Cauliflower soup with spicy relish

I had been thinking of making a cauliflower soup when I came across an interesting recipe in a magazine which had an almond relish to go with a simple soup.I liked the idea of a smooth and creamy cauliflower soup topped with spicy and crunchy relish.  I decided to make the soup with Indian flavors and the relish to counter-balance those flavors.

Ingredients

 florets of 1 small cauliflower

1 potato cubed

1 onion sliced

2-3 cloves of garlic

2 bay leaves

1 tsp panch phoran

1/2tsp curry powder 

2 cups vegetable stock or water as needed

salt and black pepper to taste

Olive oil or butter to cook 

Panch phoran

For the relish

1/4 cup roasted almonds

1/4 cup roasted red or orange bell pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chopped mint

1tsp chopped cilantro

1-2 cloves of garlic

1 habanero pepper seeds removed (it is very hot)

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp toasted fennel seeds

juice of one lemon

salt to taste

Put all the above ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times to get a coarse consistency.

Spicy relish

For the soup

Heat some oil in a pot and add the panch phoran and bay leaves. Once the seeds start popping add the onion and garlic. Stir till the onions turn translucent. Now add the curry powder, potatoes, cauliflower, salt and pepper. Mix well and pour the stock or water in it and let it boil on low heat for 10-15 minutes till the potatoes are cooked through. Let the soup rest for a while then remove the bay leaves and puree the soup in a blender. Serve hot with a tea spoon of relish on the top.

For kids, I would add a dollop of butter or cream to the soup and top it with colorful goldfish