Aug 7, 2012

Cauliflower Koshimbir

 

When I heard my friend, Geetanjali tell me about the several koshimbir or salads that she rustles up often at her home, I was all ears. I am always on the look out for newer healthier food options. This salad, apart from new ingredients for koshimbir, also packs in freshness, sweet, tangy and citrusy flavours in.

While Geetanjali’s version had cauliflower as the sole vegetable, and used lemon juice for the tang, I added some carrots for colour, and had to improvise with grated raw mango since I did not have lemon at hand. You could try both versions. They taste just right with steamed rice and dal combo or with hot phulkas too. In fact, you could make a wrap with a hot phulka, some mustard smeared on it, filled in with the koshimbir, rolled up and enjoyed!

What’s good about this dish?

  • Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, similar to cabbage or broccoli.
  • Fresh cauliflower is an excellent source of Vitamin C, Vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6. A great source of minerals like iron, manganese, potassium, too.
  • Di-indolyl methane (DIM), a substance found in this family of vegetables have anti viral, anti bacterial properties and also functions as immune modulator. This property is being used in clinical trials for treating Human Papilloma Virus (the virus that causes cervical cancer)
  • Cauliflower has several other cancer fighting compounds too – they protect against prostrate, cervical, colon, breast, and ovarian cancers. All this makes it a very important vegetable in every woman’s diet.
  • When cooking, wash the head under running water, parboil in salted water, rinse again and use in recipes.

Go on, realise the benefits of this wonder vegetable using it in recipes such as the one below - 

Cauliflower Koshimbir

You need

  1. Cauliflower – 1 medium head
  2. Carrot – 1 medium Or Grated Carrot – 1/2 cup
  3. Raw mango – 1 small OR Grated mango – 1/4 cup
  4. Fresh grated coconut – 2 tsp, optional
  5. Salt- 1/2 tsp or more if needed
  6. Sugar – 1/4 tsp,optional

For seasoning -

  1. Fresh coriander leaves – chopped, 2 tbsp
  2. Oil – 1/2 tsp
  3. Mustard – 1/4 tsp
  4. Asafoetida powder (hing) – a pinch
  5. Green chilli – 2, finely chopped

To assemble

  1. Break the cauliflower head into small florets.
  2. Boil about 1 litre water in a saucepan, add about a tsp of salt to it, drop the florets in the boiling water, turn off the stove, steep for a couple of minutes in the water. Drain, rinse under clean cold water. Now use a steel grater and grate the cauliflower florets into a finer texture.the grated cauliflower - a closer look
  3. Grate the raw mango, and the carrot too.
  4. Toss all the grated veggies together, mix in the coconut, (if using) add salt and sugar and mix well without bruising the vegetables. Add in the chopped coriander too.

tossed salad ingredients

5. Heat the oil in a pan, add the mustard, allow to splutter, tip in the chilli and hing, and pour over the salad.

6.Chill for half an hour before serving.

chilled and portioned koshimbirCauliflower Koshimbir

13 comments:

kitchen queen said...

innovative healthy and nutritious recipe.

Rajani said...

Wow, that was real quick! Would you like to try this recipe?

Reshmi Mahesh said...

Yummy looking recipe...Healthy..

Hamaree Rasoi said...

I would love to try this tangy salad...and I always expect healthy recipes from you :-)

Rajani said...

I hope to live up to your expectations, thanks!

Rajani said...

Will have a look, thanks for invite!

Priya Suresh said...

Healthy and simply inviting koshimbir.

Archana said...

Hey, thanks for your comment on my blog. I know its the same scene everywhere, but venting it out really helps :) I hope you give the loaf a shot, let me know how it turns out. You're right, cooking is not thankless, thats the only thing I enjoy...the rest of the chores are what bore me to death, but thank you - you made my day with that comment :)

Unknown said...

I have only had the carrot/peanut version - this is a good variation to try! thanks dear xoxo

Uj said...

Koshimbir with carrot is completely new to me.. Looks delicious.. Will surely try

Padhu Sankar said...

Beautiful presentation and nice recipe

www.mahaslovelyhome.com said...

perfectly done n beautiful luking gobi recipe
BTW Iam back to blogging n im ur new follwer too.PLZ visit my space if gets sum time n plz check out my new FB page dear..Hope u vl clik on like on FB page dear.Thanx in advance...
Maha

saibala said...

Hey Raju...your blog is awesome...not surprising, coming from my dear kitchen queen and dietician...way to go!!!