Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran

December 10, 2008 at 5:51 pm (Beans, B_minus (2.5 stars), Cruciferous rich, Indian, Quick weeknight recipe, Website / blog)

I saw this recipe over at FatFree Vegan Kitchen, and after reading Susan’s glowing praise of panch phoran I immediately wanted to try it.   Amazingly, I had all five spices in my pantry: fenugreek, mustard, kalonji (nigella), fennel, and cumin. I made the panch phoran mixture myself.  The only change I made to the recipe was adding some oil to the dish (in guilty opposition to the fat free philosophy).

The red lentils in the dish cause the dish to have a thick, stewlike consistency, but the stew was punctuated by big chunks of cauliflower.   I thought the flavor was fine, but more subtle than I had expected–I certainly did not experience the near-euphoria described on the FatFree Vegan blog. Derek, however, liked the recipe more than me, and thought the seasoning was quite strong.

This recipe is simple and nutritious, and very easy to make, so even though I didn’t love it I’ll probably try it again.

Rating: B
Derek: B