WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS Cauliflower is a good candidate for a vegetable curry because it’s hearty and filling. Thai red curries feature big, eyeopening flavors, so we needed to develop the cauliflower’s deep, nutty
flavor so it could shine. Typically we turn to oven roasting, but this felt like an unnecessary step for a quick curry dish. So we confined ourselves to the skillet. First we cooked the cauliflower with water in a covered skillet for about 5 minutes, steaming it until it was just tender. Then we uncovered the skillet to finish the cooking. This uncovered cooking time drove off any remaining water, tenderized the cauliflower further, and
allowed it to brown without charring. It took just a few minutes in the skillet at the very end of cooking for the red curry sauce to thicken and for its flavors to bloom. You can use regular basil if you can’t find Thai basil. You will need a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid for this recipe. Serve over rice.

Serves 4

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste
• 1 teaspoon grated lime zest plus 1 tablespoon juice
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 large head cauliflower (3 pounds), cut into ¾-inch florets
• ¼ cup water
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup fresh Thai basil leaves, torn

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar, red curry paste, lime zest and juice, and red pepper flakes.
2. In a separate bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger.
3. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, cauliflower florets, water, and salt. Cover the skillet and cook over high heat for about 5 minutes or until the florets start to brown and the edges become translucent. Do not lift the lid.
4. Uncover and continue cooking the florets, stirring occasionally, until they are tender and well browned, for about 8 to 10 minutes.
5. Push the florets to the sides of the skillet. Add the garlic mixture to the center and cook, mashing it into the pan, until fragrant for about 30 seconds. Stir the garlic mixture into the florets and reduce the heat to medium-high.
6. Whisk the coconut milk mixture to recombine, then add it to the skillet and simmer until slightly thickened for about 4 minutes.
7. Remove from heat and stir in the torn Thai basil leaves. Serve.