Two for One Recipe

I made cauliflower curry tonight, complete with real Thai chilis. Cauliflower is abundant in Turkey this time of year, and is relatively cheap elsewhere I've been, so I wanted to share two recipes that are cheap, delicious, and cut down on wasted vegetable scraps: Cauliflower Curry and Cauliflower Kinpira.

Cauliflower Curry
2 onions
3 tablespoons oil
5 cloves garlic
2-6 hot peppers, depending on desired kick
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon turmeric
2 tablespoons coriander
1 Cauliflower head
1/2 lemon
several cups water
yogurt and/or cooked rice, if desired

Heat oil on medium heat in saucepan large enough to hold all ingredients. Chop onions and dice garlic and add to oil. Dice peppers and add to onion mixture along with spices. Heat until onions begin to brown. While cooking, cut up cauliflower into large chunks that are about 1.5 to 2 inches long and wide. Set aside and save all leaves and any stem. Add the cut cauliflower florets to onions along with 2 cups of water. Mix and cover. Cook 20-30 minutes, stirring several times, until cauliflower is tender, adding more water as necessary. Add lemon juice from 1/2 lemon, mix, and serve, salting as desired and garnishing with cilantro. Can be served with yogurt, rice, or bread.


Cauliflower Kinpira
I got this idea from Just Bento as a way to use all parts of the cauliflower.

Ingredients:
Cauliflower stem and leaves
Sesame oil (the original recipe recommends dark, but I use light since I already have it)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds, white or black

Heat sesame oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Remove the very base of the cauliflower stem if it is hard, discolored, or very tough. Slice the remainder of the base along with the leaves into very thin matchsticks. While cooking, add red pepper. Cook until soft - I've found it generally takes about 10 minutes, but depending on how thinly you cut the cauliflower it may take less time. Add soy sauce and sesame seeds, mix, and remove from heat.

I will say that the first time I had kinpira, I wasn't sure how I felt about it, but by the second and third times I tried it I loved the taste. It has a unique flavor, so don't give up right away if you aren't sure about it!

Curry picture by sassyradish, Kimpira by MwaO