Winter Special Cauliflower Curry

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to have "kopir dalna" (cauliflower curry) during the winter season? It is simply heaven! When the fresh new harvest of the season is just cauliflowers and the nice baby ones are even tastier and gorgeous to look at. So let's just try our hand at making this simple yet tasty dish that every Bengali wife wants to add as a side dish along with "bhaat" (rice) and "macher jhol" (fish curry).

Keep the cauliflower florets parboiled and do not drain out the water. For this dish we need diced potatoes, one fourth packet of frozen peas, small slices of onion around one small would do, one small tomato chopped roughly into small chunks. Ingredients required are cardamoms about 4, cinnamon sticks about 2, cloves about 3 or 4, turmeric powder about 2 teaspoons, red chilli powder about 1 teaspoon, coriander and cumin powder about 1 and a half teaspoons each, cumin seeds about 1 teaspoon, ginger paste 1 and a half teaspoons, salt for taste. Estimate all these as per the amount of cauliflower and potatoes you are adding to the dish and come up with your version of less spicy if you need to. Subtracting or adding any ingredient you think is required for your family's taste buds you know the best.

In a wok add mustard oil and let it warm up for a few seconds. Quickly tip in the garam masala spices and let them splutter along with whole cumin seeds. Once the spices give out aroma add in the onions and stir until it turns golden brown. Once it changes into the desired color add in the tomatoes and keep stirring until it becomes a nice mashed consistency that you require for this dish. Add in all your ingredients aforementioned, one by one, and stir them all evenly with a splash of water. Keep stirring continuously and make it a thick consistency. Ensure it does not catch up at the bottom of the pan and if required add in a bit more of water. Alongside in a another wok lightly fry the potatoes diced and then add them into this masala mix. Give all of them a good stir or two until all of them come together congruously. Add in about one cup of warm water and keep it on simmer. Let the potatoes boil in the water for it needs to be softened enough for the cauliflower to be tipped in. Smash one of the pieces of potato and once softened we add the cauliflower florets to them. Stir them all up and nicely sauté them for a good few minutes before tipping in the left over water that came from boiling the cauliflower pieces and turning the gas down additionally to let it simmer as all the spices infuse their distinct flavours into this humble dish. Let the gravy boil away for seven or eight odd minutes before turning off the flame and for it's final touches, add some freshly grinded garam masala. Wala the dish is ready for tasting! Enjoy this humble cauliflower and potato delicacy with plain rice and serve it hot and see it getting devoured in minutes.