Sunday 15 June 2014

WHOLE BAKED CAULIFLOWER

(GOBHI MUSSALAM)

: Edited: This was one of my recipes which were selected and published in the local Newspaper here on 7th November 2014.



In Indian cuisine, different kinds of curries and dry subzi are made out of cauliflower florets and they are also used in some rice preparations.



The Mughals ruled India for a very long time. The dishes that were prepared in Mughal kitchens for the emperors were called Mughlai cuisine. Many recipes and many names of the dishes from Mughlai cuisine are still common and famous in some northern states of India like Punjab, Delhi and U.P. Mughlai cuisine is famous for rich, creamy and aromatic curries, rice preparations and sweet dishes. Mussalam word is also derived from the Mughlai cuisine, which means whole, in this recipe, the whole cauliflower is cooked and baked.


I remember once I was in a remote area of Kenya, Africa, where there was only a Boarding School with teachers houses and a few shops. At that time, we were going to the nearest city once a month to buy Indian groceries and vegetables. Cauliflower was the one vegetable which we were buying in bulk because of its use in multiple recipes in my kitchen.


Later my husband started growing vegetables in our kitchen garden. We had a big kitchen garden, moreover, the equatorial climate of Kenya is very good for growing fruits and vegetables. It is considered to be the best climate of the world because it is neither cold nor hot. In an equatorial climate, sunlight is in plenty and rainfall is after every second day. He got success in growing almost all the vegetables including cauliflower and we had not only stopped buying them from the city, but we were taking surplus vegetables from our garden back to the city to our friends there.
My mother-in-law was drying cauliflower florets in the sun and using them later in the summer. In her times, vegetables were available in seasons only, and for cauliflower, winter was the season in India. When she was using those florets in summer in her recipes, very different taste and aroma were coming from the dried cauliflower. These days because of modernization and improvement in transport and communication all vegetables are available throughout the year everywhere, or we can use them frozen.


RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 whole cauliflower (medium size)
  • 300 grams onion (2 big)
  • 500 grams tomatoes (3 big)
  • 4-5 cloves of garlic
  • 2 green chillies (Optional)
  • Few leaves of green coriander/cilantro leave for garnishing
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander powder
  • 1 tsp cumin powder
  • Salt and chilli powder to taste
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 50 grams roasted cashew nuts
  • 100 ml fresh cream/whipping ceam
  • 3 tbs oil
  • 200 grams grated mozzarella cheese
METHOD

  • Chop the leaves and stem of the cauliflower and wash.
  • Put it in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, it will become slightly tender but still crunchy. Leave it aside.
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan, add cumin seeds and roast for 2 minutes.
  • Add chopped onion and garlic and saute till brown.
  • Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 6-8 minutes till tomatoes are soft, add cumin powder, coriander powder, salt, chilli powder, and cardamom.
  • Remove the pan from the gas and add garam masala and cashew nuts, leave it to cool.
  • When cold, make a paste in the blender of this mixture, take it out of the blender and add cream in it.
  • In a round baking dish, keep the whole cauliflower in the middle of the tray, and pour the thick paste on top and on sides. Decorate with green coriander.
  • Heat the oven to 200 degrees C, keep the cauliflower in the oven for 10-15 minutes till the colour of the mixture is darker.
  • Sprinkle the grated cheese on top of the cauliflower and leave it in the oven for 2-3 more minutes so that cheese can melt.
  • Cut and make slices of the cauliflower, serve hot with roti, nan or dinner bun.
  • This can be served to 5-6 people.

I am sending this recipe as a link to the event.
And also for Bake of the week event and also for Tasty Tuesday event and for Meatless Monday event, and with Tasty Tuesday honest mom, and with Fantastic Friday,and with Foodie Friday and with Friday Free for all, and with Happy healthy and green blog hop, and with Fiesta Friday, with yum yum link party, and with My two fav things on Thursday, and with Way wow link party and Cook blog share 
party and Real Food Friday


































         





56 comments:

  1. Wow, it looks like a royal dish! Pls give ideas for replacing onion.. :)

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    1. Aditi, You can replace onion by red bell pepper and increase the amount of cream.

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  2. oh wow that looks fab! Hope you will check out some of the other recipes in the link up too.Thanks for joining us again

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  3. Sadhna thats lovely! I have always thought about doing this, and now I have a recipe to do it, and congratulations on it being featured in the paper! Thanks for joining us for meatless monday!

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  4. This look so delicious! It is featured this week on Funtastic Friday. Hope to see you again this week.

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  5. I've seen a few different cauli recipes now but this one looks really different #tastytuesdays

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  6. I think mughlai style is my favourite with the cream and sweetness, and I have learnt a little bit of history too!

