I am a huge fan of Pati Jinich ever since I took a class with her on how to cook with vanilla. Her informative and yet fun way of teaching is nothing short of inspiring. Her words transported me to her childhood lanes of Mexico and kept me there until not only the class ended but for days after.
She recently told me she did not like cauliflower..Oh.. I love cauliflower.. So I asked her to do a taste test and post her results honestly. Here is what she thought:
Guest Post: Pati Jinich
An Indian taste for a Mexican cook
I am not crazy about cauliflower.
Despite its beautifully sounding name, you will rarely see it hanging out in my kitchen. In fact, the only way I have truly enjoyed eating it since very young, isin a Mexican dish called “coliflorcapeada”: the cauliflower is battered in fluffed egg whites, dusted with flour, lightly fried and completely bathed in aMexican style thick and seasoned fresh tomato sauce. I guess one could say the cauliflower is pretty hidden in there.
After Monica found out about my lack of enthusiasm for cauliflower, she suggested I try her take on it. Since I love Indian food and Monica’s approach to cooking, I decided to give it a try. From the few ingredients needed, there was only chile de arbol in my pantry. It took one quick stop to the grocery store to get the remaining ingredients.
The moment I toasted the spices to make the fennel-chile dry rub, my kitchen went on a ride. The air became infused with intense aromas that seemed to speak of ancient tales filled with a meaning and flavor. My biggest surprisewas the spin my familiar chile de arbol took in this Indian dish: completely different, yet delicious.
Once the cauliflower was ready, I dove in to it. This is what I can now say: I will now eat the vegetable with the beautifully sounding name soaked in a Mexican flavored sauce, but I will happily eat it swaddled in the wondrous Indian spices as well. YUM.
