Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran
Or you could just blog about it.
Either way, this is one of those recipes:

I know it doesn't look like much, a little lumpy and gloppy and overly orange, but this combination of red lentils and cauliflower tastes out of this world, all because of panch phoran.

When I drop those seeds into a pan of hot oil with a sizzle and a clatter, I am called backward to a time long ago and forward to a time that never was, into memory and dream, into a familiar strangeness. When I smell the wafting song of their voices coming together, I find myself very much at home.It was thanks to Barbara's evocative essay that I went searching for panch phoron last week. After looking at recipes online and in some of my cookbooks (particularly Madhur Jaffrey's World-of-the-East Vegetarian), I decided to make a fairly standard dal and add the seasoning to it. Including cauliflower was a last minute idea--I just love a one-pot meal, so if I can get my vegetable and protein all in one pot, I'll do it. I can't find any precedent for mixing cauliflower and masoor dal, so don't consider this an authentic Bengali recipe. Just consider it delicious--and kid-friendly, if my daughter is any indication. (It's probably the first time she's ever taken cauliflower to school in her lunchbox.)

Cauliflower Dal with Panch Phoran
(printer-friendly version)
If you want a more assertive panch phoran taste, grind an additional 1/2 tablespoon of it and add it during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
1 1/2 cups masoor dal or red lentils
4 cups water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/8 teaspoon canola oil (or canola oil spray)
1 tablespoon panch phoran
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ginger paste (or 1 tsp. minced ginger)
16 ounces diced tomatoes (or 1 can)
1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets)
1/2 cup water
Pick over and rinse the lentils and add them to a pot with the water and turmeric. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Simmer until the dal is tender, about 20 to 35 minutes. When done, add salt and set aside.
While the dal is cooking, prepare the vegetables. Heat a large, deep skillet, preferably non-stick. When hot, add the canola oil and shake it to spread it around. Add the panch phoran and stir. (You may instead use oil spray; spray before and after adding the panch phoran.) When the first seed pops, immediately add the onion, garlic, pepper flakes, and ginger paste. Stir and cook until the onion softens, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, cauliflower, and water, and stir. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is just tender, about 10 minutes.
When the dal and cauliflower are both done, add the dal to the cauliflower mixture. Stir well, and check seasoning, adding more salt if needed. Simmer gently for about 10 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Serve hot, over rice if desired.
Makes about 6 servings. Per serving: 193 Calories (kcal); 1g Total Fat; (4% calories from fat); 15g Protein; 34g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 378mg Sodium; 16g Fiber. Weight Watchers Core (or 3 Flex points).
Once you try panch phoran, I hope you'll be as excited about it as I am. If so, here are a few recipes you can use it in:
Kale with Panch Phoran from Tigers and Strawberries
Bengali Red Dal Curry from Kalyn's Kitchen
Pumpkin and Potato Curry from Indian Food Rocks
Aloo Rasedaar from The Budding Cook
Bengali Cauliflower and Potato Chechki from Bon Appegeek
Tags: vegan recipes vegetarian cooking food fat-free weight watchers
Labels: CORE, eat to live, gluten-free









81 Comments:
Panch phoran pic is so creative.
This looks spectacular! That description of every bite being a different sensation sounds incredibly enticing, I'll be sure to snap up some panch phoran if I ever spy any!
Susan, I discovered the joy of cooking with panch phoron only recently. Isn't it amazing how this blend of spices can transform the most ordinary-tasting dish into one that's bursting with flavors? Love the brilliant orange color of your dal.
BTW, thanks for the mention!:-)
Barbara is so right about panch phoron!
I'm very curious about your daughter taking this cauliflower in her lunch box. How do the other kids respond when she opens it up and the wonderful-to-us smells waft out? I ask because my daughter has a tough time. The kids around her say yeow or tell her that her lunch is disgusting. She refuses to take any 'smelly' food - including tuna sandwich or cheese ravioli - to school anymore as she is done telling them that they are being disrespectful.
wow. this looks sooooooo good. mmmhh...
wow. this looks sooooooo good. mmmhh...
I'll have to try this! I love the red lentil cauliflower curry from Veganomicon, so I would think I'd love this as well. I'm a bit leery of the fennel seed though, it's not really my thing!
Mmmmm yum this sounds absolutely incredible! Fingers crossed I can find kalonji in Australia (there are no Indian grocery stores I can find around where I live sadly).
That picture of the panch phoran is just so eye-catching! Made my day :)
I agree with you completely about how amazing this tastes. I was completely in love with it when my nephew made it for me! It's just one of the best flavor combinations ever. Cannot wait to try this recipe too.
