Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew

I don't know if there is any way to take a photo of this and make it look good.  Perhaps that is why there was not a photo of this accompanying the recipe in May's Bon Appetit.  

Regardless, this recipe struck me right away. I LURVE cauliflower.  It is the ultimate health food for me. High in Vitamin C, Vitamin K, B5, Folate, B6, dietary fiber, protein, phosphorus, niacin, riboflavin, and more! I don't even know what half of those things are good for but I do know they are good for me! And it is low in calories and, most importantly, filling!  Therefore, when I am making a conscious effort to eat healthy, I am not starving and don't want to rip someone's (most likely, my own) head off.

Cauliflower is paired with earthy chickpeas, seasoned with curry powder and simmered in diced tomatoes, lite coconut milk.  Well, the recipe calls for regular coconut milk, but why ruin a good thing with 80,000 calories and 60 grams of fat?.  There is supposed to be cilantro in this recipe as well, but I think cilantro is the devil, so I omitted it. I kept it in the recipe, though, just in case you make like it.

I can't tell you how many times I have made this dish since the day I first tried this.  It may be one of my favorite go-to dishes now, and the best part is, it is so easy to make! It is about 10 minutes of active time. 

Healthy and quick and delicious? Filled with tons of vitamins that I know nothing about but I do know they are good for me? I'm in! 

Curried Cauliflower and chickpea stew - adapted from may 2009 bon appetit

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 1/2 cups chopped onions

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons curry powder

6 cups small cauliflower florets (from 1 medium head)

2 15 1/2-ounce cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained

2 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 14-ounce can lite coconut milk

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

PREPARATION

• Heat oil in large skillet over high heat. Add onions and sauté until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add curry powder and stir 20 seconds. Add cauliflower and garbanzo beans; stir 1 minute. diced tomatoes with chiles, then coconut milk; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil gently until cauliflower is tender and liquid thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 16 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in cilantro; serve. 

Comments

[jenn]

I don't get enough cauliflower in my diet. I think I need to start eating it more. This is the perfect dish to start with.

Yummy!

[Natasha - 5 Star Foodie]

Curried cauliflower and chickpeas sound delicious! Very healthy too - will have to try it for my daughter!

[Caitlin]

I absolutely love dishes like this - easy, quick, and oh so tasty. Definitely need to make this variation.

[Ashley]

What are you talking about this photo doesn't look good?? As soon as I saw it in my blog reader I thought yummmmmmmmmm! And it's healthy, even better. I didn't realize cauliflower had so much good stuff but that's good to know because I try to eat it frequently! ;)

[phyllis (me HUNGRY!)]

You know, I hated cauliflower growing up, bad memories from my mom making all the time. But I had to learn how to eat it in exchange for my husband agreeing to eat mushrooms, and you know what, it's not that bad! This is the 2nd cauliflower recipe I've printed out from your site, so I guess I'm on my way to becoming a cauliflower fan!

[SStockwell]

That is really funny? To make that dish look good in a photo? It is hard. But we can imagine it? very tasty. best from Santa Barbara, s

[lisaiscooking]

This sounds fantastic. Cauliflower and chickpeas are both favorites of mine!

[Valary]

Love Indian food... but never know what to serve butter chicken or vindaloo with! Thanks so much for the easy and scrumptious dish idea!

[Jen Schall @ My Kitchen Addiction]

This looks wonderful and I think the picture looks fine! I know how it can be hard to make certain foods look pretty - stews and casseroles are tough!

[pinkstripes]

YUM. Sounds delicious. I think I ripped this recipe out too.

[Leslie]

I'm thrilled to see this recipe, and to see that you liked it! I have cauliflower in the fridge and only need to stop and pick up two things on the way home and it's dinner! Thanks, Teanna!

[Hélène]

This is a dish I have to try. I'm glad you made a review. Yummy!

[Ashley]

love the annie hall reference :)

[The Duo Dishes]

Cauliflower is the one veggie we don't cook with enough. Love curry, love chickpeas, so this sounds like a good one.

[Lori @ RecipeGirl]

Ha ha, I'm always skeptical of the recipes that don't have photos. You just NEVER know what they're going to/supposed to look like! You made this one look good :)

[patti]

this looks yummy! what would you recommend serving it with?

[Chelsea]

You think cilantro is the devil? That's hilarious. I'm going to be chuckling about that line all day long :)

[Tangled Noodle]

It is a testament to your skill in cooking and blogging that you've managed to make me crave a dish featuring two of my least favorite ingredients. My mother thanks you!

[Mindy]

This looks great! Go ahead and send your extra cilantro to me--I love the stuff!

[Miranda Hagan]

I am going to try this rice tonight with my stir fry. Thanks for sharing.
I love a lot of your recipes.