Cauliflower Toasties with Whipped Goat Cheese

Name: Cauliflower Toasties with Whipped Goat Cheese
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: INDIAN
Ingredients: 2 oz. (55 g) cream cheese, softened; 2 oz. (55 g) goat cheese or feta, softened; 1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; 3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped; Generous pinch crushed red pepper; Salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 tsp. mustard seeds; 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds; 1/8 tsp. hing (asafetida); 5 cups (21 oz./675 g) small cauliflower florets (from 1 1/2 heads); 3/4 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric; 1/4 tsp. ground coriander; 1/2 tsp. ground cumin; 1/4 cup (60 ml) water or vegetable broth; 1/2 cup (75 g) peas; 3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish; 3 Tbs. unsalted butter; 4 to 6 slices crusty bread (Palak recommends sourdough); Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving; Crushed red pepper, for garnish

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

“I’m a sucker for any sort of open-face toastie or melt, or basically anything that gets served on a delicious piece of sourdough,” says Palak Patel, the author of The Chutney Life. These cauliflower toasties are inspired by fulevar and vatana nu shaak, a traditional vegetable dish of cauliflower and peas that Patel ate growing up, with a side of roti. This is the fun version, with a whipped goat cheese spread that adds the perfect tang and creaminess to the smoky and earthy flavors of the spiced cauliflower. This recipe can be spun into so many variations. “If you’ve got some frozen naan on hand, you can make a quick wrap filled with these toppings or use them to top to a naan pizza,” Patel explains. “If you don’t care for goat cheese, you can swap it for more cream cheese or use feta.”

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Ingredients:

For the goat cheese spread:

2 oz. (55 g) cream cheese, softened
2 oz. (55 g) goat cheese or feta, softened
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
Generous pinch crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the cauliflower:

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
1/8 tsp. hing (asafetida)
5 cups (21 oz./675 g) small cauliflower florets (from 1 1/2 heads)
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 cup (60 ml) water or vegetable broth
1/2 cup (75 g) peas
3 Tbs. finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish

For the toast:

3 Tbs. unsalted butter
4 to 6 slices crusty bread (Palak recommends sourdough)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving
Crushed red pepper, for garnish

Directions:

Make the goat cheese spread: Combine the cream cheese, goat cheese, oil, garlic and crushed red pepper in a small food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

Make the cauliflower: Heat the oil in a wide-bottomed pot with a lid or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds and when they begin to sizzle, after about 30 seconds, add the cumin seeds and hing and stir for 1 minute. Add the cauliflower florets, salt, turmeric, chili powder, coriander and cumin and stir well. Add the water, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the peas and cilantro and check the cauliflower. It should be fork-tender with a bit of bite, not mushy. Continue to cook for a few more minutes, if needed.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and, working in batches if necessary, toast the bread in the butter until slightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Spread each piece of bread with a generous schmear of the whipped goat cheese, top with a few spoonfuls of the cauliflower, sprinkle with fresh cilantro, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and garnish with a pinch of crushed red pepper, if desired. Serves 4.

Adapted from The Chutney Life by Palak Patel (Abrams, 2023)

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