Throwing a head of cauliflower in the oven and then forgetting about it until it's done feels like a cheat. You don’t work very hard yet the results are delicious.
Cauliflower greatly benefits from spending time in an oven. Sometimes we slather it with hummus. Sometimes we just brush on olive oil. One day Krista coated the cauliflower with Indian spices and we had another awesome go-to for a no-fuss, no-muss, amazingly good vegetable. Here's the gist of what she did.
Baked, Indian Spiced, Cauliflower
1 head cauliflower (leave whole but remove some of the core so it sits flat or, cut into florets)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp to 1 Tbsp garam masala or curry powder, to taste & depending on size of cauliflower
olive oil for brushing (about 2-3 Tbsp)
Wash cauliflower and place on ovenproof dish lined with parchment paper.
Mix turmeric and olive oil and brush over cauliflower.
Sprinkle garam masala* evenly over cauliflower.
If left whole, bake @375 for 1 - 1.5 hours.
If cut into florets, bake for 30-45 minutes.
To make sure it’s done - pierce it with a fork. If the fork goes in easily, it’s done.
BTW, I like mine a bit crunchier so when I poke the fork in, I’m looking for a little resistance - not too soft.
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| Just brush on the olive oil and turmeric mixture |
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| Sprinkle with garam masala or your favourite curry spice. Pop it in the oven and forget about it until it's done! |
*Allison and I took a "night school in a day" course on Indian cooking a few years back. At first I found Indian cooking daunting. It was so different from what I was used to. But we had a great teacher and now I love making my own Indian food - even the naan. It also gave me the confidence to mix my own garam masala. I roast the spices in a cast iron pan, then grind them in a coffee grinder. But you can buy it ready-to-go. According to wikipedia, garam masala varies by region and there is no single authentic version. My spice mix is a combination of:
- Peppercorns
- Cloves
- Cinnamon bark
- Nutmeg
- Cardamom pods
- Bay leaf
- Cumin
- Star anise
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