Did you know the summer months are the best time for eating spicy hot food? You might think that a nice bowl of ice cream or cold soda is the perfect thing to cool off with. They do feel refreshing going down, but your body is going to work hard to warm up that chilly belly. Spicy food, on the other hand, helps you keep cool from the inside. This is probably why so many cultures in hot, tropical climates, have so much spicy food.
This recipe for cauliflower calls for a lot of crushed red chilies and jalapenos. If you have little tolerance for spicy food, you can easily omit these ingredients. Also you may substitute 1/2 bell pepper in 1/2" dice, for the jalapenos.
You Will Need:
1/3 cup olive oil or ghee
1/3 cup chopped ginger (peeled, and cut into 3/16" dice)
10-12 whole cloves garlic, peeled (about 1 bulb)
2 jalapeno chilies, cut in half lengthwise, and then in 1/2" slices
1 heaping teaspoon of each spice:
turmeric
garam masala (literally, "hot mixture", this is a spice blend available in Indian grocery stores and better markets)
curry powder
crushed red chilies
1 tsp. salt
2 tomatoes (blanch in boiling water for 1 minute to easily remove skins), chopped
2 lbs. cauliflower, cut into large bite-size pieces
Heat the olive oil or ghee in a large skillet over medium-high flame. Add chopped ginger and sauté 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add whole peeled garlic cloves and jalapenos and cook another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add spices and salt, stir well, and cook another minute, being sure the spices sizzle in the oil. Now add chopped tomatoes and cauliflower pieces. Lower heat to medium and cover, stirring occasionally, until cauliflower can easily be pierced with a fork.
Yield: about 6 servings