Kapama

Cauliflower Kapama
or 
Kounoupidi Kapama  (κουνουπιδι καπαμα)

Kapama seems to mean anything cooked in a spicy tomato sauce.  It comes from the Turkish word used to describe a ragout of mutton.  The spicy sauce can be used to cook chicken or lamb or beef, or cauliflower.  Think boeuf  bourguignon, think stew.

My m-in-law made it often in the winter when cauliflower (κουνουπιδι) was one of the few vegetables available. 

cauliflower cut into small pieces (florets)

chopped onion

chopped garlic

dash of wine

cinnamon stick

tomato paste

water

salt and lots of pepper or chili

Simple and tasty

I steamed my cauliflower, made the spicy tomato sauce with garlic, wine and cinnamon and heated them up together.

My m-in-law added olive oil to a big pan and sauteed the cauliflower pieces till they were nicely browned.

Here is her recipe -

Put half a wine glass of olive in a big pot. 

Add cauliflower pieces and brown 

Add chopped onion and garlic and brown some more

Finish the sautee-ing with half a glass of wine, red or white.

Now is the time to put in a mug of water and two big spoons of tomato paste

Add half a cinnamon stick

I don't really like cinnamon in savoury dishes but half a stick just gave it a little flavour boost without being too obvious

Add salt and pepper and something hot like fresh pepper or chili

Simmer till the cauliflower is soft and the sauce thickened a little, 20 minutes to 1/2 an hour

We ate this as a main meal (lunch) with bread and feta.  You could make it more substantial by serving it with rice or potatoes

It really made a change from boiled cauliflower with lemon juice and olive oil or the heavier cauliflower cheese.

Kali Orexi