Curried cauliflower with peas

 A big thank you to Aida Mollenkamp (see my interview with her here) for this recipe from her recent book "Keys to the Kitchen." I have made this twice, both times with much success. The children (now almost 9 and 7) loved it as well. I put my family chef spin on it so it's not quite as spicy. I hope you'll try it, even if you think your kids are picky eaters. It's worth a shot!

Curried Cauliflower with Peas
Adapted from a recipe by Aida Mollenkamp
Serves 3-4

Vegetable oil
2-3 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (I used ginger paste)
2-4 teaspoons mild curry powder, divided (see note)
1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
½ - 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 yellow onion, chopped
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Optional: 1 cup cooked beef (ground or chopped steak)

1 cup frozen peas, slightly thawed
¼ cup cilantro or mint, roughly chopped
Flour tortillas (regular or gluten-free) or about 2 cups cooked brown rice

Note: To make your own mild curry powder, mix together 2 tablespoons each cumin and coriander, 2 teaspoons turmeric and ½ teaspoon each ground ginger and mustard. Add cayenne pepper or crushed chile peppers to make it spicy. Store the spice mixture in a spice jar until ready to use.

1. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  As soon as the oil is shimmering, add the ginger, half of the curry powder and all of the cauliflower. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally until fragrant and the cauliflower is golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and set aside in a bowl or on a plate.
2. Place pan off-heat on the stove. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to the same pan with the onion, ground pepper, and remaining curry powder (you can add more curry powder later so go lightly until you know the amount you like). Place the pan back on medium heat. Once onion is soft, add the other ¼ teaspoon salt and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
3. Add cauliflower, potatoes, broth, and beef, if using. Bring to a boil.
4. Lower the heat, cover, and cook about 5 minutes. Stir and continue to cook until potatoes are knife tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add the peas and cook about 2 minutes or until heated.  Adjust the seasonings by adding salt or curry if needed.
5. Top with chopped cilantro or mint and serve with regular or gluten-free flour tortillas or over brown rice.