Cannot wait to try this recipe. I have to do a search for an Indian market in my area. I haven't seen one. Looks really good, Susan
This sounds delicious. I love red lentils with veggies but I've never heard of panch phoran. Will have to try it :-)
Not only does this look lovely but I bet it tastes out of this world. My mission for the weekend, find this lovely spice combination and make this recipe! Thank you so much.
Oh..I have fennel, mustard and cumin seeds, my Indian friend's mom has fenugreek, and the last one..I have no idea what that is. Care to enlighten me?
Manisha, my daughter went through a phase where one of her friends was calling her food names and she didn't want to take anything that looked "yucky." Fortunately, that seems to have passed--I don't know if they stopped teasing her or if she grew a thicker skin. She's never complained about smell, but I wouldn't be surprised if that happens with cauliflower.
Mustardseed, kalonji is also called nigella sativa. There's a good discussion of it (and its many names) at Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages.
MMMMMM This looks to DIE for.
I love cooking with bengali five spice! I'm so glad other folks are discovering it, too! I've never heard it called "panch phoron" before, (I buy it at the asian market, so the english translation on the label may be somewhat suspect!)...but it's the same ingredients, so I'm guessing it's the same stuff! I'm definitely trying this out, though...thanks for the recipe!
Panchphoran, masoor, and cauliflower - that is a winning combination! Just lovely.
Been an occasional reader of your blog, and this is perhaps my first comment here.
MMM, so excited to learn about a new spice combo! I've been curious about making indian food, as its so rare to find delicious Indian food in a restaurant nowadays... I really appreciate this post!
Thanks,
Paula
Hm..maybe my Indian veg friend's mom can enlighten me..she makes really comforting food!
Dahl and basmati rice mixed together is comfort food to the Indians(baby food too), and sometimes it just beats mac n "cheeze" hands down.
Susan, I love your blog. It's great. Your dialogue or commentary is wonderful. I have printed this recipe and I plan on making it this weekend. You are truly inspiring!
This looks good and I'm going to try it today as I'm in the mood for cauliflower and lentils! I couldn't find kalonji so I will go with the other 4 spices. It appears you don't grind the spices, is that correct?
thanks for your fun recipes!
-barb
That's right, barb--the spices are left whole. Hope you enjoy it!
The dal looks delicious. I have yet to try Panch Phoran - now its on my list!
Time for me to crack out the free nigella I got sent. I was wondering what to do with it! I'll comment and let you know how it all went.
so . . . have i told you lately that i love your blog?
Never heard of Panch Poran but now it 's #1 thing for me to look out in Indian shops, and luckily there's quite a few where I live!
Susan,
This looks delicious! I love the red lentil and cauliflower combination. Beautiful!
I bought some panch phoron on my first trip to the local Asian market - I've added it to everything since, with terrific results. I especially like it with sweet potatoes and winter squash.
I also added some to red lentils, which I then put over whole wheat farfalle. Sadly, my camera died, so I'm not posting it to my blog (at least until I make it again).
Looks like another recipe of yours I'll have to try!
Had it last night, was very delicious. We have leftovers for tonight. You were right about every bite being a different flavour!
Hi Susan! I love your blog. I wanted to suggest that you try to make Kitchery soup. It seems along your style, for it is both healthy and delicious. What do you think?
I make dal all the time but never made it with fennel and onion seed. This was fabulous - made it last weekend and just enjoyed some leftovers for lunch. Thanks for the recipe. It's a keeper!
This recipe gave me an excuse to finally visit the Indian market that I drive by every day to and from work. Made this recipe today and it is fantastic! Thanks!!
A couple FYIs:
1. In the absence of any Indian groceries I checked my local (Washington, DC) World Market and found panch phoran there, $1.49 for a 1-oz bag.
2. The Weight Watchers recipe builder calculated this recipe at 4 points per serving (for 6 servings, without oil). But I input 1 pound of cauliflower instead of one head; maybe that's what pushed it up a point.)
Thanks for the recipe; can't wait to whip it up :)
I made this tonight for my family, with a backup in case my picky girls (age 7 and 4) didn't like it. I was concerned that they might find the whole fennel seeds a little too much, but they both pronounced it delicious (or as the four year old says, Dewicious!)
It was a hit with everyone. DH and I had two (large) helpings each. I'm looking forward to leftovers.
LAH
Thank you for this wonderful recipe, the introduction to panch phoran and your writing which had me running to my local Indian grocer sans lederhosen.
Each bite was a flavor dance! Question. Mine did not look like your wonderful photo as the masoor dahl I used was not red lentils which at my grocer is another "dahl". My dahl was the more traditional brown lentil. Is that why it did not break down the way the red lentils do which cook much faster? Have you found cooking dahls covered or uncovered affect their consistancy? Thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks, Susan, for introducing me to a spice combo I had never heard of. I love Indian food but I can never make it as good as what I can get in a restaurant and it has too much oil so I don't go! But this came out as wonderful as the description. I shall make it often!
