Curried Cauliflower Salad: Jason's South Africa

Jason's Bakery

Cape Town, South Africa

http://www.jasonbakery.co.za/food-drink/

Cape Town was a weird place like California in a way. There were total health foods like avocado toast, and then there were some of the most fattening carb-loading foods like hot cross buns. Unfortunately its a matter of economic divide. If you walked into some grocery stores, aisles would be crowded with gallons of water and half empty shelves. Sometimes bread would be moldy and the colors of meat would shimmer, green and purple. That month I stuck to eating eggs, beans, and carbs like white rice and pasta. It was my first landing in Africa and my stomach revolted often. When I was feeling better I would try the amazing coffee shops and this little cafe called Jason’s. When we went to Jason’s for lunch, you could smell the sweet bakery smells and see the croissants greeting you when you walked by. The place was all wood, like many places there, and reminded me a bit of a 1920’s safari deck before you get onto the boat at Disneyland’s jungle cruise ride.

The menu was small but had great salads and sandwiches. This salad was my favorite maybe because I hadn’t had a vegetable in days. It was full of kale, cauliflower, garbanzo beans and had a lemon-y dressing. Although I was taking a risk eating fresh produce, I was starving for vegetables so much that I went for it.

Upon tasting I realized what the pro chefs say when they say ‘layered’ flavors. The base of the salad had the curried cauliflower, full slabs that lined the plate. The salad was plated on top with all the fixings and you would make your way down to the cauliflower and cut it like a steak. It was a filling salad, and maybe the healthiest thing I had the whole month. I would say that it was just like a California Vegan salad you would find in Santa Monica, but California doesn't do so much curry. So, that’s the South Africa part. In the past, there were a lot of Malaysians and Indians who migrated to South Africa decades ago and brought with them their spices. It’s the perfect balance of spice, without being too much.

I wanted to share the combo here but I will have to create a recipe for this salad. For now, here are the components. Hope you experiment and have fun with it! This was taken straight from the menu at Jason's you can view here.

Curried Cauliflower Salad

• Curry basted roast cauliflower
• Smoked Paprika roasted chickpeas
• Kale
• Baby spinach
• Shaved Parmesan
• Honey Mustard dressing