Name: Cauliflower Poriyal (South Indian Cauliflower Stir Fry)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3
Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu
Ingredients: 3½ cups cauliflower (- chopped); 3 cups water (- hot); 2 to 3 pinches salt; 3 tablespoons coconut oil (or preferred neutral flavored oil); ½ teaspoon mustard seeds; ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ((optional)); ½ teaspoon split black gram ((urad dal)); 2 to 3 pinches asafoetida ((hing)); 1 teaspoon ginger (- finely chopped); 10 to 12 curry leaves (- chopped); 1 green chili (- slit or chopped); ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder; salt (as required); ¾ cup water (or or add as required); ¼ cup coconut (- grated, fresh or frozen, or add as required); 2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped, (optional))

Crisp at the edges and tender through the middle, Cauliflower Poriyal (South Indian Cauliflower Stir Fry) is a vegan, vegetarian South Indian, Tamil Nadu side dish made with simple everyday ingredients in about 40 minutes. The recipe lays out the ingredients and each cooking step clearly, so you can adjust seasoning, texture, and serving size for your own kitchen.

Recipe Snapshot

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Yield: 3
Category: Side Dish
Cuisine: South Indian, Tamil Nadu

Ingredients

3½ cups cauliflower (- chopped)
3 cups water (- hot)
2 to 3 pinches salt
3 tablespoons coconut oil (or preferred neutral flavored oil)
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds ((optional))
½ teaspoon split black gram ((urad dal))
2 to 3 pinches asafoetida ((hing))
1 teaspoon ginger (- finely chopped)
10 to 12 curry leaves (- chopped)
1 green chili (- slit or chopped)
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
salt (as required)
¾ cup water (or or add as required)
¼ cup coconut (- grated, fresh or frozen, or add as required)
2 tablespoons coriander leaves (- chopped, (optional))

Method

Prepping Cauliflower

Rinse and chop the cauliflower in small or medium-sized florets. You will need 3.5 cups of chopped cauliflower.
You can opt out from blanching step if you want. For organic or homegrown cauliflower, I suggest to blanch it.
Heat water and salt in a pan. Or you could mix hot water and the salt in a bowl. When heating water in a pan, turn off the heat once the water has begun to boil and then add the cauliflower florets.
Transfer the florets into the hot water. Mix and blanch them for 5 minutes.
After 5 minutes of blanching, drain the water and set blanched cauliflower aside.

Making Cauliflower Poriyal

In another pan, heat coconut oil on medium-low to medium heat.
Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
Lower heat and add urad dal and cumin seeds.
Fry until the urad dal turns golden.
Next add finely chopped ginger and chopped curry leaves, green chilies. Mix and stir.
Reduce heat and add asafoetida and turmeric powder.
Mix the ground spices with the rest of the ingredients, ensuring that these ground spices do not get burned.
Add the blanched cauliflower. Season with salt according to taste.
Mix thoroughly.
Next add ¾ cup water or add as required.
Cover pan with a lid and cook on medium-low heat until the cauliflower florets are almost tender.
Check a few times and if the water has dried and the cauliflower is undercooked and starts sticking to the pan or gets burnt, add some more water and continue to cook.
The cauliflower florets must be almost cooked before you add the coconut.
Once the florets are almost cooked, add grated coconut.
Mix again and continue to cook without lid until all the liquids have evaporated and the poriyal looks dry.Keep in mind that this dish is dry and there should be no water or liquids in it.
Ensure that the cauliflower florets are tender and perfectly cooked. They should not be overcooked or mushy.
If you like, lastly garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves.

Serving Suggestions

Serve Cauliflower Poriyal hot or warm with your everyday Indian meals.
Enjoy it with a side of chapati or pair with rice and a sambar, rasam or dal and also curd rice.