Cauliflower Broccoli Gratin – woo the opposite sex

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This post describes how to cook an exotic dish, Cauliflower Broccoli Gratin, in easy steps. A perfect recipe to woo the opposite sex. But before the recipe, I’ll talk about why an amateur cook like me even dared such an elaborate preparation. Skip ahead 3 paras if you’re just interested in the recipe.

Newbie trying Exotic dish, and succeeding

Having a domestic help, for almost everything that is non-core to your life, is an amazing experience. Wake up in the morning, and ask – Bhaiya, chai pilao. Aur haan, do ande ubaal do aur ek glass dudh bournvita. [Get me some tea please. And yes, boil two eggs and a glass of milk bournvita]. Ask him/her to prepare Rajma chawal for lunch and kadhi, roti and Gakar ka Halwa for dinner. Heavenly!

My all rounder domestic help left for home (for Holi) 3 weeks ago. Life has never been this dude-you-have-to-cook. So, started with. No, its not Maggi or Chana Daal or Fried Rice. Ladies and Gentlemen, fasten your seat belts. Its Cauliflower Broccoli Gratin. An expert level dish prepared by a nube. Not exactly inspiring. But surprise! It turned out well.

So, have no fear. If I could do it, I’m pretty sure anyone else can too. I’ve also tried Egg Maggi Noodles and Dimer Devil or Deviled Eggs with reasonable success. Amateurs, you can try these too.

Recipe in 10 words

Bake ingredients, crust to form a golden crust at top.

About Gratin

Hint: Grate means to scrape.

Gratin is a food preparation technique where you put a layer (of breadcrumbs, grated cheese and butter) above an ingredient mixture (of vegetables e.g. cauliflower, broccoli, potato, tomato, carrot etc), bake it till a golden crust forms at the top. You can try a meat based ingredient mix too.

Read on for how to prepare a vegetable based Gratin in easy steps.

Ingredients of Cauliflower Broccoli Gratin

• Vegetables – I used Cauliflower, Broccoli, Potato, Tomato, Carrot
• Cooking Oil (sunflower, Mustard, Olive whatever suits you)
• Cheese (Cheddar, Parmesan whatever)
• Milk
• Maida
• Bread crumbs
• Onion
• Pepper (optional)

Preparation steps

1. Prepare the ingredients
2. Prepare cheese sauce
3. Pour over the ingredients alternating layers of cheese sauce and bread crumbs
4. Bake it

Prepare the Ingredients

• Separate small florets of cauliflower and wash it
• Ditto for Broccoli
• Cauliflower takes longer time to boil than Broccoli. So, first boil the cauliflower florets in water, and add some salt.
• After 5 minutes, add Broccoli florets. Let them boil for another 7/8 min
• Drain water and keep aside
• Cut the other vegetables – tomato, carrot etc (you may grate the carrots if you want)

Prepare cheese sauce

• Cut the onions into small pieces (doesn’t really matter whether you have arcs or random small pieces)
• In a bowl, add 2 spoons of Maida
• Add small quantity of milk and stir. Keep adding milk (total 1 cup) and stirring meanwhile.
• Grate the cheese
• Heat some cooking oil in a pan. Add the cut onions
• Pour the milk maida mixture and add grated cheese
• Heat and stir the mixture. Stop when it thickens. Keep aside.
• Heat the oven at high temperature (I did it at 200 degrees C for 10 min)

Pour over the ingredients alternating layers to cheese sauce and bread crumbs

• Apply butter on the oven tray
• Spread the ingredients (vegetables) uniformly over the buttered tray
• Pour a layer of cheese sauce
• Add a layer of bread crumbs
• Repeat the above two steps
• Grate some cheese atop the mix

Bake it Baby

• Open the oven door and insert the tray (be careful, the oven is too hot!)
• Bake it for 20 min at 200 degrees C

Tada. Your exotic Cauliflower Broccoli Gratin is ready. Devour it with ketchup and Oregano (as a friend says, Everything tastes good with Oregano).

I used it as a Birthday base instead of a Cake. 🙂

Acknowledgements: Sudeshna (help over phone) and google (laptop was open with several links open in the browser while I prepared this dish)

Further Reading: Cook to Bang

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