Typically when anyone buys cauliflower, the stalks -or Danthal as they are known as in Jammu, Punjab and surrounding areas - and the leaves are chucked in the bin. It is not common knowledge that they are just as nutritious as the cauliflower head and can be used to make some very delicious dishes. If you subscribe to the mantra of minimising food waste and using as much of the vegetable (or meat, for that matter) as you possibly can, then having a dish like this up your sleeve will go a long way in life.
Growing up in a time and place where food was only available seasonally since cold storage was not necessarily a thing, I have vague recollections of this dish being mostly made at home during the winter months, as cauliflowers were harvested at that time and readily available. However, times have changed now, so if you wish to make this in the middle of summer, then go for gold :)
The recipe I've listed below is possibly the simplest take on this dish. I have come across variants of this dish that use tomatoes, onions, ginger, garlic etc but this quick-and-dirty version makes do without them. Of course, if you wish to incorporate them into the dish, then you may do so.
Before I walk you through the ingredients and steps, here are some relevant metrics for the recipe.
Difficulty - Easy.
Prep time - 15 minutes
Cooking time - 30 minutes.
Servings - 2-3.
Ingredients
Cauliflower stalks - 300 grams
Mustard Oil - 2 tbsp
Methi Daana/Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Heeng/Asefotida - a pinch
Salt - 1tsp or adjust to taste
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Amchur/Dry Mango Powder - 3/4 tsp- 1 tsp, levelled. Adjust to taste
Water - 150ml, but you can adjust it depending upon how dry or runny you want
The Process
Chop the cauliflower stalks into thick, two-inch by one-inch pieces. Choose the tender stalks and not the tough bits.
Once chopped, wash thoroughly and leave aside.
Heat some mustard oil in a wok. If you have been following the blog for a while, you know the process by now. Start at high heat until the mustard oil starts to smoke and then reduce the heat to medium.
Once the heat has been reduced, add the fenugreek seeds to the mustard oil and allow it to release its aroma.
Add in the asefotida now.
Follow that by adding in the Danthal, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and allow the Danthal to soften up as it cooks.
Give everything a good mix as they continue to cook. Reduce the heat to low and cover
Once the Danthal is soft enough to your liking, add Amchur and sugar.
Give things a good mix.
Set the flame to high and add in the water. Adjust the water based on how runny you want the curry to be. After adding water let it cook for 2-3 mins on high heat and then kill the heat. If you wish to have this dry, then skip this step altogether.
That's it; your Danthal is ready. Bon appetite. As always, I'd love to hear what you have to say in the comments down below. See you in the next one.