Cauliflower Kurma (Tamil Nadu Restaurant Style Cauliflower Chops) Recipe

When you visit a good veg restaurant in Chennai for dinner you will find it difficult to miss the sight and smell of a favourite dinner tiffin of the Chennai people, the 'Parotta-Chops' or in other words Paratha with yellow coloured kurma. This Kurma or Chops is typically made with Cauliflower as its key ingredient with almost a burji texture. Course : Lunch Ingridients : 1 Cauliflower (gobi) , roughly chopped into smaller pieces 1 Tomato , finely chopped 15 to 20 Shallots , finely chopped 3 to 4 Green Chillies , cut lengthwise 4 cloves Garlic , grated 1 inch Ginger , grated 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi) 1/4 teaspoon Cumin powder (Jeera) Salt , to taste For the ground masala paste 4 teaspoons Fresh coconut , finely chopped 1 teaspoon Fennel seeds (Saunf) 1 teaspoon Cashew nuts , approximately 6-8 1 teaspoon Poppy seeds 1/2 teaspoon Coriander (Dhania) Seeds 1 teaspoon Roasted Gram Dal (Pottukadalai) 2 Dry Red Chillies For tempering 1 tablespoon Coconut Oil 1 Cloves (Laung) 1 Cardamom (Elaichi) Pods/Seeds 1 Star anise 1 Bay leaf (tej patta) 1 sprig Curry leaves Instructions To begin making the Cauliflower Kurma recipe, soak the ingredients given under 'masala paste' in 1/4 cup of warm water for 20 minutes and then grind them to a fine paste using little water in a grinder.Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the chopped cauliflower and cook them for 5 minutes and switch off the stove.Drain the water and set aside the cauliflower.Heat a wide pan or wok over low flame with coconut oil. Add all the ingredients mentioned under ‘for tempering’.Now add the grated ginger, garlic, chopped shallots, tomatoes and a pinch of salt.Keep stirring till the onions turn transparent and the tomatoes mushy.Add turmeric powder, cumin powder and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of water and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes.Now, add the boiled cauliflower and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes.When the cauliflower is completely soft boiled, add the ground masala paste and salt.Mix well and cook over low flame for another 5 minutes only.Switch off and garnish. Cauliflower Kurma is a tasty, healthy and popular side dish served along with appam, idiyappam, phulka or malabar paratha.