Cauliflower and Vegetables in a Coconut Sauce

Cooking and Essential Tools - Setting Up Your Kitchen For Success
As much as we favor healthy ingredients - healthy cookware is important, too, besides makes the food taster and easier to clean. Good quality cookware removes unwanted toxins in your food. Keep in mind that aluminum, heavy metals, non-stick pans (most of them) and lead clay pots can all leach toxins and stays in your system. Please be mindful when shopping for pots and pans. DM me for any suggestions!
Tools To Have In Your Kitchen
3 different knives to have in your kitchen: chef knife, paring knife, serrated knife (Japanese knives are great quality)
measuring spoons
measuring cups
skimmer - to clean top of cooking lentil and beans in a pot
peeler
zester - nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, orange, lemon or lime
pots and pans: no aluminum - use stainless steal, glass, cast-iron, enamel
bowls - stainless steel and glass
sheet pans - all sizes in stainless steel for roasting and baking
cutting board - plastic and wood

Recipe
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
8 curry leaves or another citrus alternative
2 tsp minced ginger root
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried thyme or rosemary - crushed
1/8 tsp hing - a.k.a. asafoetida - optional
1 1/2 tsp Himalayan salt
3 medium taro roots, parsnip or sweet potatoes - peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
1 cup carrots - 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup shopped green beans - 2 inch pieces
1 cup cauliflower florets - 1 inch
2 packed cups chopped spinach
Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

• heat the ghee in 2 quarts saute pan over medium-low heat

• add the turmeric and toast for 15 seconds

• add cumin seeds and continue toast for a few more seconds until the seeds darken a shade and release the aroma

• add curry leaves, ginger, and toast for a few more seconds

• add coriander, thyme, hing (optional) and salt

• add coconut milk and bring all to a boil

• add taro roots and cover reducing the heat to medium-low and simmer for 10 minutes

• add carrots, green beans, and cauliflower and mix well and continue to cook, covered, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are tenter about 20 minutes

• FYI, if the curry begins to dry and stick to the bottom of pan add 1/4 cup more water

• add spinach at the end of cooking as it cooks really fast - cook for 5 more minutes

• garnish: fold in the fresh herbs - cooks choice: cilantro or parsley

  Genia’s Spoon Me Tips:
  I chose to use coconut milk in this dish, although, if you’re a cashew lover substitute the coconut for cashew - drain and rinse the cashews and blend them with 1 cup water to create a smooth cashew milk.

  There are 8 curry leaves in this recipe. Curry leaves come from the curry tree and are also called sweet neem leaves. The healing benefits of curry are fascinating. I, too will be adding curry to my dishes more often. Live and learn! Medicinal properties of curry leaves: liver detoxification, blood cleanser, reduce bad cholesterol, digestive health, nourishes the hair, burns and bruises used topically, helps with morning sickness, and more. Neem is sold in health food stores and becoming more familiar in other stores, as well - worth investing, so keep a stash in your home.
  Resource: Pub-Med - medicinal properties of neem/curry leaves

  Curry Leaves and Curry Powder do not have the same taste. Please don’t substitute the two. Curry Leaves (challenging to find) have a sweet aroma and bitter-like taste. A great substitute for Curry Leaves can be basil leaves, lemon balm, lime leaves, lemon. zest, bay leaves and other citrus. leaves.

  This recipe was inspired by my personal Ayurvedic master teacher - Divya Alter. She has taught me and still does the art of Ayurvedic cooking - the science of life in and out of the kitchen. It’s a lifestyle!

  I made a few adjustments in this recipe for allergy awareness, tastes, and substitutes of some of the ingredients.

  Much Love,
  Genia

Neem Tree - where the curry leaves grow