Mougra - cauliflower pickled in mustard seeds

Version A 
Take dough (bread dough) and leave it for 2 days to dry well. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces. Bring water to boil, add salt and then add the cauliflower to boil for a few minutes. Transfer the cauliflower to a platter and sprinkle with salt and ground mustard seeds. Melt the sourdough with cold water to become pulp like and once the cauliflower has cooled, put it in a jar and pour the sourdough pulp over it to cover it well. For 3-4 days shake the jar 1-2 times per day. It is then ready to consume. (Kyperounda, see Kourri and Lazarou 2007)

Version B 
Allow the sourdough starter to ferment for 7-8 days. Cut the cauliflower into small pieces and boil it for 2-3 minutes in boiling water, to which you have added a bit of salt and vinegar. Immediately transfer in cold water and drain it. Roll one piece of cauliflower at a time in the ground mustard seeds and place in a jar. Dissolve the sourdough in cold water to become quite liquidy, drain it and pour it over the cauliflower. Close the jar with its lid. Shake the jar regularly to keep the top layers moist with the liquid. In one week, mougra is ready. (MANRE 2006, 10)

Version C 
Before making mougra we renew the starter, i.e. we dissolve it in water, add flour and knead it to make a much larger dough. We leave it for two or three days to ferment. Cut the cauliflower into large bunches and wash it well. Boil water with salt, remove from the heat and add the cauliflower for 2-3 minutes. Remove it with a slotted spoon, add salt and let it dry thoroughly. Dilute the starter with water and dissolve it by hand to become like a thin paste. In a plate, mix the salt with the ground mustard seeds. Dip the cauliflower into the starter paste and then roll it in the spice mixture. Place the bouquets close together in a jar. Continue until all the cauliflower is densely layered, while adding salt and a sprinkle of ground mustard mustard on top of each layer. Do not get to the opening of the jar, as the preparation will ferment and may overflow. Pour in the jar the rest of the starter, if any. 3 to 4 times a day, cap the jar tightly and shake it so as the liquid reaches also the top layers. Allow the preparation to mature for a week before opening it. Serve the cauliflower with a drizzle of olive oil. ((Kythraiotou 2010)