I first fell in love with Dal Makhani at Saaz, an Indian restaurant in Southampton (NY).  Dal makhni, a popular dish from the Punjab region, is decadent, creamy, buttery, and fantastic. The primary ingredients are whole black lentil, red kidney beans, butter, cream, and spices. When I saw this recipe in Vegan Richa’s book using the spice sauce with cauliflower instead of beans, I just had to try it.  While I love dal, sometimes I just want that decadence without so many carbs. Richa also swaps the cream for coconut milk and cashews, and it is even more amazing.

You can make it as she does with whole-roasted cauliflower, but it is equally as good stove-top (which she also mentions in the book), which is how I made it.  I added chopped parsley and spinach, but feel free to omit and/or add other green vegetables such as chopped broccoli or cilantro. I also used a jar of diced tomatoes instead of fresh, as tomatoes this time of year have little taste. I used coconut oil instead of safflower oil, and more onions and coconut milk than the recipe calls for (I really like onions and they are so good for you). Feel free to add in some beans for a healthy protein boost.

One word of caution –if you blend the sauce in a pan with an immersion blender (which I recommend rather than transferring to a blender), be sure you are using a deep pan to reduce splattering.

Makhani offers anticancer, health-boosting ingredients, such as cumin, turmeric, fenugreek, garlic, onions, and ginger (and in this case, cauliflower!)

You can find the recipe, Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Makhani Gravy, in her book, Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen: Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook. You may also enjoy Vegan Richa’s Everyday Kitchen: Epic Anytime Recipes with a World of Flavor.

Cauliflower supports digestion and detoxification. The sulforaphane in cauliflower curbs inflammation and inhibits tumor growth.

Red onions are anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and contain powerful anticancer abilities, inhibiting inhibit tumor growth and metastasis.  They also provide allicin, a potent health-promoting, anticancer compound produced when onions are cut or crushed. Red onions are packed with quercetin, a bioflavonoid that suppresses tumor cell growth and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Quercetin also stimulates liver function to detoxify estrogen and other carcinogenic agents, helping to remove them from the body.

Garlic offers many health benefits, including protecting organs from heavy metal toxicity. It is also a significant source of manganese, vitamin B6, and selenium. Garlic contains antioxidants that protect against oxidative damage from free radicals. It has also been found to lower high blood pressure.

Ginger is loaded with nutrients and bio-active compounds that have powerful benefits for your body and brain. It is anti-inflammatory and antiviral, and has been found to improve risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

Cumin is a good source of cancer- fighting apigenin and many other biologically active components. It is rich in antioxidants and is a natural immunity booster. Cumin also has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.

Fenugreek has strong anti-cancer abilities, killing cancer cells, but leaving healthy cells alone. It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Elyn

~~If you don’t know your options, you don’t have any~~

Elyn Jacobs is a breast cancer survivor and holistic cancer strategist who helps people make better, healthier, non-toxic choices. She emphasizes the critical nature of addressing the root cause of cancer and not just its presenting symptoms (such as the tumor). Elyn specializes in understanding the role of estrogen in breast cancer and debunks the myths associated. She is a Contributing Editor for The Truth About Cancer and was creator and host of the Survive and Live Well Radio Show on the Cancer Support Network. Elyn is on the Medical Advisory Board for BeatCancer.Org and is on the Advisory Board to the Radical Remission Project. Elyn was the former Executive Director of the Emerald Heart Cancer Foundation. Contact Elyn via her website. Elyn offers consults via Skype, phone or in person.

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