Cauliflower-Lychee Curry with Curry Leaves and my Guest Post Over at Cooking-Varieties
This is my second guest post and this time it is for my friend Wan Maznah from Malaysia, having her amazing blog called Cooking-Varieties. I am so happy and excited to write this guest post for her wonderful blog! When you visit her blog, you will see an amazing variety of scrumptious dishes, explained in an easy and interesting manner.
When Maznah approached me to write for her blog, I decided to share this wonderful South-Indian-style cauliflower curry, but with a twist. Since I wanted to break the monotony of a regular cauliflower curry, I decided to add a handful of fresh, juicy lychees (inspired by the Thai Cuisine, where lychees are added to curries with coconut milk in them, and they taste divine!) to the coconut-milk-smeared curry with the aromatic curry leaves and mustard seeds in them, topped with lime juice. This is a white curry, so no turmeric powder is added to this dish. As you read on, you will see for yourself the wonderful balance of the amounts of each ingredient in this non-spicy dish, imparting a magical taste at the end. This Indo-Thai-inspired curry turned out to be heavenly! Don’t believe it? I bet you will.
Cauliflower-Lychee Curry with Curry Leaves
Ingredients:
- Medium-sized cauliflower (cut into medium-sized florets): 1
- Potato (big, cut into medium-sized cubes): 1
- Whole lychees (peeled): 12
- Tomato paste: ½ cup
- Onion paste: ½ cup
- Ginger paste: 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
- Curry leaves (extra for garnishing): 12
- Coconut milk: 1 cup
- Red chillies (whole): 3
- Water: ½ cup
- Salt (divided): 2 tsp
- Sugar: ½ tsp
- Lime juice: 1 tbsp
- Oil (divided): 7 tbsp
Method of preparation:
The first step is to shallow-fry the cauliflower florets in 3 tbsp oil and ½ tsp salt, till they are light-brown-tanned and soft, yet firm. One should cover the wok while frying and stir the content from time to time, sprinkling a little water. This helps the cauliflower to get soft faster, while they get fried. On a medium flame, this takes about 15 min. Keep the fried cauliflower aside.
Repeat the process with potatoes, but with 2 tbsp oil and ½ tsp salt. After 15 min, check the softness of the potatoes with the end of a kitchen spoon: these should break on applying a little pressure. Keep the fried potatoes aside.
Add 2 tbsp oil to the wok and let it smoke. Add the mustard seeds and let it sputter (on a medium flame). Add the curry leaves.
Add the onion paste immediately and stir. After 2 min, add the garlic and tomato pastes, along with the remaining salt and sugar. Stir continuously till the paste is cooked (i.e., till you feel that the water in the paste has almost evaporated) and oil starts leaving from the paste.
Add the fried cauliflower and the potatoes and smear the paste with them very well. Continue to mix and stir over a medium flame for 5 min. Now add the red chillies, lychees and coconut milk. Mix well.
Add water and cover. Simmer for 15 min. Switch off the gas. Add the lime juice and mix well. Garnish with a few fresh curry leaves.
June 30, 2011 @ 5:48 am
hi purabi, hope you got my email
many thanks to you for your willingness to do this guest post for me.
On my first visit to this blog, your impressive looking citrus-zest fried rice, makes me feelyour recipe as the best looking and most appetising fried rice in culinary.
Thereafter. the exquisite Mughlai Kheema Paratha
June 30, 2011 @ 6:40 am
Dear Purabi
Kemon achho? I feel good that you are trying out great recipes outside Bong domain…The recipe is so unique with the Lichus!! This is Lichi season. I am sure you are getting Vietnamese leechi. I have a good mind to try it out. I dont eat vegetables, generally, but will make for the family.
Since morning I am hammering a piece of mutton to make Chinese meat balls with Indian spices. I like Chinese meat and fish balls, they expand like Rosogollas ha ha .
Have a nice day
June 30, 2011 @ 8:23 am
Hi purabi! this recipe is very impressive.Lychee in a curry dish ~ it’s new to me. I’m really curious with the taste. I’d like to try it sometime. Great post!
June 30, 2011 @ 8:54 am
I like this unique creation of this recipe. Its great and btw, saw your posting on Maznah’s blog and have left a message there too. Keep up the great work.
June 30, 2011 @ 10:18 am
I love lychees – what a beautiful combination that I normally wouldn’t think about!
June 30, 2011 @ 11:26 am
What a creative curry!
