Cauliflower Muttai Pirattal | Chettinad Cauliflower Pirattal | Cauliflower Egg Perattal | Cauliflower Egg Stir Fry

Chettinad dishes have always got their special aroma taste and those appetizing flavors and always stand unique. Here's a wonderful pirattal, a stir fry dish using cauliflower and egg from the Chettinad cuisine that is moderately easy to prepare and tastes so good. Along with cauliflower I have used eggs which is an optional ingredient, but it adds so much taste to the dish, still you can quit adding it if you are a vegan or vegetarian. Most of the times people won't realise that there are eggs in the dish as it will just blend so well. The fragrance and flavors from ginger, whole spices, curry leaves will certainly entertain your taste buds, the cauliflower chunks will blend so well with these flavors making it even more delish. This one is is not very spicy but has strong flavors from ginger which you can adjust according to your wish.  Serve it with sambar or dal or rasam or any mildly spiced curries like sodhi or mor kulambu and enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Makes Side Dish For 3 people
Total Preparation Time - 30 minutes 

1. Cauliflower - half of a medium cauliflower
2. Egg - 1 (optional replace with a few more florets)
3. Onion - 1 (optional) 
4. Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp 
5. Curry leaves - Few (about 10 leaves)
6. Cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon 
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon 
8. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon 
9. Cinnamon stick - 1 (small stick)
10. Star anise - Half of one flower
11. Kalpasi - A pinch (or one small leaf) 
12. Salt - As per taste 
13. Oil - 5 to 6 tablespoons 

To Grind (for masala)

1. Coconut - A small piece about 2 inch long
2. Cinnamon stick - 1 (small stick)
3. Ginger - 3 inch long piece 
4. Garlic pods - 5 (or) Ginger garlic paste - 2 teaspoons 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Lets start by preparing the masala. Add coconut, a small cinnamon stick, peeled ginger and garlic into a blender. Add little water and grind into a fine paste. Set this aside. 
• Chop cauliflower into small cubes/pieces and wash well. 
• Drop them into a sauce pan and pour enough water so that the florets gets immersed well. 

• Add salt and turmeric powder and stir well. Leave undisturbed until the pieces gets tender and cooked. After it gets cooked well drain water and keep the cooked florets aside. 
• Then place a pan or kadai on flame and pour oil into it (adding more oil makes the pirattal taste too good) after it heats up add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, star anise and kalpasi and saute on a low flame until you get a nice aroma. 
• Then add curry leaves, sliced onions and saute until it turns brown. 
• Now add the cooked cauliflower and saute well for a few minutes.

• Add salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder and the ground paste. Saute until raw smell leaves and the dish seems dry. 

• Then push the cauliflower to the sides of the pan and then pour a beaten egg into the space we've created. Wait until it gets almost cooked then scramble well using a flat ladle. 

• Now mix it up well with the cauliflower masala and stir well.

• Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on a very low flame and remove from fire. 
• Serve hot! 

TIP 1: As I have already mentioned egg is completely optional. You can skip egg and add some extra cauliflower florets. 

TIP 2: You can also use some boiled peas along with the cauliflower. 

TIP 3: Never add even a drop of water while making the stir fry.

For other chettinad dishes click here!