The weather is turning wintry -- it even snowed lightly yesterday morning though it didn't stick. Regardless, the nip in the air is making me want to cook and eat warm, yummy, hearty things.
We went to the final Kingston farmers' market of the season this morning (sigh, it is times like this that I do miss Berkeley a little...) We stocked up on potatoes, onions, garlic, squash, carrots, parsnips and apples. But the prettiest things we picked up were three small heads of cauliflower - one purple, one orange and one white.
As soon as I spotted them, I knew their fate was to end up roasted and curried, an approach to cauliflower that had always sounded appealing but that I'd never tried. I was so impatient to find a recipe on the ride home that I was practically jumping out of my seat (why was I so dead-set against getting an iPhone, again?!) I hurled myself at the computer as soon as we'd unpacked our farmers' market bounty and gotten little Will settled/distracted with his cars and trucks.
After consulting a recipe from Bon Appetit (via Epicurious) and another from Martha Stewart Living, I made up my own version. The result was delicious! Roasting caramelizes the florets and the onion, making them sweet and intensifying the cauliflower's mild, nutty flavor. The veggies also get crispy and brown where they've touched the pan.
My only regret was that I did not have any fresh tomatoes on hand to slice and roast with the cauliflower as I think that would add a whole other dimension of yumminess to the dish. Since time is extremely precious nowadays, I used ground spices though you'd probably get even better flavors from using whole spices if you have time to toast and grind them.
My husband and I ate this served over basmati rice with fresh raita and a dollop of tamarind chutney for lunch and we both had to go back for seconds.
This dish is so simple that you don't really need a recipe but since this is a food blog, I figure I might as well include one anyway. Hope you enjoy this easy, healthy and delicious vegetarian (vegan, even!) recipe.
Roasted Curried Cauliflower
Serves 4
Ingredients
* 1 large, 2 medium or 3 small cauliflowers, rinsed and cut into florets
* 1 large onion, thickly sliced
* Fresh tomatoes, thickly sliced (optional)
* 2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
* 2-3 Tbsps olive oil
* 2 tsps garam masala powder
* 1 Tbsp curry powder
* 1 tsp sea salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the onion slices, olive oil, garlic and spices. Toss until well-coated.
2. Turn the coated veggies out onto 2 heavy baking sheets (you can also use a pyrex baking dish, etc.) in a single layer.
3. Bake for 25-35 minutes (the time will depend somewhat on the size of the florets and somewhat on your oven), turning once after roughly 15 minutes. The end result should be soft, sweet and nicely spiced with a pleasing crispy browned exterior from the roasting.
4. Serve warm over basmati rice or couscous. This goes really nicely with a fresh cucumber-cilantro raita (or tzatziki if you're feeling Greek) and a little chutney.
You might also like:
- Winter Squash, Baked & Stuffed - Three Ways!
- Cauliflower Curry With Spinach & Ginger (a.k.a. Gobi Masala)
- Hearty Winter Salad: Roasted Delicata Squash & Caramelized Red Onions With Farro
- Roasted New Potatoes With Rosemary & Sea Salt