June 30, 2011 @ 12:42 pm
Great recipe. It looks like a lovely comforting curry dish. The kind that makes your tummy go ‘THANK YOU!’ 🙂 Buzzed!
June 30, 2011 @ 12:53 pm
What an amazing looking and creative dish!
June 30, 2011 @ 1:08 pm
i love lychees…this is a very nice and interesting combo…looks gr8..:)
June 30, 2011 @ 3:09 pm
Hi Purabi
Very unique and delicious looking lychee and cauliflower curry. You have inspired me to think out of the box and prepare new dishes.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
June 30, 2011 @ 4:29 pm
Wow! looks amazing!
June 30, 2011 @ 4:41 pm
Amazing curry!!! Never seem anything like this!!!!
June 30, 2011 @ 4:48 pm
Hi Purabi! Lychee in a curry dish sounds amazing! I love lychee- I’m trying to think if I’ve ever had it in a savory dish (where it wasnt some kind of salsa). This looks great, I’m going to check out your guest post!
June 30, 2011 @ 5:49 pm
Wow does that look fantastic. We have wonderful yogurt place that puts lychee in smoothies. Yum. Come on over and visit us today. We have a great chilled soup and a giveaway from the Fairy Hobmother.
June 30, 2011 @ 6:51 pm
Purabi, that looks so good! I’ve attempted to make curry cauliflower a while back, it tastes pretty good, though I have to say yours look much better!
June 30, 2011 @ 6:54 pm
very unique combos…curry looks so delicious n truly inviting…this is a very new recipe to me but tempted lot 🙂
June 30, 2011 @ 8:51 pm
that looks great, wonderful recipe, a very interesting combo..
Ongoing Event at Good Food:
COOK IT HEALTHY:PROTEINicious
June 30, 2011 @ 10:04 pm
What a beautiful curry! And great guest post =)
June 30, 2011 @ 10:29 pm
Hi Purnabi, this is a very unique dish. I haven’t heard of it. Adding lychee to a curry is so interesting. This is def out of the box thinking .. Nice blog 🙂
June 30, 2011 @ 11:27 pm
What an original add-on to the cauliflower curry! Love lychee but I have only had them in a sweet dish.
July 1, 2011 @ 12:13 am
I love lychees, curry and cauliflower! I would hesitate to make them together on my own – but your post might change my mind!
July 1, 2011 @ 2:52 am
what a unique combo of ingredients! i love both cauliflower and lychee!
July 1, 2011 @ 10:32 am
Interesting and different combination..
July 1, 2011 @ 1:22 pm
This looks delicious! I love how you have combined so many different ingredients! Thanks for stopping by my blog 🙂
July 1, 2011 @ 2:53 pm
Thank you all, for your sweet comments. I am really looking forward to sharing more knowledge with you on food and learning a lot from each one of you.
July 1, 2011 @ 2:57 pm
I left a comment…don’t know if it went through…just wanted to let you know how I love your wonderful dish with curry. Such a delicious combination of flavors, and textures:DDD
July 1, 2011 @ 3:21 pm
Hi Purabi,
Indian food are very popular in Malaysia and liked by many Malays (especially those who comes from Northern States of Malaysia).
I love the way they prepare most of their vegetable dishes, and I can imagine this cauliflower/lychee dish must be as delicious!
TQ for sharing.
July 1, 2011 @ 3:41 pm
Thats a new kind of dish, very interesting twist. Looks beautiful too.
Please trail back to me at my new junction part II – http://www.kitchen-mantra.blogspot.com, for the latest updates.
July 1, 2011 @ 4:06 pm
You did it again-another delicious post with some amazing ingredients! Of course,those people wanting you to do a guest post know what good is. thanks for the kind email and comments on my blog!
July 1, 2011 @ 5:29 pm
This looks absolutely delicious. I love the idea of trying new ingredients and lychee is one I haven’t worked with before. Plus, I haven’t found a curry I haven’t liked so it’s a pleasure to have found your blog!
July 1, 2011 @ 5:53 pm
That’s very interesting combination and flavours, great innovation. Looks lovely. Happy to follow your lovely blog 🙂
July 1, 2011 @ 6:58 pm
Oh PN, this is really delicious curry! Hong kong is the place to find every ingredient in the world! I wish I could make this but i don’t have curry leaves. I could probably substitute it with Thai basil or something. Great flavor combination with coconut milk. Just love it! Cheers!!!
