Spiced Roast Cauliflower

Cauliflower is such an underutilised and underrated vegetable but one with an incredible earthy, nutty flavour with enough substance to stand up against the bold spices used in this recipe. It works fantastically well with the flavours of India, while the roasting intensifies the nuttiness and adds a wonderful new flavour dimension to this humble vegetable. It’s excellent as a side dish or served alongside other Indian dishes as part of a curry night. Don’t be afraid to use your instincts here. As all ovens vary greatly the times given here are meant as a guide. Either crank up the heat on your oven or give it another few minutes if it isn’t quite golden brown or has that roasted aroma. You can get all these spices in Asian supermarkets or if not most larger supermarkets. Brown mustard seeds can be used as a substitute if you can’t find black, but I do recommend the flavour of the black seeds.

Spiced Cauliflower

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1-2 dried chillies
• 1 tbsp ground turmeric
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 240°C (220°C Fan Oven),
2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil.
3. Carefully add the cauliflower, put the lid on, and return to the boil
4. Cook the cauliflower for approx. 5 minutes until retaining a bite and al dente. Drain well, return to the saucepan and leave to cool.
5. Put the frying pan on a high heat and add the oil. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds and dried chillies and fry gently for 1-2 minutes, allowing the oil to become infused with the flavours of the spices.
6. Tip the oil and the spices over the cooked cauliflower, add the turmeric and stir through until the cauliflower is fully coated in the turmeric, other spices, and flavoured oil. Transfer to a roasting tray and season with salt and pepper
7. Roast for 10-15 minutes until the cauliflower is golden
8. Serve as part of a curry and garnished with some chopped fresh coriander

Serve as a side dish as part of a curry night