Feb. 17, 2002 – If you like chicken curry but want to go the vegetarian route, then try a nutritious dish of curried cauliflower with brown lentils and chunks of fresh tomatoes.
Coming from the southern Indian word kari, meaning "sauce," curry is a catch-all term that generally refers to any number of spicy dishes. In this recipe, curry powder isn't an ingredient, but there are a host of spices that are used to make curry powder — such as ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, mustard and cumin seeds, and black pepper.
The benefit of using spices in a dish is that you can leave out any fat but still have a flavorful recipe. There's no butter or oil to season the cauliflower and the method of cooking is fat-free steaming.
More than a mere accent, the lentils are rich in protein, meaning that this dish can be served as an entrée. We enjoy it with a crusty loaf of whole-grain bread and a fresh green salad.
Curried Cauliflower, Lentils and Tomato
(Recipe adapted from "The Heart of the Pumpkin" published by the University of the Virgin Islands Cooperative Extension Service in 1989 and available at the UVI bookstores on both St. Croix and St. Thomas.)
1 cup lentils
3 cups water + 1/4 cup water + 1/2 cup water
1 yellow onion, sliced
1 large head of cauliflower
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 large tomato, diced
In a medium saucepan, cook lentils in 3 cups of boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes or until soft. In a large saucepan, heat 1/4 cup water to boiling. Add onion and cook 5 minutes. Wash cauliflower, break into florets and add to onion. Add 1/2 cup water, ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, coriander, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper and lemon juice. Mix well. Cover and let steam for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cauliflower is crisply tender. Add lentils and tomato. Stir well and serve immediately.
Makes 8 servings. Per serving: 80 calories, 0.5 gms fat (6 percent fat calories), 0 mg cholesterol, 8 mg sodium.