July 1, 2011 @ 8:19 pm
Dear Purabi, Thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. I appreciate it very much. Your question about a substitution would be that you could use cheddar, mozzarella, swiss or something similar.
This cauliflower,lychee and curry dish looks delicious. I would love to try these combined flavors. Have a wonderful day, Blessings, Catherine
July 1, 2011 @ 10:11 pm
truly wonderful idea for guest post dear…love the recipe….I have some cauliflower with me….will try to make it
July 1, 2011 @ 11:25 pm
What a mouth-watering recipe!I’m sure it would be a wonderful dish to taste 🙂
Hugs,
Aldy.
July 1, 2011 @ 11:37 pm
This is so creative. I would have never mixed fruit with cauliflower in a savory dish. I would love to give that a try.
July 2, 2011 @ 4:00 am
Making this would be a little out of my element, but it sounds strangely delightful! Maybe I’ll have to pick up some lychees!
July 2, 2011 @ 6:25 am
This is exceptional talent I must say…Lychees and cauliflower is a rare combo and u have done it so well…would try it!!!
http://fashionquotient.blogspot.com/ .
July 2, 2011 @ 12:11 pm
Thank you so much for your sweet comment on my blog! I am happy to have discovered your blog through your guest post on the lovely Cooking-Varieties, and I will surely be back often.
Looks like a fantastic curry!
July 3, 2011 @ 8:47 am
Wow thats a great mix of flavours in a plate! A very unique dish for me
July 3, 2011 @ 10:19 am
I am a big fan of curry!! This looks awesome–can’t wait to try this!
July 3, 2011 @ 10:45 am
Complimenti è una ricetta davvero buona e originale!!! prendo nota…un bacio e buona Domenica
July 3, 2011 @ 12:00 pm
That is one amazing recipe..Cauliflower lychee!! what a great combination..I bet its super yummy curry!!
July 3, 2011 @ 4:44 pm
This is a really interestin combination of flavors. I’m always looking for inovative ways to cook cauliflower and this one is definitely worth a try.
July 4, 2011 @ 7:00 am
Cauliflower and lychee, very interesting.I am sharing some awards with you would you like to collect them from my blog.
July 4, 2011 @ 10:08 am
wow…another first class post…sounds fab dear..:)
Tasty Appetite
July 4, 2011 @ 1:15 pm
Oh, I loved your comments, dear foodie friends. I appreciate your views on Indian food and on your open-mindedness on my food experiments! I loved your spirit!!
Luciana, a special thanks to you! Thank you, Shilpi, for those wonderful awards…so kind of you.
July 6, 2011 @ 2:58 am
Hi purabi, how are you, just to let you know that you may want to wrap up the comments made in my blog on your post as my guest.
the sweet comments given shows that your cauliflower-lychee recipe is very popular… I wish I will, one day have as many followers as you, am working at it.
July 7, 2011 @ 6:31 am
This is cool! You add lychee in curry? I must try this! I love lychee and curry but never combined into one! Bravo~~~~! 😉
July 7, 2011 @ 2:09 pm
what a unique combination…. i must try this recipe….. never thought of litchi and cauliflower together.
d anthanks purabi for stopping by my blog. first time to your site. you have a nice space here.
regards
dassana
July 7, 2011 @ 8:34 pm
I happen to have a pound of fresh lychees I just picked up from the store yesterday. Now I know what to do with them. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll try this. (Running really fast to the kitchen to rescue them lychees before hubby finishes them all…..)
July 8, 2011 @ 2:58 am
Wow– that is so interesting! Cauliflower lychee? I imagine that’s a great mix of tastes. I’m excited to look at your blog because I really love Indian food!
July 8, 2011 @ 7:48 am
This is incredible: never associated lychee actually in a savoury curry but whyever not? It looks sensational!
July 8, 2011 @ 6:23 pm
Congrats on the guest post..this dish sounds so interesting, and very delicious!
July 13, 2011 @ 6:23 am
This is such an interesting recipe! I have never thought of adding lychee to a curry! I use a lot of pineapple in curries so I am sure lychee will also be great!
New here and really like how different your recipes are. Thanks for visiting my blog 🙂
July 13, 2011 @ 12:59 pm
Wonderful combo …..looks so gud…you have a nice blog
February 24, 2012 @ 11:49 pm
Wow, this is so different, a never before heard combo, bookmarked..