Devi Dinner Re-Created

When we were in New York last week, one of the best dinners that we had was at Devi. It is a wonderful Indian Restaurant.

We decided to make two of the dishes that we had that night with Ferris an Courtney. We started with a recipe that I had seen in the LA Times: Palomino Restaurant's tomato and feta relish. Using fresh heirloom tomatoes, it made a great bruschetta. I knew I would be grilling the lamb chops on our Weber, so that it would be easy to rub fresh bread with olive oil and garlic and also grill the bread.

We started with Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower, adapted from a Devi recipe. The Cauliflower that we had at the restaurant was deep fat fried with a crispy coasting. This version is baked, just as good, and healthier.

We then made Tandoori Lamb from a recipe that can be found in our blog of July 16, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe. With the dinner we served Garlic Tandoori Naan, which we purchased at Gelson's our neighborhood market.

It was an amazing warm night without wind, and after dinner we enjoyed drinking on the deck actually looking at stars in LA (the ones in the sky, not the acting types).

Palomino Restaurant's tomato and feta relish: Culinary SOS - latimes.com

Total time: 20 minutes plus chilling time

Servings: Makes about 3 cups relish

Note: Adapted from Palomino Restaurant in Westwood. The recipe can be made using fresh tomatoes. Substitute a generous pound (about 7) of plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and crushed with juice.

1 (14-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, crushed by hand with juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Pinch kosher salt

1 tablespoon julienned fresh basil

2 tablespoons pitted and coarsely chopped Kalamata olives (several olives)

1 tablespoon finely diced red onion

2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Sliced ciabatta, for serving

In a large bowl, stir together the crushed tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt, basil, chopped olives, onion, feta and red wine vinegar. Cover and refrigerate overnight to give the flavors time to marry. Stir again and taste, adjusting the seasonings and flavorings, if desired, before serving. Serve with sliced ciabatta bread.

Roasted Manchurian Cauliflower

This side dish has origins in Chinese cooking (hence the name) and is typically fried. This version roasts the cauliflower instead to intensify the flavor, and the spicy tomato-based sauce reduces with the vegetables. Serve with a simple cooked spinach side, a mild curry with potatoes and peas, and plenty of flatbread (naan) to scoop up the sweet-salty sauce.

            YIELD: 9 servings (serving size: about 1/3 cup)

            COURSE: Side Dishes/Vegetables

Ingredients

            5 1/2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1 large head)

            2 tablespoons Garam Masala

            1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

            2 teaspoons canola oil, divided

            Cooking spray

            1/2 teaspoon black pepper

            8 garlic cloves, minced

            3/4 cup ketchup

            1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. Combine first 3 ingredients and 1 teaspoon oil in a large bowl; toss well. Place cauliflower mixture in an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 20 minutes.

3. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add black pepper to pan, and sauté 1 minute. Add garlic; sauté for 30 seconds. Stir in ketchup; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in red pepper; reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes or until thick.

4. Remove cauliflower mixture from oven. Stir in ketchup mixture. Bake at 425° for an additional 20 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, stirring after 10 minutes.