A staple dish of India, often made with potatoes added (cook large chunks of the potato in the same water, at the same time, as the cauliflower and simply increase the amount of oil and spice). Best with homemade curry powder or garam masala. The cumin seeds add a nice bit of crunch but are not essential. Other vegetables you can prepare this way: broccoli, potatoes, carrots, turnips, radishes.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 medium head of cauliflower, about 1 1/2 pounds

　　3 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil

　　1 tablespoon curry powder, preferably homemade (pages 592–593), or garam masala (page 594), or to taste

　　1 teaspoon cumin seeds, optional

　　Juice of 1/2 lemon

　　

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add salt. Meanwhile, trim the cauliflower but leave it whole. Add it to the boiling water and cook until a thinbladed knife pierces the cauliflower with little resistance, 10 to 20 minutes. Immediately transfer the cauliflower to a bowl of ice water and run water over it until it is cool enough to handle.

　　

Step 2

Cut or break the cauliflower into florets. Put a 12-inch skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat. Add the oil and curry powder and cook, stirring, until the powder turns brown and becomes aromatic, just a minute or so. Toss in the cauliflower and some salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until it is nicely coated with the oil and reheated, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cumin seeds and lemon juice and stir, then taste and adjust the seasoning; serve hot or at room temperature.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.