Fitness / February 4, 2024

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

An easy, healthy way to add some exotic East Indian flavors to your snacking repertoire.

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Cauliflower is one of our favourite vegetables for roasting. It’s a chameleon of a vegetable, and has an almost magical way of taking on flavors. This recipe takes the classic pairing of cauliflower and curry to make a highly flavorful side dish with an East Indian twist.

Traditional cauliflower curry, which also uses potatoes, is called Aloo Gobi and is a classic for good reason. Here we’re using simple ingredients and simple techniques to bring some of the same flavors to your table, with way less work.

This is not traditional Indian food. Indian cooks would never use olive oil, for example, and ginger is present in most Indian dishes. It is, however, a wonderful introduction to the heady aromas of the foods from the subcontinent.

Is Roasted Curried Cauliflower Healthy?

Cauliflower is loaded with fibre, vitamins and nutrients. The spices used in this dish also have well-known health benefits, and it only uses a small amount of healthy fat. It’s a great, super flavorful side dish which is good for you and low on calories.

What is Curry Powder?

Curry powder is a blend of spices used in East Indian cooking. Interestingly, no Indian cook would ever use curry powder – they blend their own mix of spices for every dish. It’s actually an invention from the time of the British Empire. Curry powders vary, and many commercial brands use more of the cheaper spices to bulk out the powder. It’s pretty easy to make your own, it just takes a little research, a little experimentation and a trip to the bulk store… but if you’re going to use a commercial curry powder we suggest you spend a little extra to get a reputable and high quality brand. The supermarket stuff is ok and works just fine in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

1 head Cauliflower, cut into florets
1 small Red Onion, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, sliced
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Curry Spice
1 tsp Lemon juice
½ tsp Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Pop the cauliflower florets, sliced red onion, garlic, olive oil, curry spice, lemon juice, and salt into a bowl and toss it all together until the cauliflower is all coated in the olive oil and spice.
Spread the cauliflower onto the lined baking sheet and spread out a little. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is browned and crispy on the edges.

Tips and Tricks to Make a Perfect Roasted Curried Cauliflower

Don’t let the florets overlap too much – the more spread out they are the more yummy crispy bits you’ll get.
Don’t slice the onion too thin. It’ll cook quicker than the cauliflower, and while caramelization is desirable you don’t want burnt onions.
For a more authentic version, substitute ghee (clarified butter) for the olive oil and add a little grated ginger to the pan.
Curry powder contains turmeric, which gives it a yellowish color. It’ll also color your white t-shirt, and it’s hard to wash out… so wear an apron, or at least something yellow!

Roasted Curried Cauliflower featured image top shot

FAQs

how do I make the cauliflower softer?

For softer cauliflower, parboil it for five minutes before roasting.

i expected it to be more spicy!

It’s a common misconception that all Indian food is spicy. Curry powders vary in the amount of heat they pack, which usually comes from cayenne pepper. You can always add some, or some crushed chili flakes, before roasting.

What can I use for a dip?

We love raita, which you can buy or make. Greek yogurt, grated cucumber, cumin seeds and some mint and/or cilantro is all you’ll need. There are also many commercially available Indian chutneys you can use.

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Serving Suggestions

We love this little flavor bomb all on its own with a cold drink. You can pair it with a dip as described above, or make a full meal of it with these spectacular wings.

Make Ahead and Storage

This dish is best prepared fresh. It’s quick and easy to make, and you can always get everything ready on the baking sheet in advance and then pop it into the oven just before serving. It doesn’t freeze particularly well as the freezing process makes the florets a bit mushy, but leftovers would make a killer curried cauliflower soup with some broth and coconut milk.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

An easy, healthy way to add some exotic East Indian flavours to your snacking repertoire.

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Indian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 152kcal

Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

1 head Cauliflower cut into florets
1 small Red Onion sliced
2 cloves Garlic sliced
3 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Curry Spice
1 tsp Lemon juice
½ tsp Salt

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Pop the cauliflower florets, sliced red onion, garlic, olive oil, curry spice, lemon juice and salt into a bowl and toss it all together until the cauliflower is all coated in the olive oil and spice.
Spread the cauliflower onto the lined baking sheet and spread out a little. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is browned and crispy on the edges.