Cauliflower Butter Curry

Serves 4

Cooking time including preparation is about 1 hour

Lately with the weather being very drippy it seems like the best way to spend an afternoon tucked indoors is to have a hot bowl of curry in hand. Cauliflower and curry combinations are quite popular in Western Indian cuisine, but not having tried making one myself yet, I decided to whip up a version similar to a recipe I learned for Butter Chicken. Tomatoes round out this dish so beautifully that my eyes popped with delight as I tasted the result.  It's seven basic ingredients and quick to prepare so I suggest giving this one a try if you're in the mood for a smooth silky veggie curry. It can also be served as a bold side dish without rice or it can accompany other curry dishes.

I decided to use salted butter instead of ghee for this one because I wanted creaminess in the sauce to take a little acid off of the tomatoes and make it quicker to prepare. You may want to use low-sodium chicken broth since broths and canned tomatoes vary quite a bit these days in sodium levels. Taste the sauce halfway through cooking and add salt if necessary but be careful not to over-season it. When I made this I added a sliced fresh Thai chili when cooking the onion to really make it zing, so toss one in if you don't want to walk on the mild side.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 head of cauliflower, cut into 3" florets
• 6-8 nugget potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 1 tablespoon madras curry powder
• 1 398mL can diced tomatoes
• 2-3 cups chicken stock
• Fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

1)Melt the butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat.
2) Add the chopped onion and stir until softened, about 2-3 minutes.
3) Sprinkle the curry powder over the onion. If you prefer a milder version, use less than a tablespoon.
4) Stir the curry and onions together to roast the spices. Cook for at least a minute until very fragrant.
5) Add the potatoes to the pot and stir to get them cooking. After about 2 minutes, add the cauliflower, stir and cook an additional minute or so. Make sure not to burn the curry!
6)Stir in the can of tomatoes and pour in the chicken stock until the vegetables are covered in liquid. Mix well and allow to boil.
7) When the curry begins to boil, cover and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes or until the potatoes are finished.
8) Serve piping hot over rice and/or with naan. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Tastes even better after a night in the fridge!