roasted cauliflower with indian spices and yogurt dressing
Sometimes, I operate under the delusion that I have excellent time management skills, that I can multi-task and that no goal is unattainable. Like this recipe, for example. I wanted to share it with you before I left for my vacation to L.A., but I got a bit distracted and failed to do much of anything. And then I thought I might even write about this while on my vacation, but who was I kidding? Not that I didn’t have an opportunity – L.A. was rainy for the 4 out of the 6 days. So much for their eternal sunshine.
In any case, you know that cooking during the week while juggling a demanding job, a social life, and some kind of a fitness regimen can be quite daunting. You get home and you have other things to do like sort your mail, pay your bills, or tidy up around. Before you know it, cooking starts to sound like a chore and not anything remotely pleasant and you find yourself dialing your favorite take-out. Sometimes, it’s just easier not to be bothered and just throw in the towel.
But sometimes, a dish comes along that not only asks for minimal hand-on time, but cooks by itself happily and quietly. You throw a few ingredients together and magically, with a little heat, the meal transforms itself from something relatively pedestrian to something of a treat. Did I mention it was healthy and budget friendly too?
In fact, this cauliflower is so good, that I implore you to drop everything you’re doing and run to the grocery store for the ingredients you might need. It’s that good and that easy. You make a dressing with the oil and the spices, pour over the cauliflower, being sure to coat it well and roast for an hour at 400 degrees. It couldn’t possibly be less work. And yet it’ll taste like a very sophisticated dish – precisely the effect you might be going for at an impromptu dinner party, where your guests, not devout vegetable eaters, not only serve themselves seconds, but confess that you can make any vegetable taste good and should you make them an entirely vegetarian meal, they wouldn’t mind one bit. Now, that’s high praise in my book.
Roasted Cauliflower with Indian Spices and Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients:
For the cauliflower:
1 head (2 lbs) cauliflower
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 tsp hot ground pepper
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sambar powder
For the yogurt dressing:
1 cup yogurt
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp minced mint (or just use cilantro without the dill or mint)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp salt
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut the cauliflower ins small pieces and place into a deep bowl or a plastic bag.
In a cup with a spout, mix the dry ingredients with the olive oil and drizzle over the cauliflower. Mix well and allow the dressing to coat cauliflower evenly.
Spread the cauliflower on a 9×13″ baking dish and bake for 1 hour.
While cauliflower is cooking, combine yogurt, dill, mint, cumin and salt together and keep cool (like the refrigerator).
When cauliflower is done, remove it from the oven, and serve immediately with the yogurt sauce drizzled over it or on a side.
Oh, this looks like a great combination of spices. I don’t think I’ll ever steam cauliflower again it’s just SO GOOD roasted.
Thanks! I’m always on the lookout for good cauliflower recipes–I hated it for too long and now believe that it’s just a matter of preparation. I agree with Adrienne–I just roasted it for the first time recently and it’s delish! Just like brussels sprouts–why have these vegetables been presented to us boiled for so long?
Adrienne and Sara, I cannot agree with you more. I feel like these vegetables have been unfairly maligned – they are so delicious and tasty, and yet they’ve been absolutely destroyed by boiling. Roasting is the way to go! Yum!
I love roasted veggies! It makes them seem so much more indulgent. Another one of my favorite ways to enjoy roasted vegetable is by serving them with this Garlic Yogurt Dip. So much more interesting that the usual crudite but not as heavy (or guilty) as a richer dip! Check out the recipe here – http://www.kitchencaravan.com/recipe/slow-roasted-veggies-garlic-yogurt-dip
That looks great! I love roasted cauliflower:)
You’ve sold me! That looks wonderful! Worry not about your time management skills–all is posted exactly when it should be:)
I recently introduced my cauliflower hating husband to roasted cauliflower and he loved it! I just used olive oil, salt and pepper, but will try your version next time. I love those flavors.
this cauliflower looks great!! not my favorite veggie but recipes like this are really starting to move it up the list. sorry for the rainy days in our usually sunny CA!
YUM! This looks amazing. Why have I only recently discovered caramelizing Broccoli and Cauliflower?
I’m always looking for creative side dish ideas so thanks for this! :)
As much as I love vegetables, I just cannot bring myself to eat cauliflower. Those pictures look pretty enough for me to maaaaybe change my mind and give it a try.
Cauliflower used to be the only vegetable I was not too fond of – but roasting! So good. This is the first Sassy Radish recipe I’ve made and won’t be my last. Used thick greek yogurt, made it more of a side dish/dip than a dressing.
Cauliflower and Indian spices go well for the ever demanding taste buds and this recipe is really fabulous i am gonna give a try, thank you.
I’ve been following your blog for quite a while and enjoying your wealth of good recipes. When Foodista announced that they are going to publish the best food blogs in a full color book that will be published by Andrews McMeel Publishing Fall 2010, I naturally thought of you. This recipe would be a good submission! You can enter here: http://www.foodista.com/blogbook/submit
Cheers,
Melissa
melissa@foodista.com
Editor and Community Developer
Foodista.com — The Cooking Encyclopedia Everyone Can Edit