    Thanks

    #foodiefriday

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  7. I've never thought to bake a cauliflower whole before! I bet your recipe is super tasty. Such a good vegetarian option too! Thanks for linking to #frifree4all

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  8. So yummy! Who can resist these healthy and delectable ingredients! I recently had whole baked cauliflower at a South African restaurant and I fell in love with the taste so thank you so much for sharing your Whole Baked Cauliflower recipe with us at the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I can't wait to make this. I'm pinning and sharing.

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    1. That is nice that you have tasted recently, try this one you will enjoy. Thanks Deborah for your comment.

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  9. Wow what a fab achievement to have the recipe published! it looks like great family food! and original I haven't heard of this before! x

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    1. Thanks Charlotte, you can try it is very tasty and looks good as well.

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  10. The cauliflower looks absolutely scrumptious. Beside it being a favorite veggie you can use it in so many recipes. I grew it a couple of times but the caterpillars kept eating it. I did not spray but was always on the lookout for the tiny eggs. Thanks so much for sharing with Fiesta Friday and Happy New Year!

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  11. Hi Sadhna, one of our favorite dishes at our local Indian Restaurant is Gobi Manchurian. Is this similar? This looks outstanding and I've pinned to make soon. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on being published.

    Happy New Year, Lynn

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    1. Thanks Lynn for your comment, Gobi manchurian is a different dish. This one is whole baked gobi.

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  12. I think it is so awesome that your local newspaper features your recipes so often! Congratulations. It's not surprising though, with how delicious all of your recipes sound. My kids love cauliflower, so I'll have to give this one a shot!

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    1. Thanks Jessica for your comment, yes I am really thankful to the local news paper who is publishing my recipes.

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  13. Looks absolutely delicious. I love cauliflower so much, and I will try this. Pinning!

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  14. I can almost feel the burst of flavors this recipe conjures up! It sounds wonderful. Pinning and stumbling. :)

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    1. Thanks Kathryn for your comment and for pinning and stumbling.

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  15. How interesting - and isn't it funny how we can take our foods with us to different countries, even continents?
    Thanks for sharing your recipes with us at Fiesta Friday!

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    1. Thanks very much for your comment. This is the benefit we bloggers get that we can now know the food of different countries and cuisines.

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  16. I'm always on the look out for new cauliflower recipes. It seems such a plain vegetable - although I love the taste - however you have some interesting ideas to try. #waywow

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  17. it's interesting to see cauliflower used in different ways - we don't tend to do it justice in Australia.

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    1. Thanks for your comment, this vegetable can be used in many ways.

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  18. Sadhana,
    I am so glad to have discovered your lovely blog!Reading about life in Kenya is very interesting too. The baked cauliflower looks gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks Sandhya for your visit and for this comment. I will come and see your page.

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  19. This looks very good! Thanks for sharing! Nice photos!

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  20. Wow this is just so decadent for lowly cauliflower!

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  21. This is absolutely glorious. The flavours sound amazing, and the presentation is stunning. I also loved hearing about your time in Kenya and the bountiful vegetable garden. I wish I could grow cauliflower!

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  22. This is so great! I have never thought of cooking a whole cauliflower before! well done for getting it published too! great achievement #YumTum

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    1. Thanks very much Charlotte for your comment and for the compliment.

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  23. Oh Yum!! This is a great recipe...Ive never seen cauliflower roasted like this...Thanks for Sharing on My 2 Favorite Things on Thursday, hope to see you again tomorrow!! Pinned!

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  24. Sadhna, I love baked cauliflower and think I'd really love your take on it. Thanks for the delicious sounding recipe.
    Hugs, lYnn

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  25. What a beautiful dish! I would make it to impress company. What a neat experience to live in such a neat place as Kenya. And congratulations for being featured in your newspaper!

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  26. Wow - what a shopstopper - I do love roast cauliflower and it goes so well with spices - cumin especially. I just love that combination!! Thanks for linking it up to #CookBlogShare :-) Eb x

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  27. Sadhna, Bruce and I have been discussing making a whole cauliflower. I saw it somewhere and Bruce saw it on a cooking show. He loves to watch his cooking shows and we all benefit from it! LOL I'm going to pin this to save, it looks so delish! We might have to make a few versions, his and mine, but it's good for you so I'm looking forward to it! Congrats on having this published!

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  28. Awww really! I am very sure you will like it.You can try other versions also. Thanks for your comment dear.

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  29. HI Sadhna,
    Thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes and posts on Real Food Fridays. You have helped make Real Food Fridays a success . I hope to see you around the internet and continue to read your information. Pinned & tweeted. Be Be healthy and happy. Remember to always eat real food.

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    1. Awww, thanks very much for such a lovely comment and for pinning and tweeting.I am going to miss real food Friday party, I will check your blog.

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