Chef Dimitra
Anginares a la Polita, Constantinople Artichokes (Αγκινάρες αλά Πολίτα)
Constantinople's spring artichokes, pale and lemony, braised with potato, carrot, peas, dill, and enough olive oil to make the sauce shine.
Culinary Explorer
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Thessaloniki Kounoupidi Kapama (Κουνουπίδι Καπαμάς)
Created by
A Thessaloniki winter ladero: cauliflower browned in olive oil, then tucked into tomato with cinnamon until the florets stay tender, saucy, and intact.
Main Dishes
Greek
Weeknight
Budget Friendly
Comfort Food
20 min
Active Time
45 min cook•1 hr 5 min total
Yield4 servings
Thessaloniki kounoupidi kapama is cauliflower stewed in olive oil and tomato, warmed with cinnamon in the northern and Politiki way. It is a winter ladero, meatless but not thin, with sauce thick enough to drag bread through and florets that stay whole on the plate.
The one thing you must not skip is the first browning. Raw cauliflower dropped straight into tomato gives up water, softens too quickly, and turns timid. Brown it first in olive oil, then let it finish under the lid with tomato, onion, and cinnamon. The edges hold, the sauce clings, and the vegetable tastes like itself.
This is fasting food when the calendar calls for it, and ordinary comfort when it doesn't. In my Thessaloniki notebook I keep this one plain: no potatoes to stretch it, no cheese to dress it up, no cleverness. I don't invent it. I find it, I test it, I write it down.
Kapama comes from the Turkish word for a covered cooking method, and in Greek kitchens it became the name for dishes slowly cooked under a lid with oil, tomato, and warm spices. In Thessaloniki and other northern cities shaped by refugees from Constantinople and Asia Minor after 1922, cinnamon and allspice entered vegetable pots as naturally as they did meat braises. Cauliflower kapama belongs to the winter ladera and to the Orthodox fasting table, where olive oil carries depth without meat or dairy.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
cauliflower (kounoupidi)
Quantity
1 large, about 900g
cut into large florets
extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil
Quantity
90ml
yellow onion
Quantity
1 large, about 180g
finely chopped
garlic cloves
Quantity
2
thinly sliced
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
400g
grated, or use 400g canned crushed tomatoes
tomato paste
Quantity
30g
cinnamon stick
Quantity
1
bay leaf
Quantity
1
ground allspice
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
fine sea salt
Quantity
1 teaspoon
plus more to taste
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
hot water
Quantity
180ml
red wine vinegar
Quantity
15ml
flat-leaf parsley
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped, for finishing
country bread (optional)
Quantity
as needed
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cauliflower (kounoupidi)cut into large florets | 1 large, about 900g |
| extra virgin Koroneiki olive oil | 90ml |
| yellow onionfinely chopped | 1 large, about 180g |
| garlic clovesthinly sliced | 2 |
| ripe tomatoesgrated, or use 400g canned crushed tomatoes | 400g |
| tomato paste | 30g |
| cinnamon stick | 1 |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| ground allspice | 1/2 teaspoon |
| fine sea saltplus more to taste | 1 teaspoon |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| hot water | 180ml |
| red wine vinegar | 15ml |
| flat-leaf parsleychopped, for finishing | 2 tablespoons |
| country bread (optional)for serving | as needed |
Equipment Needed
- •wide heavy pot with lid, 28cm
- •box grater for fresh tomatoes
- •flat spatula or wooden spoon
Instructions
- 1
Cut the cauliflower
Trim the cauliflower and cut it into large florets, not little crumbs. Keep the pieces close in size so they cook together. Rinse them, drain well, and pat dry, because wet cauliflower spits in the oil and browns poorly.
- 2
Brown the florets
Warm 60ml of the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower in one layer, working in two batches if needed, and brown it on two or three sides, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. This is the step that decides the dish: browning firms the outside and gives the florets flavor, so they stew in the tomato without collapsing into mash.
Do not crowd the pot. If the cauliflower steams in its own moisture, it softens before it has a chance to color. - 3
Start the sauce
Lift the browned cauliflower to a plate. Lower the heat to medium and add the remaining 30ml olive oil, the onion, and a pinch of the measured salt. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, just until it smells sweet.
- 4
Cook the tomato
Stir in the tomato paste and let it darken for 1 minute. Add the grated tomato, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, allspice, salt, pepper, and hot water. Bring to a steady simmer and cook uncovered for 8 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly and the cinnamon warms the tomato without taking over.
- 5
Braise covered
Nestle the cauliflower back into the pot, stem sides down where you can. Spoon sauce over the top, cover, and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes. Shake the pot now and then instead of stirring hard. The florets should be tender when pierced with a knife, but still holding their shape.
- 6
Finish the kapama
Uncover the pot and simmer for 5 to 8 minutes more if the sauce looks thin. Pull out the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Stir in the vinegar, taste for salt, and let the kapama rest off the heat for 10 minutes. Finish with parsley and a small thread of olive oil if the pot looks thirsty.
- 7
Serve warm
Serve warm or at room temperature, with country bread for the sauce. Like most ladera, olive-oil dishes, it tastes even better after it sits a little. That is not a trick. That is Tuesday dinner in a Greek kitchen.
Chef Tips
- •Choose a tight, heavy cauliflower with creamy white florets and fresh green leaves. If it smells strong before cooking, it is already old. Λίγα και καλά: better one good cauliflower than a crowded pot of sad vegetables.
- •Use ripe winter tomatoes only if they have flavor. If they don't, canned crushed tomatoes are the honest Greek kitchen answer, not a failure.
- •This keeps well for 3 days in the refrigerator. Bring it back gently in a covered pot with a spoonful of water, or eat it at room temperature with bread and olives.
Advance Preparation
- •Cut the cauliflower up to 1 day ahead and keep it dry in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- •The finished kapama can be made several hours ahead. Let it rest covered, then serve warm or at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 370g)
Calories
310 calories
Total Fat
25 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
21 g
Cholesterol
0 mg
Sodium
650 mg
Total Carbohydrates
18 g
Dietary Fiber
6 g
Sugars
9 g
Protein
5 g
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