Serves 8 as a side dish
Mustard oil, available at many specialty stores, is pretty common in Bengali cuisine and brings out the taste of yellow and black mustard seed, and poppy seeds. The dish is also made with unsweetened coconut, a chile pepper, yogurt, and cilantro.
| 2 | large heads cauliflower, cut into florets |
| 2 | teaspoons yellow mustard seed |
| 2 | teaspoons black mustard seed |
| 1 | teaspoon poppy seeds |
| ½ | teaspoon salt, or more to taste |
| 5 | tablespoons water |
| 3 | cloves garlic, crushed |
| 1 | tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut |
| 1 | green chile, seeded and halved |
| 2 | tablespoons plain Greek yogurt |
| 4 | tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro |
| 1 | tablespoon mustard oil |
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have on hand a 14-inch baking dish.
Continue reading below
2. In a food processor with the motor running, add the yellow and black mustard seeds, poppy seeds, and salt. Work until smooth. Transfer to a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the water to make a smooth paste. Scrape out the food processor with a rubber spatula.
3. In the food processor, combine the garlic, coconut, chile, and remaining 4 tablespoons water. Work the mixture until it is a paste. Transfer to a bowl.
4. In the baking dish, spread the cauliflower florets. Add mustard-poppy seed paste and garlic-coconut paste.
5. Add yogurt, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, and a pinch of salt. Stir well. Drizzle with the mustard oil. Cover the dish with foil.
6. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into one of the stems is tender. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve with rice and flat bread. Dolphia Nandi
