Last week, after I shared my tips for eating more vegetables with less prep time, I had a bunch of emails flood my inbox asking for vegetable recipes.
I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again:
If you don’t know how to make vegetables taste good, you’ll never eat them.
So, this week I’m sharing one of my favorite [read: flavorful] vegetable dishes that can be made ahead of time and tastes even better the next day. And it follows all three tips from last week’s post.
It uses one of the most under-appreciated and poorly cooked vegetables, one that many people think is bland and flavorless: cauliflower.
But the days of lackluster cauliflower are over.
If you like Indian food…
You’re going to like this.
And if you don’t like Indian food?
Well, I challenge you to break away from routine and give this a try anyways.
My recipe for roasted curried cauliflower is Paleo, low-carb, dairy-free, and most importantly, packed with flavor.
Roasted Curried Cauliflower
- 1 large head cauliflower, about 2 lbs, cut into small florets, roughly the same size
- 1 onion, sliced, any kind
- 1-2 inch knob fresh ginger, finely grated OR 1 teaspoon ground dried ginger
- 2-3 heaping Tbsp curry powder (yes, 2-3 tablespoons. If you don’t like spicy, buy a mild curry powder. A mere sprinkle may add some color, but we’re looking for flavor. Big time.)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced OR 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons salt, or more (use approximately 1 teaspoon per pound of vegetables)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 16 oz can coconut milk (Absolutely no reduced-fat nonsense. Remember you absorb many nutrients better with fat. Oh, and your vegetables will taste so good that you’ll actually eat them without crying about it.)
- 1-2 Tbsp coconut oil or ghee or butter (ghee is Indian clarified butter)
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar or pomegranate molasses (sounds weird, but the flavor is drab without it. Pomegranate molasses is found in Middle Eastern markets.)
Instructions
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Cut up all vegetables (into similarly-sized pieces) and place in a large baking pan, such as a lasagne dish. You want a single layer, so if it’s piled up, split it into 2 pans. The smaller the pieces, the faster it will cook.
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Add all remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
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Bake in preheated 425 degree oven for 30 min or until cauliflower is lightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Serve hot.
Recipe Notes
OPTIONAL ADDITIONS:
- bell peppers, sliced, any colors
- parsley or cilantro
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained, rinsed
- a handful of dried cranberries - adds a nice sweet contrast
- chicken breast strips - they can go in raw with everything else and will fully cook in the oven. This definitely turns it into a meal!
- cashews, added after cooking for a little protein and a nice crunch (my crispy cashews would be ideal!)
Health Benefits of Roasted Curried Cauliflower
Cauliflower has a broad mix of antioxidants, a fact often met by surprise given that cauliflower is not richly colored like other antioxidant-rich vegetables. It shares many of the cancer-preventing nutritional benefits with other cruciferous vegetables, such as kale, broccoli, and cabbage. If you get lucky, you may find some vibrant cauliflower varieties at your farmer’s market. The color may fade a bit with cooking, but the flavor is just as good, if not better.
Curry powder’s main ingredient is typically turmeric, a spice that has extensive research behind its anti-inflammatory effects that may be beneficial for those with arthritis or joint pain, diabetes, and heart conditions. (If you like curry, check out my recipe for curried chicken salad with cranberries! And if you need extra support for your joints, check out my recipe for tart cherry gummies.)
Coconut milk and coconut oil contain healthy saturated fat and has actually been shown to lower cholesterol and prevent LDL cholesterol from becoming oxidized (oxidized LDL cholesterol is the really bad stuff)◊. So go ahead and enjoy it.
Psst: Here are more reasons why coconut oil is better than vegetable oil.
Did you like this recipe? If so, share it with your friends and get more healthy vegetable recipes in my free ebook below: “Veggies: Eat Them Because You Want To, Not Because You Have To.”
Before you go, I’d like to hear from you.
What is your favorite way to prepare cauliflower?
Have you tried my recipe for roasted curried cauliflower before? What did you think?
Leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
Until next week,
Lily
YUM! I actually love putting cauliflower in curries and having them at Indian restaurants. Curry is my favorite type of food too! I had the curried cauliflower at Lemonade LA and was disappointed. Cold and bland 🙁 I bet that this recipe will compensate for it though!
I agree, Cassie. Most curried cauliflower I’ve tried is super bland – not this recipe! I hope you report back after you make it. 🙂
LOVE this recipe! I seriously can’t get enough of it recently. I have been making it at least every other week for the past couple of months. =) Thank you!
How many servings is this supposed to be?
My garden is producing a ridiculous number of eggplants. Thoughts on completely replacing the cauliflower with different veggies (ie-eggplant0