Gobhi Sarson: Indian-Style Mustard Cauliflower

Step aside, kale. Cauliflower is the new veg-lebrity. How pleasing it is to discover that one’s tastes are in keeping with the times. I am a huge fan of gobhi sarson, this Indian-style mustard cauliflower dish.

This gobhi sarson recipe came about rather serendipitously. One evening I cooked a quick cauliflower side dish with no ground masalas, only a tadka of mustard seeds and coriander seeds in mustard oil. It tasted a bit bland. So I made a fresh condiment blend and added it as topping…voilà! The result turned out to be the tastiest cauliflower dish I had eaten in a long long time.

What works in this recipe is the coming together of a few powerful spices – mustard, ginger, green chilies – with the mild-mannered cauliflower. Opposites do bring out the best in each other, at least in this case.

On to the gobhi sarson recipe…

You Need:

• Cauliflower – 1 (400 grams)
• Fresh coriander leaves – a few strands
• Ginger – 1/2 inch stick
• Green chilies – 2 or 3
• Salt (preferably coarse grained sea salt) – to taste
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 teaspoon
• Coriander seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds (yellow) – 2 teaspoons
• Mustard oil – 1 tablespoon

In the picture above (clockwise): cauliflower, coriander leaves, green chilies, ginger, coriander seeds, yellow mustard seeds.

How To Make Indian-Style Mustard Cauliflower:

1. Prepare the ingredients

Break the cauliflower into small florets. Wash the florets well.

Boil two cups of water with a teaspoon of salt. Place the cauliflower florets in hot water covered, for 7-8 mins. [This quickens the cooking process and helps deal with worms in the cauliflower, if any.]

Drain, wash the cauliflower again and pat dry.

Crush the mustard seeds. [You could use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.]

Slit the green chilies into strips, keeping one aside for using later.

Peel and crush ginger.

2. Cook it all together

In a kadhai or pan, heat a tablespoon of mustard oil to smoking point. Add coriander seeds and crushed mustard seeds. When the seeds change color, add turmeric powder and slit green chilies.

Stir and tip the cauliflower florets into the pan. Add salt to taste along with crushed ginger.

Mix well so that the flavored oil coats the cauliflower florets evenly.

Cook covered on low heat, stirring every few minutes, till the cauliflower is nearly done.

3. Just before you close…

Chop fresh coriander leaves.

Chop a green chili finely and crush it.

Add the chopped coriander leaves and crushed chili to the cauliflower.

Turn heat to high and cook for another minute till the cauliflower turns dry and takes on the added coriander-chili flavors.

Gobhi sarson (Indian-style mustard coriander) is now ready to serve.

Have gobhi sarson on the side with chapatis/rice and dal.

Notes:

Looking for more cauliflower recipes? Try methi gobhi, a combination of cauliflower with fenugreek leaves, or the very exotic gobhi musallam, a whole cauliflower delicacy.