This lovely vegetable curry uses traditional Indian spices and coconut milk. It is best made in a clay pot in a wood-fired oven or cooker. If you don’t have or don’t care for coconut milk, replace it with whole-milk yogurt. The finished dish will be less sweet but still very good. Serve it with rice to accompany chicken or fish.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 4 as a side dish
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare a medium heat fire (325°F) in a wood-fired oven or cooker.
Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and sauté the onions until translucent, 3 minutes. Add the jalapeno and ginger and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside.
Step 3
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a glazed clay pot over medium heat and sauté the mustard seeds, cumin, coriander, cloves, and peppercorns until fragrant. Remove the spices and reserve the pan.
Step 4
Combine the onion mixture, sautéed spices, salt, turmeric, and paprika in a blender. With the machine running, pour in 1 cup of the coconut milk or enough to create a thin paste.
Step 5
Place the paste in the reserved glazed clay pot used for the spices and thin with the water. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and place in the oven for 7 minutes. The potatoes should be partially cooked at this time. Add the cauliflower and the remaining coconut milk. Add more water if needed to thin. Cover and return to the oven until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have blended, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5 minutes so the food will absorb some of the flavor of the wood. Serve hot or at room temperature.
