Continuing our weekly study of other cultures our family looked at India this week.
When I was in college I spent a semester abroad in Sri Lanka. (Which of course is not the same as India but they eat very similar cuisine in Southern India.) One of the dishes that I always enjoyed was rice with raisins and cashews. My host family also ate okra at least once or twice a week. I never liked okra when I was there, but you know they say you need to try a food at least 7 times to acquire a taste for it. Well I can assure you I have tried it well over ten times and as of tonight I can say I still don’t care for it. The fun thing is that my 6-year-old discovered her love of okra tonight! So, for India night we had cauliflower rice with raisins and cashews and okra chickpea (dry) curry and coconut curried chicken. I will share the “rice” recipe with you below.
(My little one has rosy cheeks from a cold. She refused to taste any of the food. Her refusal to eat dinner is not unusual. We deal with this by banning snacking- she rarely gets a snack- and by feeding her the same food the next day at lunch in a smaller quantity. We have been on this parenting plan for a while and she went from only eating white foods to eating many, many varieties of fruits and vegetables.)
Cauliflower Rice with Raisins and Cashews- Recipe
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1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/2 onion (about 1 cup), chopped
1/2-1 head cauliflower grated (I use the food processor)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4-1/2 cup raisins (I like yellow raisins and I soak them so they are soft)
1/4-1/2 cup roasted salted cashews, chopped
salt to taste
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Heat the coconut oil in a wok (or well seasoned caste iron pan or non stick) on medium heat. Add the onion and once the onion begins to cook down, add the cauliflower and toss frequently until the cauliflower is cooked but not soft (easiest way to tell is by tasting). Add the remaining ingredients, toss, and serve hot.
Cuter Than Gluten 
The rice looks good, and thanks for that recipe. However, I DO like okra, and I would like your recipe for that. Thanks!
Well, there really is no recipe for the okra- I just made it up as I went along. Oil in pan, add chopped onions, Indian spices, okra, then chickpeas… I didn’t measure anything. Usually I need to make a recipe at least three times before doing a write-up and since I don’t like okra I don’t want to make this two more times! Sorry- maybe you can find some good okra curries online. (Hope you are well Mary- nice to hear from you.)
Looks absolutely fabulous! Love this recipe. Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a fun time for you in college. :-)
Be Well,
–Amber
I’m definitely going to try the coconut rice recipe! I had the weirdest craving for the cauliflower-raisin combination this weekend…hey, at least I admit it’s weird.
I like raisins with just about any curry or vegetable, but I really don’t like raisins in desserts. So cauliflower and raisins does not sound odd to me!