Coconut Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower
If I keep telling these stories you’re going to stop believing me.
The Omnivore and I were sitting outside, enjoying the view, when he asked what was for dinner. I said “kidney bean curry over mashed potatoes.”
He said he’d rather have anything other than kidney bean curry. He hates kidney beans. He wants meat. Curry is gross.
I said, “I’m not in the business of making food you won’t like” and walked away.
He walked into the kitchen a short while later and said “what are you putting in the mashed potatoes? You don’t make mashed potatoes.”
I said “potatoes.” I didn’t say “only potatoes.” You see, I’d had this idea of mashing the potatoes with cauliflower (not original) but using coconut milk as the liquid rather than anything else (original – I haven’t looked for other recipes to see if it has been done, though). I had been planning on adding the coconut milk to the curry but it certainly seemed more fun in the spuds.
And when he took the first bite he said “Are there leftovers?” and I knew it was a winning recipe. After all, I know what he likes and I don’t aim to make a dinner he’ll dislike, after all.
The combination was really good. The mashed potatoes/cauliflower were subtly coconutty and very creamy. Getting extra veggies in made life easier – I had no guilt about the lack of salad or green vegetable on my plate. The tomato based stew on top matched perfectly and was warm and flavorful without being spicy hot.
Make either dish alone – or make them together – you’ll love either iteration.
Coconut Mashed Potatoes and Cauliflower
Ingredients
2 cups chopped cauliflower florets (half a head)
4-5 small to medium russet potatoes
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Wash and peel potatoes. Keep whole unless they are monstrous or very different in sizes (cutting the larger ones if that is the case).
- Place in a large pot, covered with about 3 inches of water, and bring to a simmer.
- Boil for about 12 minutes.
- Clean cauliflower and cut into florets.
- Toss into pot with potatoes and boil potatoes and cauliflower 5 minutes.
- When done, both veggies should slip off the tip of a knife when pricked.
- Drain water and transfer potatoes and cauliflower to a food processor. Pulse a few times, turning veggies with a spatula, if necessary.
- Warm coconut milk slightly in the microwave and stream in while pulsing veggies in the food processor.
- If processor seems full and vegetables aren’t pureeing well, use a spatula to redistribute before streaming in the entire quantity of coconut milk.
- Process until smooth but not gummy and add salt to taste, about 1 tsp.
Tomato Kidney Bean Curry (inspired by VegWeb)
Ingredients
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 cups kidney beans
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP lemon juice
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
- Add onion and bell pepper and cook about 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
- Add garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Cook 1 minute.
- Add tomato sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice and beans.
- Bring to a low simmer and cook about 15 minutes until thickened.
- Add salt to taste.
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