Cathy Katin-Grazzini
Cathy’s Kitchen Prescription LLC
www.cathyskitchenprescription.com
 
Bengali Cauliflower 
in Yogurt Sauce
 
This is a delightful vegetable dish is inspired by vegetarian dishes from West Bengal and Bangladesh and uses panch phoron, the region’s famous 5-spice blend. Cauliflower, cabbage, spinach, and sweet peas cook up quickly. Creamy soy yogurt finishes the dish. An easy, tasty, nutritious supper. Serve with your favorite whole grain or some whole wheat naan.
 
Prep time 20 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes
Serves 3 to 5
 
2 tablespoons panch phoron spice blend
1 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable broth or water to deglaze pan
3 cloves garlic, minced
I medium cauliflower, florets only, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 quarter green cabbage, core removed, sliced thinly
1 ½ cups Greek-style soy yogurt
1 bunch spinach
1 cup frozen peas, defrosted
Grinds of black pepper
3 tablespoons shiro (mild, white) miso paste, diluted in 3 tablespoons water
 
Heat a large skillet on medium for 3 minutes. Add the panch phoron, stirring and cook for a minute until the seeds become fragrant. Stir in the onions, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions release their water and begin to darken the pan.
 
Deglaze with broth, dissolving the caramelized sugars from the pan. Add the garlic, cauliflower, turmeric, and cabbage, stirring well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, adding a minimal amount of liquid only if the mix becomes dry. Excess moisture in this dish will dilute its creaminess later.
 
Add the yogurt and spinach, and grind pepper to taste. Stir well to combine, cover, lower heat, and cook for 5 minutes. Finally stir in the peas and cook for the last 5 minutes.
 
The vegetables should all be tender but intact. Season with diluted shiro miso to taste. Serve with warmed whole wheat naan, brown rice, or another whole grain.