Padma Lakshmi Has The Easiest Cauliflower Recipes

On Saturday, April 23, Kristen Rauh had a problem. She liked cooking cauliflower, but the vindaloo she'd been using to spice it had grown too familiar. She needed something to ... spice things up. "I feel like @PadmaLakshmi would have some great suggestions for how to mix up the seasoning on my roasted cauliflower," she wrote on Twitter.

Eventually, Padma Lakshmi noticed, and offered two ideas for the stuck cauliflower lover. One was to sauté the cauliflower with anise seeds, chili, shallots, and ginger. The other was to roast it with dried green mango powder and cayenne, balancing tartness with some kick, then giving a final sprinkle of salt and pepper.

"Ahhh," Rauh scream-tweeted. "I'm having a total fangirl moment. Thank you so much for the suggestions. Time to hit the grocery store for some new ingredients!" It shouldn't come as a surprise that Lakshmi would keep a couple of cauliflower recipes in her back pocket — this isn't the first time the cookbook author and media personality has tangled with the cruciferous vegetable.

While the idea of roasting cauliflower after seasoning it is fairly straightforward, some may want more guidance when it comes to sautéing. Fortunately, a version of Padma Lakshmi's sautéed cauliflower is found in her book "Tangy, Tart, Hot, and Sweet," and that recipe was shared by the Democrat & Chronicle in 2013.

To make it, you'll need the aforementioned anise seeds, shallots, and ginger, though the dried chilis are apparently optional. Additionally, the recipe requires cashews and canola oil, though those who are averse to canola oil can substitute it. First, you heat the oil and sauté the anise seeds. After a couple of minutes, add the shallots, ginger, cauliflower, and chilis (if you've included them). After another minute or so, add water and let the ingredients cook together for ten minutes before mixing in the cashews. Then cook until the water has evaporated.

This recipe is, in fact, Lakshmi's take on aloo gobi, a popular cauliflower dish in India and Pakistan that uses potatoes and cumin. For those who want to expand their roster of cauliflower recipes, Aarti Sequiera has written a recipe for the dish on Food Network's website. It starts with a similar idea but incorporates a different spice mixture and potatoes.