A Delicious Vegan Meal: Indian Cuisine

After cooking those stuffed peppers I posted a few months ago, my friend Josephine asked me if I had any other vegetarian recommendations. If I have the page number in the cookbook memorized, it's got to be good :) I've been cooking this dish for 6 years. Page number 265 in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for everyone is entitled Cauliflower, Spinach, and Potato Stir-Fry with Coconut Milk.

Ingredients:
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 pound fingerling or red potatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick
salt
1 bunch scallions slices, including a few inches of the greens
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 serrano chiles
3 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large bunch spinach, stems removed
1 15 ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

Separately boil the cauliflower and potatoes in salted water until tender, then drain. Set aside 2 tablespoons each of the scallions and cilantro and puree the remaining cilantro, tumeric, chiles, and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the peanut oil.

Heat the wok, then add 2 teaspoons of the oil and swirl it about the sides. When hot, add the scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the spinach and stir-fry until wilted and tender. Remove and set aside. Add another 2 teaspoons oil and fry the puree until fragrant. Add the cauliflower and potatoes, season with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and cook until heated through. Pour in the coconut milk and add the spinach. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Taste again for salt and serve garnished with the reserved cilantro and scallions. Serve over brown or white basmati rice. A cucumber raita is a nice accompaniment. Sometimes, if company is coming, I pick up naan from a local indian restaurant too :)

I've said it before, but I really do love this cookbook. And one great thing about this particular recipe is that you can make it in the morning or while the kids are napping, and just heat it up in a pot or crock pot before dinnertime. It sounds a little busy at first glance, but it is a gem--truly worth trying. One word of advice in cooking: never accept bland food. Add a little salt and a little of the predominant spice (in this case tumeric) until you are satisfied...and I promise it'll still have way less salt than anything you would order in a restaurant.

Enjoy!

Love,
Kate