Roasted Curry Cauliflower

An addictive side dish of caramelized cauliflower and onions in a curry spice mixture

This recipe from The A.O.C. Cookbook will change the way you think about cauliflower. The florets are tossed with some onion and a powerful spice blend made from cumin, coriander, curry powder, and paprika, and then roast in the oven until deeply caramelized and nutty. The spices turn the whole dish a lovely orange hue, and the savory cauliflower is a great pairing with the sweet onions and fresh cilantro leaves. It's such a simple dish to make at home, but there's little touches that make it feel like a fancy restaurant dish. Everything from the way that the onion is sliced, to the mix of whole and ground spices, to the perfect balance of acidity, makes you realize that this is a dish conceptualized by a great chef. But instead of paying $8 for a small side of it at a restaurant, you can feed it to your whole family for $2-$3.


Related Recipes:
- Sweet & Sour Charred Cauliflower
- Cheddar Cauliflower Soup
- Parmesan Roasted Romanesco


Roasted Curry Cauliflower & Onions:

• Preheat the oven to 450F.
• In a small dry skillet, toast 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds and 1/4 tsp. coriander seeds.*
• Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle to lightly crush, then add in 1 tsp. curry powder, and 1 1/2 tsp. paprika, 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.
• Cut 1 head of cauliflower into pieces, and peel, core, and cut 1 yellow onion into sixths.
• Place the vegetables on a large baking sheet and toss with 2 tbsp. olive oil, 2 tbsp. melted butter and the spices.
• Sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsp. red wine vinegar on top and toss again.
• Roast the vegetables for 35 minutes, tossing every 10-15 minutes, or until well caramelized.
• Toss with a handful of fresh cilantro leaves and serve.

Serves two-four (side dish)

*Or you can skip this step and use ground cumin and ground coriander.