The first time I heard of Broccoli was when I was about 12 years old and watching News of The World on DD. It was the only channel we got and was produced by a company called NDTV.

The person in the news was George Bush Sr. He was refusing to meet a group of Broccoli Farmers as he said he hated the vegetable.

That got me wondering about what Broccoli was. I asked my Mom and she answered, "Broccoli is green Cauliflower."

That statement is what always comes to my mind when I see it on the super market shelves now. It is still an exotic vegetable for us Indians and not so easy to come by.

Initially my husband had a few reservations about eating it, but as I kept giving him stranger and more unusual vegetables, he was happy to eat Broccoli.

And once I even found a Violet Queen which for your information is not Broccoli but a variety of Cauliflower. I found that hard to believe but its true.

Given here is one of the simplest dishes you can make with Broccoli and Cheese.

Ingredients you will need

One head of Broccoli,

Handful of Corriander Leaves,

4 cloves of Garlic,

An inch piece of Ginger,

1 small onion,

one teaspoon lemon juice,

Fresh cheese ,

Salt and pepper to taste.

Method to make it

Take a head of Broccoli and wash it well. Chop the Broccoli into bite sized pieces and keep it aside.

Put a handful of corriander leaves, 4 cloves of garlic, an inch piece of ginger, one small onion and some lemon juice into the blender and add water to make a fine paste.

Add this paste to the chopped Broccoli in a bowl and place it in the fridge. Let the marinade seep in for about half an hour.

Then put the Broccoli in a baking dish, and add grated cheese on top. Now place it in the oven till the cheese melts.

Don't let it over cook or the crunchiness will go. Serve.