Roasted cauliflower and spiced butter beans
Rukmini Iyer has shared a recipe for a filling vegetarian curry that combines roasted cauliflower with butter beans in a rich, tomato-based sauce. The dish is designed to be cooked once and used in multiple ways, offering flexibility for different meals throughout the week.
The recipe begins by roasting cauliflower florets. The florets are tossed with neutral oil, ground turmeric, ground cumin, and flaky sea salt before being baked at 220C (200C fan) for 20 minutes until golden. An air fryer can be used as an alternative, cooking the cauliflower in batches at 200C for about 12 minutes.
While the cauliflower roasts, the curry base is prepared in a large frying pan. Chopped onion is fried in oil until golden brown. Grated garlic and ginger are added and stirred briefly before the heat is lowered. The remaining spices, including turmeric, cumin, sea salt, crushed dried red chillies, ground black peppercorns, and ground cinnamon, are stirred into the pan to cook gently.
Chopped tomatoes and a 700g jar of butter beans, including their liquid, are added to the pan. The mixture is brought to a boil and then simmered for 15 minutes. The roasted cauliflower and single cream are stirred in, and the curry is cooked for two more minutes. Lemon juice is squeezed in at the end, and the dish is seasoned to taste.
Versatile leftovers and alternative preparations
The recipe emphasizes the versatility of the resulting sauce. Iyer notes that the flavors improve overnight in the refrigerator. Leftover curry can be stuffed into a paratha with lettuce and red onions to create a wrap similar to a kati roll. For a more complex onion flavor, red onions can be blanched, dressed with lime juice and salt, and left to pickle for 30 minutes before use.
Another option for leftovers is to create a pie. The curry is placed in an ovenproof dish and topped with puff pastry. After crimping the edges and brushing with egg, it is baked at 220C (200C fan) for 20 to 25 minutes until the pastry is golden and the filling is hot.
Iyer also suggests using the sauce base for other dishes. If butter beans are unavailable, chickpeas can be used instead. The sauce can also serve as a foundation for matar paneer. In this variation, the cauliflower and beans are omitted, and the sauce is combined with roast or fried paneer cubes seasoned with the same spices.
The recipe calls for one large cauliflower, 3 tbsp neutral oil, 2 tsp ground turmeric, 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp flaky sea salt, one large onion, two garlic cloves, 5cm fresh ginger, 1 tsp crushed dried red chillies, 1 tsp ground black peppercorns, ½ tsp ground cinnamon, 400g tin chopped tomatoes, 700g jar butter beans, 100ml single cream, and the juice of half a lemon. It is served with rice, parathas, or flatbreads.
Source: The Guardian
