Lemon Rice & Cauliflower Curry With Coconut Milk – Guest Blogging At Simplyvegetarian777

Hey all, I am popping in real quick to let you know that I am blogging at Sonal’s simplyvegetarian777 today. She is doing a monthly guest post series to introduce other blogger friends and today is my turn. Yay! Thanks a bunch Sonal, for this delightful opportunity!

I am virtually serving Sonal some delicious lemon rice, along with cauliflower cooked in a mild coconut milk sauce.

You can read both recipes here or below. While you are there, do check out the rest of Sonal’s blog. She is an expert cook and fabulous blogger. You will find many healthy, simple and wholesome vegetarian fare at her blog.

Lemon rice is immensely popular in South India, particularly Tamil Nadu. It is super easy to make, dresses up the humble rice, and can easily be a one-dish meal along with some achar (pickle) or pappads. It is excellent to pack while traveling too.

Curry with coconut milk is another southern favorite, particularly along the Malabar coast. It makes an excellent base for any number of curries and soups. It is mild, delightfully fragrant and packed with flavor.

Let’s get on with the recipes now.

LEMON RICE

You will need:

• Rice – 1 cup (raw rice or other thin white rice variety)
• Water – 2 cups (or as required to cook the rice)
• Oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1 tsp
• Chana dal – 1 tsp
• Whole red chilies – 2
• Curry leaves – a few
• Grated ginger – 1 tsp
• Green chili – 1, chopped
• Asafoetida (Hing) – a pinch
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Cumin powder – 1/4 tsp
• Lemon – 1, large
• Salt – as per taste
• Peanuts – a few, dry roasted (optional)

How to:

• Prepare rice as usual and fluff gently with a fork. Allow to cool.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, red chilies and curry leaves. The mustard seeds will start to sputter and the lentils will turn a lovely light golden color.
• Now add the ginger, green chili, asafoetida, turmeric powder and cumin powder and mix well.
• Add the juice of one lemon and salt to taste (remember to account for the amount of rice to be used). Remove from heat once the lemon juice is just heated.
• Gently fold in the still warm rice so that the lemon mixture coats the rice evenly. Garnish with roasted peanuts or cashew nuts.

Notes:

• Do not cook the mixture for long once the lemon juice is added.
• The cooked rice should neither be too hot nor too cold. It is best to prepare the rice first, fluff it and let it cool slightly in a large plate. By the time you prep the lemon mixture, the rice would be just right to be mixed. This recipe works excellently with warmed-up day-old rice too.
• The best equipment to mix the rice is a large steel slotted spoon. Use the spoon’s edges to gently fold in the rice without mashing it.

CAULIFLOWER CURRY WITH COCONUT MILK

You will need:

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves – a few
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Whole spices – a small piece of cinnamon, 2-3 cloves, 4-5 black pepper corns, 1-2 whole cardamom pods
• Onion – 1 medium, finely chopped
• Ginger – a 1″ piece, finely chopped
• Green chili – 2, chopped
• Tomato – 1 large, chopped
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Red chili powder – 1/2 tsp
• Coconut milk – 1 cup
• Cauliflower – 1 small head, cut into florets
• Salt – as per taste
• Water – as needed

How to:

• Coarsely grind the cumin seeds and whole spices in a mortar and pestle. Keep aside. (Alternately, you can use half a teaspoon of garam masala powder, but I highly recommend that you grind your own spices.)

• Heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When they start to sputter, add the ground spices and allow them to become fragrant.
• Add the onion and ginger and saute till the onions are soft and start changing color, but do not allow them to brown.
• Now add the tomatoes and chopped green chilis and cook till the tomatoes are mushy.
• Add the masala powders and mix well. To this, add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil.
• Add the cauliflower florets and season with salt. Add about a quarter cup of water, cover and cook. Once the cauliflower is cooked, open the lid and boil the curry further so that it thickens slightly. You could also mash a couple of the florets with the back of a spoon.
• Garnish with more curry leaves (or maybe some cilantro) and serve with the lemon rice. This curry goes excellently with almost any kind of Indian flat bread too.

Notes:

• Substitute cauliflower with potatoes, green peas or a mix of vegetables like carrots, green beans and mushrooms. Adjust the liquid and cooking time accordingly.
• Any curry cooked with coconut milk will further thicken upon standing. Keep this in mind while reducing the curry in the end.

I hope you enjoy these lovely recipes.