Cauliflower Curry

The Recipe:

1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup red lentils
1 head of cauliflower
1/2 can Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced tomatoes (or your favorite, of course)
1 hot pepper
2 Tbsp. canola oil
1 Tbsp. whole cumin seeds OR 2 tsp. ground
1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
Basmati rice or long grain if it's all you have

Heat 1 Tbsp oil in 3 qt or larger pan over med-hi heat; add onion. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes or until beginning to brown. Add curry & tumeric; stir for 10 sec. then add 2 cups of water and the lentils. Bring to a boil, cover & simmer for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the cauliflower into florets & chop up your chile pepper, removing the seeds & ribs unless you want a really hot curry. (Now's a good time to start your basmati rice too- probably cook about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of it.)

After the 15 minutes, add the cauliflower, chile and tomatoes to lentils. Bring back up to a boil, turn to med-low, cover and cook about 8-10 minutes or until the cauliflower is how you like it- don't overcook.

Heat the last 2 Tbsp. of oil in a small skillet over med-high heat. Add the whole cumin seeds if using; stir 10 sec, then add the ginger & garlic. Cook 1 min, stirring a lot, then toss in the cayenne, stir once, and immediately add mixture to the curry. Stir in, add the lemon juice and the cilantro. Taste for salt and serve over your hot rice.

Makes dinner for 4.

The Story:

We're trying to eat less meat, and this is one of the easy and delicious dishes we've found to meet that goal. We have it so often that the kids occasionally ask for a break from it.

Watch the heat level if you're serving to delicate pallettes.

I've used different lentils occasionally, such as urad dal, and it works fine but is a little different. Use what you want.

This is based on one I found online a long time ago, but I changed it so drastically it's a completely different dish now. Recipes are sometimes just a starting point.