Lentil Cauliflower Curry | Roasted Cauliflower Dal
Lentil Cauliflower Curry or Cauliflower Dal is a healthy, nutritious, delicious dish prepared using simple ingredients from your kitchen in less than 30 minutes. Cauliflower dal is a perfect recipe for a busy weeknight meal that can be served with steamed rice, any variety of flatbreads, or cooked quinoa.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Cook Time12 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 4
Calories: 131kcal
- ¼ cup Toor dal split pigeon peas
- ¼ cup Moong dal yellow lentil
- 2 Green chilies, finely chopped or slit
- 1 inch Ginger, thinly sliced
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 10 to 12 Cauliflower florets
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon Cashews chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida or Hing (check tips)
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- ¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder
- Salt to taste
Pressure cook the dal or lentil
In a pressure cooker, wash and add toor dal, moong dal, green chilies, ginger, turmeric powder, and water. See that the water is at least half an inch above the dal. (For 1 cup of dal, you need approx 3 cups of water)
¼ cup Toor dal, ¼ cup Moong dal, 2 Green chilies, finely chopped or slit, 1 inch Ginger, thinly sliced, ¼ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Close the lid and pressure cook for about 8 minutes or two whistles.
Once the pressure is released, remove the lid and whisk the dal.
Roast Cauliflower
Cut the cauliflower florets into thirds lengthwise.
10 to 12 Cauliflower florets, 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon Coconut oil
Place a non-stick pan on medium heat and grease it with teaspoon of oil. Add the chopped florets, sprinkle some salt, and pan-fry or roast it till it develops some color on both sides on medium to medium-high flame. Use oil as needed.
Prepare the tempering
Heat 2 teaspoon oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and cashews. When they turn golden brown, add the curry leaves and hing. Switch off the flame.
1 teaspoon Cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon Cashews chopped, 1 sprig Curry leaves, ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida or Hing
Making of cauliflower and lentil curry (cauliflower dhal)
Add pepper powder and salt to the cooked dal with water for desired consistency and bring it to a boil.
¼ teaspoon Black pepper powder, Salt to taste
Finally, add the tempering and roasted cauliflower and mix well.
Serve hot with any popular Indian bread like naan or steamed rice, or quinoa, and enjoy.
- You can also substitute cauliflower with roasted broccoli or asparagus. I have tried both of them, and it equally tastes good.
- Vary the spices as per your taste.
- You can substitute green chilies with jalapeno or serrano pepper. The taste may vary accordingly.
- I have used toor dal and yellow lentil. You can use only one type of lentil or combine red, green, brown, or even black lentils. All tastes good, but the cooking time may vary accordingly. You can check the list of Indian dal or lentils with detailed pictures.
- Hing or asafoetida helps reduce the bloating for some that may be caused by eating dal. If hing is unavailable, then crush and add 2 to 3 garlic cloves for the tempering.
- Instant pot instruction is given in the post above.
Calories: 131kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 388mg | Potassium: 128mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg