Potato-Cauliflower-Coconut Curry
From: Gillian- Japan

When I was a kid I lived in Hawaii, and my favorite restaurant was Kozo Sushi. In the same shopping center with Kozo Sushi was an Indian take-out plate lunch place. My mom always got this curry--two helpings, although she was supposed to choose two different ones--and yellow rice. This was my introduction to Indian food and is still my favorite curry. Keep in mind that this was Hawaii, so no guarantee that this is at all traditional. But it's delicious!

Serves about 4 people. It's always popular though so people tend to have seconds...

• Oil for cooking
  
• 1 onion, minced
  
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 4 medium potatoes, cut in 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 1 small cauliflower, broken into small florets
  
• about 2 cups water
  
• 1 2-cup size can of coconut milk, or more (sometimes I use
  
• 2 cans, or 1 1/2.)
  
• Your choice of colorful vegetable(choose one):
  
• a red or yellow bell pepper
  
• a handful of green peas
  
• 1 small carrot, chopped
  
• 1-2 cups chopped gresh green beans
  
• Optional--1/2 cup of tofu cubes (doesn't help, doesn't hurt)
  
• Spices:
  
• 2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
  
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  
• 1-2 teaspoons garam masala
  
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
  
• 3-4 slices of fresh ginger
  
• A small amount of chili pepper, either fresh or dried
  
• Salt, black pepper, and a small amount of sugar (to taste)
  
• Chopped cilantro for garnish

Heat up the oil in a soup pot (a couple of teaspoons). Add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop. Then add the onions, garlic, turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon, chili pepper, ginger, and salt. (All the spices but cilantro and black pepper.) Saute for five minutes or so, until spices are fragrant and onion starts to brown. Add the potatoes, cauliflower, and enough water to almost/barely cover them (about 2 cups). Add more salt, and the tofu, if you're using it. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until potatoes are just done. Add the coconut milk and your colorful vegetable of choice, and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes more. Don't let the curry boil after you've added the coconut milk, because it will curdle!

When the curry is almost ready, taste it and adjust the seasonings. I find that it usually needs a small amount of sugar, just half a teaspoon, and some salt and pepper.

Eat with cilantro on top.

Serve with yellow rice (cook 2 cups white basmati rice with garam masala and cumin (a pinch each), turmeric (up to 1/2 tsp), a couple slices of ginger, a couple of cinnamon sticks, salt, and a teaspoon of toasted mustard seeds in a rice cooker) or cumin rice (cook white or brown rice with a teaspoon of toasted cumin seeds and salt in a rice cooker) or just rice. Also good with side dishes of dal and mango chutney and cucumber salad.