Fulkopi’r Data Bhaja - Cauliflower Stalk Stir fried
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.
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.