Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

Indian food in Paris is hard to come by. Actually, scratch that. Indian food isn’t necessarily hard to come by; it’s good Indian–and good ethnic food in general–that seems to have completely evaded a people otherwise obsessed with the culinary arts.

I’d heard a lot of good things about the Passage Brady for Indian, and so when an English friend of Indian decent was in town, I was sure that I would be able to get curry that reminded me of what I got back home. We went and scoped it out, he picked the most authentic-looking place, and we sat down to the best curry I’ve had since I moved to France. It still doesn’t match my favorite Indian place from New York, but it’s a close second.

Nonetheless, it wasn’t enough. I’m used to being able to get good Indian, not to mention Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, whenever I want. It’s truly one of the only things that I miss about living in New York. So I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I got this recipe from Well Fed. The aforementioned friend told me it’s technically called Chana Gobi in Hindi (Chana Cobbage-Fool nu Shak in Gujarati, which is the language he speaks with his family), but I’m more than happy to retain the name Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Tomatoes.

If you ever feel the need for a quick Indian fix without having to go out and buy a bunch of spices, this is where you need to go. I used canned tomatoes and chickpeas and frozen cauliflower, so it was one of the easiest recipes I’ve got. And I’m passing it on to you lucky folk. I’m too nice for my own good.
Curried Cauliflower with Chickpeas and Tomatoes

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 28-oz. can of tomatoes
3 cups frozen cauliflower
1 28-oz. can chickpeas, drained
Kosher salt
Fresh cilantro

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven until hot. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and cook until the onion has softened, about five minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook until fragrant, stirring constantly, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook until slightly broken down, using a wooden spoon to break the tomatoes apart, about five minutes.

Add the cauliflower, chickpeas and salt to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cook about thirty minutes to an hour, tasting for seasoning. Serve with fresh cilantro.