AAM ER ACHAR O GURO MOSHOLA MAKHANO BAKED FULKOPI

 

IF NOT COOKING; WHAT AM I DOING? EATING; FOR SURE!

What else? As I sit to write, I rewind and look back at last Saturday; since then and until sometime back, I had been eating. Intermittent Fasting will not tolerate this torture. It is true I did a 7.4km of walk an hour back! Thereafter what I ate for lunch was not be done.

How much I walk is not important but the pace is. Mine is very slow; I am so lazy that I feel sick thinking of over working my body. This is the scenario since birth; my family never pushed me to work hard, be a worth. The rest in my present family are least bothered about my whereabouts! We are so used to each other's space these days that any interference causes us irritation; if the youngest is not behaving normal; it might be because we have never put the family through any hard and fast rules. Yesterday, our lunch was spoilt eating a me made noodles that horribly went wrong. It was an experiment. Though on a Sunday, our refrigerator is full packed with COOKED FOOD, we eat different! Unsatisfied; I went to sleep, the rest could not. Around 6pm, I woke up and forced myself to put on the walking shoes! Usually, I do some workouts five days a week. Last Thursday was the Sankranti Day, I could not step out. There was another reason. I so dislike serving poorly made food to anyone; then, I keep eating outside food throughout the week; people never go out for after office dinner leaving me. I went for a walk and got a JOLLIE BEE BURGER MEAL for the family; the help does not eat at home on Sundays! The noodles got me severe acidity. Back home, I took no chance and cooked a simple "chal-dal-aloo sheddo" for myself and had with salt and butter, a green chilli!

For any kind of stomach upset, I take to this therapy, easy on my stomach! I went to sleep promising myself light lunch today; but I went back to JOLLIE BEE for their NASI LEMAK 
MEAL. I will talk about the noodles that went wrong and a yum nasi lemak later, in public. However, I wished to share an easy going, DIARY FREE, VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE RECIPE today in the BLOG; I hope this AAM ER ACHAR O GURO MOSHOLA MAKHANO BAKED FULKOPI just works for the day!

CAULIFLOWER & BENGALIS; CANNOT BE ANTONYMS!

Cauliflower is Fulkopi for us and we so love it. Even if there are any cauliflower haters among us, they might be rare in number. On an all vegetarian day, a FULKOPI ALOOR DALNA saved us fish & meat loving siblings; even our youngest enjoy a rustic "ruti with fulkopi-aloor dalna" meal. Honestly, my family did not cook "fulkopir roast or grill or bake" ever. They got their microwave oven may be after my marriage. We had always been a typical, middle class, Bengali family happy with "DOI FULKOPI", "Aloo Fulkopi Bhaja", etc. Even "Doi Fulkopi" is imported in Bengali Homes, I think so! Be with flat or puffed breads or rice; any side with cauliflower makes our meal lovable. It is only when I started BLOGGING ABOUT FOOD, I knew grilled cauliflower is a good substitute for meat. This time, I baked it marinating it with a spicy mango pickle and regular spices. I have learnt to be a better cook enough to know my grilled cauliflower recipe needs a re-do and that this baked one is truly Indian; any stomach can take it!

AAMER ACHAR O GURO MOSHOLA MAKHANO BAKED FULKOPI / REGULAR SPICES AND MANGO PICKLE MARINATED BAKED CAULIFLOWER IS NOT A STEP TOWARDS A VEGAN LIFE; WE CONTINUE TO LOVE FISH & MEAT!

This was an impromptu decision few days back when I got two beautifully looking, round Taiwan variety of cauliflower. I felt, let us go different! It is high time, I do away with the large batch of the spicy, tangy mango pickle I made a year back. I have used a considerable amount in the marination of the cauliflower. The Taiwan variety of it tastes like the winter produce of it in Kolkata! There is a reason why I am sharing it today! What is it? May be because the smell of Cristine cooked sea fish yesterday made me averse to fish for two, three days now; I so dislike sea-fish! I did let her because it was her elder sister's birthday yesterday; ten friends of them were sharing the cost. Not all owners are liberal neither their helps are like Cristine. I only told her to use a room spray in the kitchen after cooking. 

She cooked all the above items of prawns, sausage, vegetables boil, sea fish fry, minced chicken with egg plant within an hour. Bengali Cooking cannot be done in this speed, at least not in our families, we slow cook in minimal heat. The after smell was leaving me nowhere, but I cannot be so cruel to ask a sister not to cook on her elder sister's birthday. Her elder sister works here leaving four children back in the province; two boys & two girls. Its tough, I know. I forgot to bake a cake for her to carry, will do after I finish my post. I did buy X-Mas gift for her sister, do send for her any special food made. Cristine has shown me her picture, she is a fashionista; Cristine perhaps is an exception in the entire Philippines. She thinks this SPICY BAKED CAULIFLOWER ; AAM ER ACHAR O GURO MOSHOLA MAKHANO BAKED FULKOPI is worth sharing in the blog, let us do it! We would want some meat and fish STARTER / APPETISER too alongside, I guess you too may!

INGREDIENTS :

CAULIFLOWER : 1 STANDARD SIZED

MANGO PICKLE WITH OIL : 1/2 SMALL TEA CUP 

CUMIN POWDER : 2 TSP

CORIANDER POWDER : 2 TSP

RED CHILLI POWDER : 1 TSP

DRY MANGO POWDER : 11/2 TSP

TURMERIC POWDER : 1 TSP

CRUSHED BLACK PEPPER : 1/2 TSP

LEMON JUICE : 2 TBSP

PROCEDURE :

The amount serves a nuclear family, increase the amount as per your requirement!

We will cut the root end of the cauliflower, do the necessary dressing as we usually do!

We will wash it thoroughly and place it in a microwave proof bowl half filled with water, a little of salt added. The cauliflower should be able to immerse once placed upside down.

 

We will microwave it at high for about 10 minutes!

We will discard the water, wash it again after letting to cool. We will do the marination very well with the salt, lemon juice, crushed black pepper, red chilli + cumin + coriander + dry mango powders.

There should be enough oil from the pickle to be used. This marination part is important; the spice mixture should enter every corner of the cauliflower!

We will leave it covered for at least 2 hours.

Our's is a microwave with convection mode. I have pre-heated the oven for 10 minutes @ 180*C; placing inside the low height, wired stool meant for baking!

I had taken the marinated cauliflower in a bake proof plate. 

Once pre-heated, I had placed the plate atop the wired stool, closed the door. I had baked it for 20-25 minutes @ 180*C. 

Every machine differ, please be careful about the time setting!

We will try to have it fresh and hot; dipped in any sauce or chutney of our choice, even yogurt!

Also do get your choice of fish and meat appetisers on the side!