I made this tonight. It was fantastic! I love the little bursts of flavor you get, especially through the fennel seeds. I had to sub the cauliflower (didn't have any) for kumara and I also threw in some silverbeet (got a garden overflow at the moment so it goes in everything!). I was really surprised that the spices cooked in such a small amount of oil but they did! Thanks for the inspiration. :)
Susan, you're getting so popular, it feels weird to leave a comment, like I'm a stalker or something.
I ran out to Penzey's and grabbed this collection of spices. I had to buy them individually, but no matter. I didn't look carefully at your recipe, so now I know: I had to use more! I think I went with 1/2 tsp each, but I could have done much more for the amount of lentils we cooked.
Thank you SO much for this post- I just picked up some Panch Phoran seasoning mix and was wondering what to make - this post is a goldmine!
The entire family loved it! I wasn't sure it would be tasty enough for hubby and me, but I was wrong. My eight year old and 3 year old couldn't get enough of it!
I made this last night -- it seemed a little bland. I added some more salt -- still bland. I finally resorted to Louisiana Hot Sauce -- a few tablespoons. Sheer perfection.
I love red lentils so much, so I'm thrilled to see this. They taste so good, and are very comforting.
This looks like an amazing taste sensation. I am going to get these ingredients and give it a go! Your photography is gorgeous as usual.
I can't wait to make this!
Susan, this is one of the most beautiful dishes on your site. I am very excited to try this one.
This was very good! I need a little fat in my diet because I am an avid gym-goer and also on Weight Watchers... the fat helps me stay full. I made this tonight with my own Panch Phoran spice blend. (I live on Long Island and we have many, many Indian groceries around!!!) I added 1 TB of canola oil, and one tsp of Earth Balance. I also added more garlic, more ginger, and more panch phoran than called for. To supplement the 2 oz of tomato that my can was missing, I added 2 chopped tomatoes.
I think that the dish doesn't really need the added water along with the cauliflower and tomatoes. The cauliflower provides a lot of water on its own. I added the water anyway, and I found the dish to be a little bit liquidy for my tastes. Otherwise, it was just lovely!
I served it over brown basmati rice , and garnished with some chopped cilantro.
Thanks for a very good recipe!!!!
This was so delicious! I really love how the panch phoran works in this recipe. I really enjoyed it. Thanks!
Susan, I just made a gallon of this and had it on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday for all meals. I just could not get tired of the panch phoron taste. Very addictive. I love the fact that all the spices are whole. I am looking forward to trying more of your PP recipes.
Hi Susan,
Have included your dal as a model recipe in the One page cookbook at http://ramkicooks.blogspot.com/.
/Thanks for the recipe
Ramki
I rushed to my Indian grocery store yesterday morning... found the panch phoran... my husband made the Cauliflower Dal last night... it was a bit bland with 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes... so I added 1/4 tsp more... had leftover dal for brekky and it's perfect...
I don't know if I'd go for the panch phoran again tho... I'm not a fan of fennel/anise/licorice so I might use just the other 4 spices individually.
We'll be eating the dal for the next 3 days at least.. next time I'll make half the recipe!
It's a delicious recipe.. thanks!!!
Barb in Australia
This dish is FANTASTIC. I love it. Thanks so much Susan, this is definitely my favorite recipe. I eat a bowl of it without anything else -- and it's filling. Although some naan would be great with it too. Superb!
this dish is so great...i don't even know what to say! i definitely was SO excited, when in preparation for this dish, i luckily stumbled upon a big bag of panch phoran for about $1.50. i mean, it's huge...and it makes this dish SO great. i'm so thrilled to cook with it more. thanks!
A wonderful receipe. I'm glad I tried it. It is already a favorite - something to be prepared often for our family. Thanks very much.
I just made this again and I still love it!!! Btw, it's excellent served with quinoa.
Just made this tonight and it was very good, but I was surprised that it was just a tad bland. I used just a smidgen of spray on the spices since I try to not use any oils (fat free sprays are after all 100% fat), so maybe they didn't cook enough. I do like my Indian foods a little on the spicy side though. What spices would you suggest adding to this to liven it up without killing off the other delicate flavors or without resorting to using more oil?
Sorry it wasn't spicy enough for you, anon. It's definitely a mild dish. If you'd like it hotter, consider adding some dried red chilies when you pop the panch phoran. Or you can use powdered chili powder (the kind from an Indian grocery, not the Mexican seasoning) or cayenne when you add the tomatoes.
