Spice up your roasted cauliflower with curry powder and garam masala in this oil-free sheet pan side dish. To save time, use pre-cut cauliflower florets or even frozen cauliflower.
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🧄 Ingredient notes
To make this delicious, anti-inflammatory (hello, turmeric!) roasted curried cauliflower, you'll need:
- cauliflower
- one whole cauliflower (about 2 pounds), broken into florets
- OR big bag (about 1.5-2 pounds) of pre-cut cauliflower florets
- OR 24-32 ounces of frozen cauliflower
- curry powder (my favorite is Chief Curry Powder, made in Trinidad)
- garam masala
- freshly cracked black pepper
- sea salt
Please scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for detailed measurements and instructions!
🔪 Instructions
👨👩👦👦 Serving suggestions
These healthy roasted curry cauliflower bites pair nicely with a surprising array of meals, such as:
- Saag paneer (Indian spiced creamy spinach with tofu "paneer")
- Jeera rice (cumin seed basmati rice)
- Saag chana (Indian spiced creamy spinach with chickpeas)
- Green rice and lentil bowls
- Jamaican peas and rice
- In veggie wraps
- On top of mashed potatoes
- 50/50 plate of non-starchy veg (this cauliflower) and starch (potatoes, rice, etc.)
❓ FAQ
It is likely because you cooked it too long or at a heat that is too low. To roast cauliflower, I recommend a temperature of 400 F. Roast without much moisture only until crisp-tender.
Curry powder is a combination of ground spices, including but not limited to: ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, ground chili powder, ground black pepper and other spices. It is often added at the beginning of cooking to allow the flavors to bloom and deepen.
Garam masala is a warming blend of ground spices, including but not limited to: ground cinnamon, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground cardamom, ground black pepper, ground cloves, ground nutmeg. It is often used at the end of cooking, but is also used throughout cooking.
🔄 Variations
Instead of using the curry powder + garam masala + pepper + sea salt for this curry roasted cauliflower recipe, try using these spice blends instead, with the same method.
- curry powder + ground turmeric + black pepper + sea salt
- curry powder + ground cumin + sea salt
- ground cumin + ground coriander + sea salt
- chili powder + garlic powder + sea salt
- garlic salt + ground turmeric + black pepper
- garlic powder + dried dill + sea salt
- taco seasoning
☕️ Tea pairing
These roasted curried cauliflower bites are delicious paired with hot or iced chai tea latte!
🗺 Cultural influences
What is curry powder made of?
Let's talk curry powder for a moment.
There are no two perfectly alike curry powders. Curry powder is a combination of ground spices, including but not limited to: ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, ground ginger, ground chili powder, ground pepper and other spices.
So, depending on the brand of curry powder you buy, as well as the strength of the spices used in that blend, it will taste slightly different. You'll notice this visually by the varying colors of curry powder from bright yellow to mustard.
The one I use most frequently is Chief Curry Powder from the Caribbean island of Trinidad, which was originally recommended to me by my dear friend, Ria. I find it in the International section of well-stocked grocery stores or at the Indian grocery store.
I'm sure you'll find one you love!
Where do curries come from?
The origin of curries (stews cooked with lots of spices, as well as often tomato puree and coconut milk) is India. Through colonization and globalization, curries are now a native food in many countries, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and most of the Caribbean islands.
And, for those who weren't raised at home with curries, we loved them as soon as we tasted them!
💜 More recipes you'll love
If you love this healthy roasted cauliflower recipe, check out these other oil-free Indian plant-based, vegan dishes!
Love this recipe? Please rate it 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below in the recipe card. And, if you make it, please tag me on Instagram or Facebook in your posted photos! I would love to see your creations. 😄
📖 Recipe
Roasted Curried Cauliflower (oil-free, vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 cauliflower cut into medium pieces/florets
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Rinse and drain, but do not dry the cauliflower florets. The small amount of water clinging to the cauliflower will help the spices stick.
- Spread cauliflower out in a single layer on baking tray. Sprinkle all the spices over the cauliflower, then stir with a spoon or spatula to coat.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, stopping to stir halfway through cooking. They are done when the cauliflower is fork tender and just starting to brown on the edges. *See Notes for heat and time adjustments, if using an air fryer or frozen cauliflower.
Notes
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
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