Cauliflower with poppy seeds, coconut cream and chilli

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When in doubt? Cook something Ottolenghi.
He says ” The dish came about after reading about aloo posto, a Bengali dish of potatoes cooked in a white poppy seed paste. This is, admittedly, very different – I use regular, black poppy here, which is more readily available – but I love the idea of mixing vegetables with poppy seeds and spices. To turn this into a main course for two, serve with flatbreads and regular or dairy-free yoghurt.'” adulterated from The Guardian

Serves 4 as a side

40g poppy seeds, soaked in 2 tbsp boiling water for 30 minutes
60ml sunflower oil
¾ tsp chilli flakes
½ tsp ground turmeric
¾ tsp paprika
¾ tsp cumin seeds
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
Salt
1 large cauliflower, broken up into 4cm florets, along with any tender leaves
60g coconut cream
5g coriander, roughly chopped
15g flaked almonds, lightly toasted
2 limes – juice one to get 1 tbsp and cut the other into wedges to serve

  • Pour the soaked poppy seed mixture into a mortar and crush for a minute to break up some of the seeds.
  • Pour the oil into a large saute pan for which you have a lid, and put on a medium-high heat.
  • Once hot, add the spices, garlic and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, and fry for three to four minutes, stirring often, until the garlic starts to brown and the spices are aromatic.
  • Add the cauliflower and any leaves, and cook, stirring continuously, for two minutes, until the cauliflower is coated in the spices.
  • Stir in the coconut cream and poppy seeds, turn down the heat to medium, cover the pan and cook for four minutes, until the cauliflower is starting to soften.
  • Take off the lid, increase the heat to medium-high and cook for seven to eight minutes more, stirring a few times, until the liquid has evaporated and the cauliflower is caramelised.
  • Off the heat, stir in the coriander, almonds and lime juice, and serve with the lime wedges.
  • Yum.
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