I added a cup of dry Medium grain bulgur at the end and let it sit overnight to thicken. In the morning a made them into patties and cooked them in a pan with some PAM spray! They were delicious!
I had everything for this recipe except the panch phoran! However, I really craved Indian food tonight, so I subbed Indian 7-spice blend instead. Delicious! My husband and kids loved it!
Looks lovely. Thanks for a great blog.
hmm..never heard of that spice before, I would love to try that in some raw dishes. thanks.
Thanks for sharing the info about panch phoran; I am crazy for Indian food and make a lot of dals, so I must try using that spice mixture! I'd never heard of it, it sounds divine. This dal looks great - and lovely photos, as always. I like the new look of the blog, by the way! :)
If you've never stumbled across my blog, I'd love for you to take a look!
Kim at affairsofliving.blogspot.com
Thanks for this great recipe! We found it was even better the next day. We followed your suggestion of adding an extra 1/2 TBSP of the panch poran during the last 10 minutes. Even though I am normally a low sodium cook, we thought adding more salt really brought out the flavor. We served it with pineapple and mint/cilantro chutneys and people loved it!
This is by far the best recipe I've made from this website! I had to fudge the panch phoran a little since I live in Chile, but I think I came close to the mix. Thanks so much!
This recipe inspired me to make my first 100%-from-scratch dalh! Thanks so much Susan (:
Jen
Susan I'm a HUGE fan of your blog! I'm a bengali and panch phoran is like our signature combination of spices. Its heavenly and I know you agree! I remember while growing up I saw my mother cook most veggies with this combination and no other spices and the taste would be out of the world.. I was so excited to see this recipe on YOUR blog that I absolutely had to comment :)
This recipe is my new favourite. The first time I made it, I didn't have all the right spices and it was ok...but when I finally got the right spices...WOW....
By the way..I really enjoy your website. I became a vegan early this year when my cholesterol was determined to be through the roof. You have helped me re-learn to cook. My cholesterol is down 30 points after the first 3 months.
Thanks
This was absolutely delicious. We will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Tomorrow I will be making a special trip to the Indian grocery down the hill from my house for Panch Phoran so I can make this.
I have a half a head of cauliflower languishing in my fridge. Now I know what it's been waiting for. :)
What a wonderful experience it was to make this as my *first* Indian-style dish! I've always been scared of the long lists of different spices needed to make Indian food, but this was all in one handy-dandy little packet and took no more than 45 easy minutes. I enjoyed mine with the cornmeal-poppyseed roti from Veganomicon. I love your site!
I just made this 2 nights ago and it was FABULOUS. Thank you SO much for all your wonderful, healthy recipes! I will be trying MANY more of them soon!
I found your blog over a year ago and I only found this recipe *today*. I have no idea how this tragedy occurred because this dish is absolutely delicious. Delicious, delicious, delicious. I love Indian food and cook it all the time but this was a first with the panch porun. Yet another tragedy I only discovered this blend of spices today. I threw in two small red potatoes since I wanted to hearten up the dish especially since I only had a cup of lentils left in my pantry. Looking forward to my delicious leftovers tomorrow. Thank you, Susan!
Looks delicious!!!
Hi! This sounds delicious! Can I ask what 'red pepper flakes' are please? I'm from the UK and live in New Zealand. Is it like red capsicum flakes, or chilli?
Thank you
Hi Mandy! Red pepper flakes are dried red hot peppers (capsicum) that have been chopped but not powdered. You can see bits of skin as well as seeds. People often sprinkle them on pizzas here in the US.
I made this the other night. I really enjoyed it! Thought some new potatoes would go well with it so I'm going to try that next time.
I was all over trying to find panch phoron. Neither co-op had ever heard of it. I did find all the individual spices except for Kalonji so I just mixed my own. Wasn't sure on the ratio's so I just winged it.
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Susan,
My family LOVES this dish! Do you think I could make it in the crockpot? If so, how would you do that?
This was really delicious Susan! I made up my own batch of ponch phoron. Didn't have any nigella seeds (back to Indian grocery I go next month!), so I subbed some onion flakes. In hind sight I doubt the onion flakes added anything. It's still got great flavour though, I look forward to trying out the rest of my new spice mixture in the other recipes you posted.
Thanks for the recipe Susan. Really good! I blogged about it here:
http://veganniche.blogspot.com/2010/03/cauliflower-dal-with-panch-phoran-and.html
I absolutely love this recipe! I make a batch and then eat it for breakfast each morning and it keeps me full until lunchtime. So ridiculously yummy. For any Weight Watchers folks, I calculated it at 2 pts for a 1 cup serving (assuming 6, 1 cup servings).
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