When we were little my dad told us that this popular South Indian dish ‘Chicken 65’ was made with 65-day-old chicken. Keep in mind that my dad has been a lifelong vegetarian and has never eaten meat in his life, but he is a surgeon, so that may explain the grotesque detail in his theory. Now, I don’t know if that theory is true, but what Anjali and I know is that the flavor of Chicken 65 is delicious and we wanted to Make It Vegan! It’s spicy, bold, vibrant, slightly crunchy and basically irresistible. How do we Make It Vegan? Enter: cauliflower. This dish is an adaptation of my ‘Tofu 65’ recipe from my book The Modern Tiffin. Don’t forget to check out the wonderfully talented chef and scientist Anjali Harikumar – I would be shocked if you didn’t follow her already!

Watch Episode 5 of Make It Vegan only on my YouTube!

Cauliflower 65: 

serves 2-4

• 1 small-medium head of cauliflower – core trimmed and florets separated. Save the leaves! 
• 1 cup of full-fat unsweetened coconut yogurt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chile powder (may substitute New Mexican or any other spicy red chile powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon spicy red chili powder
• pinch of freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoon neutral oil for sautéing plus neutral oil for deep frying 
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 sprig of fresh curry leaves
• 2 whole dried Sichuan or Kashmiri red chiles
• 3-4 Indian green chilies – split in half lengthwise
• 1 small red onion (6 ounces), cut into 1-inch cubes
• One (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (1 tablespoon)
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• fresh lemon wedges 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro stems and leaves

Method:

I know I usually give all of my recipes away so generously, but this recipe is fully outlined on YouTube and in my cookbook – The Modern Tiffin! Tune in and get it today!