Fulkopi Chingrir Kalia / Spicy Bengali Curry with Cauliflower and Prawns

As a Bengali foodie’s confidante here is another bite of information for you!!! It’s almost a crime to not to eat cauliflower at least twice a week during winter. Well...I have seen people fussing about the smell of the cauliflower...but Hellooo...then you are not cooking it properly!! A cauliflower which is properly blanched, fried and cooked can never remit that typical overpowering smell!!

As for the prawns...I wish I could be adaptable like prawns!! Add this ingredient to anything...and the dish will have a holy reincarnation!! I love that. So why bother with just Prawn Kalia or Cauliflower Kalia / Fulkopir Kalia?? Let’s just put them together and make Fulkopi Chingrir Kalia. Now this is something I would love to eat!!

Shallow fry the potatoes until lightly golden.

Fry the mainated prawns for 2 minutes or just until they start to change their colour.

Fry the blanched cauliflower in the same oil until they have little blisters on them.

Add the cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, bay leaves and ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a minute.

Add the chopped onions.

Add salt and sugar and cook the onions until golden brown.

Add the tomatoes and cook until they disintegrate.

Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Cook the spices for a minute.

Add the potatoes and cook until they become fork tender. Add water  and cover to cook.

When the potatoes are cooked and the curry becomes thick add the fried cauliflower to them. Simmer for 3-4 minutes and then add the fried prawns. (not in the pictures) Add garam masala powder and ghee and switch off the flame.

Fulkopi Chingrir Kalia / Spicy Bengali Curry with Cauliflower and Prawns

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

500gm medium big cauliflower florets (You will need almost 1 large cauliflower for this or 2 small cauliflowers)

500 gm of de-veined jumbo prawns (you can throw away the heads or use it, we like to use it, as we enjoy eating the heads)

1 and ½ medium onion – finely chopped

1 tomato – chopped

4 fat cloves of garlic – minced / paste

½ inch ginger – paste

2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

1 bay leaf

4 tbsp pure virgin mustard oil

2 large potatoes – peeled and cut into large cubes

1 tbsp ghee – to drizzle in the end

Salt

1 tsp sugar

Method:

Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for about 5 minutes.

Drain the water and keep the florets in a colander.

Sprinkle ½ tsp turmeric powder and salt over the cauliflower florets and shake the colander so that each of them get a good smear of the salt and the spice.

In a bowl take all the cubed potatoes and mix in some salt and a pinch of turmeric powder.

Take the prawns in a bowl and marinate them with some salt and ½ tsp turmeric powder.

Heat the oil in a pan / kadai and shallow fry the potatoes in it for 2 minutes or until the sides becomes lightly golden. Then take them out of the pan and keep them in a bowl.

Shallow fry the marinated prawns in the same oil turning sides for 2 minutes maximum. Take them out of the pan immediately and keep aside in a bowl.

Finally shallow fry the blanched cauliflower florets in the same oil, until they get some blisters. Take them out of the pan as well and keep aside.

Temper the remaining oil with cinnamon stick, green cardamoms, cloves, bay leaf and ginger – garlic paste.

Sauté for a minute and then add the chopped onions.

Sprinkle some salt and sugar and sauté them until they become translucent with their edges being a little golden.

Add the tomatoes and cook until the oil separates.

Add the remaining turmeric powder, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder.

Stir and cook the spices for a minute and then add the fried potatoes to them.

Give them a good stir and then add 1 cup of water.

Add salt for the seasoning.

Cover and cook until the potatoes are fork tender.

Open the lid and simmer until the curry is slightly thick.

Add the cauliflower florets.

Stir well, so that all the cauliflower florets get a good coating.

Simmer for about 4-5 minutes or until the oil separates.

Add the prawns and stir to mix.

Sprinkle the garam masala powder and the drizzle the ghee.

Taste and adjust the seasonings.

Switch off the flame and serve hot with some plain hot rice.