Au Gratin - Cauliflower (Serves 4)

Gratin in French is any food preparation which has a brown crust on them. The crust can be with eggs, cheese or breadcrumbs. This is a simple cauliflower gratin with silky béchamel sauce (white sauce). Following recipe is an excellent way to introduce this flower vegetable to kids. And here is what you will need..

To prepare the sauce

Butter 6 TBSP
All purpose flour 6 TBSP
Onions (chopped) ½ of one onion
Milk (warm) 2 cups
Mozzarella cheese ½ cup
Salt as needed
White pepper powder to taste

Preparing the Sauce

Melt the butter in a saucepan in a low flame. Add the onions and sauté until they are slightly brown. Add flour to this and stir continuously paying attention not to burn the butter –flour mixture. Switch off the flame and allow this to cool to bearable warmth. Now put the pan back on a lower flame and add warm milk little by little till you get a smooth paste like consistency. Then pour in all of the milk and keep stirring with a whisk until milk starts to boil. Add salt and pepper powder. When no lumps are found add the cheese. Stir until a saucy thick consistency is attained. Remove the sauce off the stove and transfer to a bowl. Keep this aside.

Tips


Both the butter-flour mixture and milk should be warm so that the flour dissolves easily in milk

For the Gratin

Cauliflower 1 medium (cut to medium florets)
Butter 1 TBSP
Bread crumbs 2 tsp
Basil leaves 1 tsp,dried or fresh
Cheddar cheese 2 tsp divided
Olive oil 1 TBSP
Vinegar 1 tsp
Water to cook cauliflower
Salt as needed

Preparing the Gratin

Preheat the oven to 325 F.

Wash and cut the cauliflower to medium florets. In a deep bottomed pan, add water, vinegar and salt and cook the cauliflower till half done. Meanwhile, mix together 1 tsp cheddar cheese, breadcrumbs, basil leaves (fresh or dried) and olive oil and keep aside. Now grease a baking dish (preferably glass/pyrex) with butter. Spread the cauliflower on the dish and sprinkle rest of the cheese over them. Add the prepared béchamel sauce over the florets. Make sure the florets are covered with the sauce. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs-cheese-basil leaves-olive oil mixture on top and bake it uncovered in the oven for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn oven to broil mode and leave for 5 minutes. Switch off the oven and remove the dish after 5 more minutes and serve hot with any kind of bread, naan or you know even by itself….

Tips

Substitute cauliflower with any veggies you like (Broccoli and potatoes are our other favorites).(Be sure to adjust cooking time with the vegetable you use)
Use parmesan cheese instead of cheddar like vahchef did


Recipe courtesy: Vah chef Sanjay Thumma who inspired a lot of people to cook :-)..