Braised Cauliflower Greek Style – Fresh Piato

This recipe for Braised Cauliflower in tomato sauce is an old Cretan recipe my grandma used to cook for me when I was young and I still love it today!

Cauliflower health benefits

This simple Cauliflower recipe has only a few ingredients but their combination is bursting with vitamins! Combining cauliflower with carrots and lemon in this recipe provides us a robust dose of vitamin C that acts as a powerful antioxidant helping to build a strong immune system. Preventing skin aging, protecting us against heart disease, helping to heal wounds, and prevent cancer are only a few of its benefits. Cauliflower It’s not just a tasty food but also very beneficial for our health!

And let’s not forget how beneficial cauliflower is for our diet! This superfood has no fat, it is rich in fiber, and it only has very few calories.

Braised Cauliflower recipe origin and cooking tips

The following recipe is a very old Cretan recipe that I learned from my grandmother and one of the first ones I learned to cook as I grew up.

Cauliflower has great volume and if you are cooking for 4 people it is very hard to fit it all in one pot unless you have a huge one (6-7 litters).

Fresh tomatoes and cauliflower

Fresh ripe tomatoes are very important to develop a great flavor for this recipe. In Greece, where I live, it is fairly easy to find great ripe tomatoes all year long but if you have trouble finding ripe tomatoes in the winter then you can add 1 Tbsp of tomato paste to enhance the flavor. It is also very important to add the freshly grated tomatoes on top of the cauliflower when you start cooking it and not just pour it inside the pot. The fresh tomato juice will stick on top of the cauliflower and they will cook together enhancing its flavor.

Pairing it with meat

The cauliflower in this recipe I like to pair it with pork or pork sausage. My grandma, very rarely, used to cook it with pork; most of the time we had it without any meat. If you would like to add meat to this dish you will have to cook your meat separately and combine it all together in the end.

The video has subtitles in English, Greek, and more than 30 languages.

Braised Cauliflower Greek Style – Fresh Piato

Prep: 5m | Cook: 25m | Total: 30m | Serves: 4

Ingredients:

1 medium size Cauliflower, cut into 3 cm pieces
1 big Onion, cut into halfmoons
4 big ripe fresh Tomatoes, grated -Divided
2 Potatoes, cut into chunks
2 Carrots, cut into rounds
2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
Juice from 2 Lemons
3 Tbsp Olive oil, extra virgin
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Cut the cauliflower into small 3 cm pieces, place them in a big bowl and wash them well.
Prepare all the ingredients as described above and a little before you are about to start cooking season the potatoes with salt and pepper.
Saute the onion with the garlic and olive oil in a pot over high heat and as soon as they wither add the potatoes, the carrots, and half of the grated tomatoes.
Let them braise with a closed lid for 2-3 minutes and then add the Cauliflower and on top of it the rest of the grated tomatoes and the Lemon juice.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat, letting them simmer for about 20 minutes or until fork tender.
Server with freshly ground black pepper, country-style bread, Feta cheese and enjoy!

NOTES:

The cauliflower pieces that look like a pouch are very hard to season when they are still uncooked. I prefer to season it after I served it on my plate with a little salt if needed, and freshly ground pepper.
If you are having trouble finding ripe fresh tomatoes in your country you may add 1 Tbsp tomato paste to enhance the flavor.

Nutrition Facts Disclaimer

Did you make this recipe? Or are you planning to make it? Let me know in the comments below, tag me on Instagram @freshpiato or show me your photos on Pinterest!