the oil and season well with salt and the garam masala, set aside whilst you make the curry sauce.

3

Finely grate or preferably blend in a food processor the ginger, garlic and chilli to a paste.

4

Add the oil to a deep cast iron pan with the paste and from cold bring up to a low/medium heat all whilst stirring and gently fry for about 10mins, adding the spices and allow to mingle and warm together for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients and bring up a notch to simmer for 20mins.

5

Whilst the sauce simmers, heat the oven to 200c and put a deep pan of seasoned water on to boil to cook the rice.

6

Once the sauce has cooked for 20mins place the cauliflower in the sauce and pop the lid on. Place in oven and bake for 20-30mins.

7

Whilst the cauliflower is baking, drain and rinse the rice once before adding it to the boiling water and cooking until tender, around 10-15 mins. Drain and put back in the same pan with the lid on and keep warm.

8

Check a knife can softly go through the cauliflower and turn the oven up as high as it will go and put the cauliflower back in and allow to brown well before removing.

9

Serve with pickled onions on top and the rice on the side.

Notes

Bengali baked cauliflower, brown rice and pickled onions
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