• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Playful Cooking
  • About
    • Know Me
    • Contact
    • My Cookbook
    • Mention
  • Recipes
  • Tutorials
    • How To Style Curries
    • Play with Light
    • ISO, Aperture and Shutter Speed
    • Live Zoom on Food Styling
  • Hire Me
  • Portfolio
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Know Me
  • My Cookbook
  • Portfolio
  • Hire Me
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Bengali Cuisine

    Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja (Cauliflower Stalk Stir Fried)

    March 18, 2020 by Kankana Saxena

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja is a classic Bengali dish that is prepared using the stalk, leaves and core of the cauliflower.  It is a simple pure vegetarian dish that you can prepare with very basic ingredients. This Cauliflower Stalk Stir fried is a great way to embrace the concept of no-waste-food.


    The steams and the leaves of a cauliflower have more nutrition than the florets which sadly often goes straight in the bin. So, use it to make this simple Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja that goes wonderful with rice or roti/paratha.

    Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja (Cauliflower Stalk Stir fried) #cauliflower #vegetarian #glutenfree #indian #bengali

    What ingredients you need for Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja

    • Cauliflower stalks including the leaves attached to it
    • Potatoes
    • mustard oil
    • Nigella seeds

    SPICES:

    • Cumin powder
    • Coriander powder
    • Fennel powder
    • Turmeric

    Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja is not a spicy dish. A couple whole green chili is added at the end which adds a lovely flavor without making the dish super spicy. If, however you prefer heat, then add finely chopped chili.

    This dish is pure vegetarian, so no garlic or onion goes is added.  

    Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja (Cauliflower Stalk Stir fried) #cauliflower #vegetarian #glutenfree #indian #bengali

    The cauliflower stalks/stems shouldn’t be cooked to mushy. Keep it little crunchy.

    Often Fulkopi’r Data is cooked with a few other vegetables like pumpkin, eggplant and then flavored with white poppy seed paste or mustard seed paste. It is then called Fulkopi’r data chorchori, a quintessential Bengali vegetarian dish.

    Whether you add a lot for veggies or keep it simple with just potatoes, you will definitely enjoy he crunch of the cauliflower stalk/stems.

    Here are other Bengali dishes to try

    fulkopir data bhaaja 03

    Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja - Cauliflower Stalk Stir fried

    Kankana Saxena
    Fulkopi’s Data Bhaja is a classic Bengali dish that is prepared often along with a cauliflower curry or probably the next day. In other words, very rarely does Cauliflower stalk goes in the bin without being used in some form of stir-fried dish, often also referred to as Fulkopi’sdata chorchori. This Cauliflower Stalk Stir fried is a great way to embrace the concept of no-waste-food.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Course Stir Fried
    Cuisine Bengali

    Ingredients
     

    • Stalk of a cauliflower. Use the core and the leaves too
    • potato - 1 large
    • fresh green chili - 2
    • mustard oil - 1 tablespoon
    • nigella seeds - 1 teaspoon
    • salt - 1 teaspoon
    • sugar - ¼ teaspoon
    • turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon
    • cumin powder - ½ teaspoon
    • coriander powder - ½ teaspoon
    • fennel powder - ¼ teaspoon

    Instructions
     

    • Separate the stems out of the core and separate the leaves from the stems. Don’t discard the leaves or the core.
    • Start by thinly slicing the stems. If the edges of the stems look a little bruised, then trim it off and discard.
    • Once you slice the stems into matchstick, chop it half. Take the core and finely chop it. Then the leaves and roughly chop it.
    • Peel the potato and cut into thick matchstick and then slice it half. You want the potato and the cauliflower stem to be sliced insimilar way.
    • In a wok pour the mustard oil and when it gets hot scatter the nigella seeds. Let it sizzle for a while then scatter the potato. Add the salt and half of the turmeric. Give a stir and cook for 2 minutes.
    • Add the sliced stems and the chopped core. Stir around to mix everything. In a bowl add all the spices (cumin powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, rest of the turmeric powder). Mix it with little water to form a paste. Add the spice paste to the wok and stir it around. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
    • Add the chopped leaves and mix it around. Sprinkle the sugar and the green chili. Stir it around, cover and cook for 5 minutes.
    • Taste for salt and add any if needed. Using a fork pierce the cauliflower stems to see if it’s cooked through. It shouldn’t be mushy and should have some crunch.
    • Enjoy it warm with rice or roti.

    Video

    EASY vegetarian dish with cauliflower stems! #cauliflower #vegetarian #glutenfree #indian #bengali

    More Bengali Cuisine

    • Bengali Aloo Dum
    • Kumro Palak (Pumpkin with Spinach)
    • Chanar Dalna
    • Chicken Ghugni

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Candida

      May 29, 2020 at 1:12 am

      Tried it last night - and it was absolutely delicious. It's always annoyed me everytime I discard the stalks as it feels wasteful. So this is a perfect dish. Thanks for sharing.

      • Kankana Saxena

        May 31, 2020 at 10:46 am

        Thank you so much! So glad you liked it 🙂

    Primary Sidebar

    About

    Hey there! I am Kankana and this is my culinary space where I unfold memories, share stories and try new flavours. Easy effortless cooking with fresh ingredients is my mantra and I like to carry that in my everyday meal.

    Learn more about me →

    Seasonal

    • Congee With Miso Sauce
    • One Bowl Apple Almond Cake
    • Creamy Garlic Mushroom Soup
    • How To Make Makhani Sauce

    Cookbook

    cookbook front cover
    Taste of Eastern India has an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, street foods, snacks, drinks, comfort hearty food, desserts and some long-lost dishes.
    Learn More and Order

    Subscribe

    Kitchen tips and tricks
    Receive exclusive articles and eBooks on Kitchen Tips and Tricks, Photography Tutorial, Meal Prep Ideas and Simple Recipes for Busy Lifestyle. Plus Weekly Fresh Seasonal Recipes.


    Footer

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio

    Copyright © 2011-2023 Playful Cooking. All content on this blog is copyrighted. It may not be republished in part or whole without permission and proper credit. Please contact me to seek republishing or syndication rights.