Cauliflower Greens, 3 Ways, Bengali Style

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I adore my greens.
A trait I believe I inherited from Grandma.
Greens were indisputably Grandma’s favorites in the kitchen.

Some greens, we are indeed lucky, are perennial, we have the blissful luxury of cooking with them the year round.
Spinach.
Fenugreek.
Pui or Malabar Spinach.
Even Amaranth or my laal shaak. (The magic shaak of my childhood that dyed rice from a pristine white to a divine red).

And this generous bounty of perennial greens implies the obvious – every other day or so, there’s a green, earthy and unpretentious, yet finger-licking delicious, cooking in my kitchen.
Spinach cooked with a melange of vegetables and crushed bodis (dried lentil dumplings)
Laal shaak paired with freshwater fish. Or just poppy seeds and toasted peanuts.
Pui shaak cooked with a medley of vegetables. Or for the fish-addicts, the version that’s got the humble pui married to ilish maachher matha (Hilsa head). (Food heaven !!!)

Some though, like the gorgeous cauliflower greens I see this morning, are fiercely seasonal. And it’s only that precise window of time in the year when we are blessed with them. You miss the window, it’s an agonizing wait till the next season.
So when I see cauliflowers with their august verdant plumes at the local vegetable store, I am, needless to mention, transported to seventh heaven. I make an elaborate mental list of all I want to savour as long as the greens are in season and even before I realise, I have sought refuge in Grandmas treasure chest of recipes.

So here they are – not one, not two, but three different ways to stir up veritable delights with cauliflower greens.
Cauliflower greens stir-fried with potatoes, onions and a hint of garlic.
A chechki, cauliflower greens stir-fried with green peas and a hint of ginger.
And finally, a Sylhet-style mash of cauliflower greens. Perfumed with ginger. Finished with a luxuriant throw of chopped coriander leaves.
My favorites for sure, hope you love them as well !!!Save

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Cauliflower Greens, 3 Ways, Bengali Style

Cauliflower Greens. 3 ways. Stir-fried with a touch of kalonji. Fried with potatoes, onions and a hint of garlic. And finally a mash perfumed with ginger.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine Bengali, Indian

Ingredients

  

Phulkopi Pata Chechki (Stir-fried Cauliflower Greens)

• 6-7 tender cauliflower leaves (Remove and discard the mid-vein from each of the cauliflower leaves. Wash and chop the leaves finely.)
• 1/4 cup fresh green peas
• 1/2 tsp ginger paste
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp kalonji or nigella seeds
• 2-3 green chillies slit
• 2 dry red chillies
• 1/2 tbsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Phulkopi Pata Bhaja (Cauliflower Greens Stir Fried with Potatoes)

• 5-6 tender cauliflower leaves (Remove and discard the mid-vein from each of the cauliflower leaves. Wash and chop the leaves finely.)
• 1 potato small, chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 tsp garlic finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp kalonji or nigella seeds
• 2-3 green chillies chopped
• 1/2 tbsp mustard oil
• salt to taste

Phulkopi Pata Bata (Cauliflower Green Mash with Ginger and Chopped Coriander Leaves)

• 6-7 tender cauliflower leaves (Remove and discard the mid-vein from each of the cauliflower leaves. Wash and chop the leaves finely.)
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves chopped
• 1/2 tsp kalonji or nigella seeds
• 3-4 green chillies slit
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 1/2 tbsp mustard oil
• sugar to taste
• salt to taste

Instructions

 

Phulkopi Pata Chechki(Stir-fried Cauliflower Greens)

• Dissolve turmeric powder, coriander powder and ginger paste in very little water to form a paste.
• Heat oil in a pan. When smoking hot, throw in the broken dry red chillies, kalonji and green chillies. Allow to splutter.
• Add the paste and cook till oil is released.
• Add the chopped cauliflower greens, green peas and salt. Stir fry till tender. Adjust seasonings. Serve hot.
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Phulkopi Pata Bhaja (Cauliflower Greens Stir Fried with Potatoes)

• Heat oil in a pan. When smoking hot, throw in the kalonji and chopped garlic. Fry till light brown.
• Add the chopped onions, cook till the onion is translucent. Now add the potatoes, cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• Finally add the chopped cauliflower greens, throw in the green chillies and sprinkle in the salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes till the potatoes are tender and the greens are cooked. Serve hot.
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Phulkopi Pata Bata (Cauliflower Green Mash with Ginger and Chopped Coriander Leaves)

• Blend the chopped cauliflower greens and 2 green chilies to a coarse paste in an electric blender.
• Heat oil in a pan. When smoking hot, throw in the broken dry red chillies and kalonji. Allow to splutter.
• Now add the mashed cauliflower greens, remaining green chillies, ginger paste and salt.
• Cook over a medium flame till the greens are cooked. Sprinkle in the sugar.
• Adjust seasonings and finish with a generous throw of chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice.
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