More Dukan deliciousness

It’s not so bad actually, this Dukan malarkey. The other day a friend mentioned that she makes rice out of cauliflower, and this inspired me to create an Indian banquet, Dukan style.

On the menu:
Tikka tofu skewers
Almost oil-free chicken curry
Sag sans paneer
Cauliflower rice

And here is what you do.

For the tikka tofu skewers
Soak bamboo skewers in water for a few hours so they don’t burn under the grill. Cut some firm tofu into cubes and smear with tikka paste. Thread the tofu on to the skewers, interspersing with red and green peppers and onion. Grill until the vegetables are charred at the edges and the tofu is crisp.

For the chicken curry
Lightly toast some coriander, cumin and black mustard seeds in a pan. Use a pestle and mortar to crush the spices, then add some chilli powder and ground tumeric (or just use ready-made garam masala). In the same pan, brown some chicken pieces – I used a mixture of breast and thigh meat, the former for virtuousness, the latter for taste, all skinless, natch. Remove the chicken from the pan, add minced onion, garlic and chilli, and cook until golden. Return the chicken to the pan and add chopped tomatoes (about half a tin) and yoghurt (about 200ml). Reduce the heat, cover and cook until the chicken is tender, then remove the lid and continue cooking until the sauce is reduced – maybe 2 hours gentle cooking in total. Season.

For the spinach
Cook spinach leaves in boiling water until just wilted, drain, refresh and chop finely. Mix garam masala and natural yoghurt in a pan, bring to a simmer, add the spinach and warm though.

For the cauliflower rice
Remove the leaves and stalk from a small cauliflower and separate into florets, discarding any substantial bits of stalk. Put the florets into a food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. Don’t overdo it – if you still have some slightly bigger bits it will still work. Heat a microscopic amount of oil in a pan, add a finely chopped onion and cook until golden. Add a couple of teaspoons of nigella seeds (they do contribute to the flavour, and they look terribly pretty against the white cauliflower) and the cauliflower. Give it a stir and put the lid on. Leave it a few minutes then stir and cover again. Once the cauliflower is really piping hot throughout it will be done. Season and serve.

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