A super simple cauliflower recipe made in a way that you’ve never seen it before. Indian flavors, two steps, pure deliciousness.
To say I have a new appreciation for cauliflower would be an understatement. Or, at the very least, an appreciation for turning cauliflower into something completely unique and different than how it originally started out. So when my friend Cathy sent me a recipe for a spicy whole roasted cauliflower, it immediately got added to my list of things to make.
Natch.
Gone are the days when we just had straight up cauliflower smothered in melted cheese. Now weâre turning cauliflower into breadsticks and pizza, risotto and mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and steak. In fact, I even have a cheddar and bacon cauliflower pancake recipe coming soon. I made tonightâs cauliflower recipe on Friday, and it ended up coming in handy this weekend. The basic premise of the recipe is you mix Greek yogurt with a handful of spices, cover the cauliflower with this marinade, and bake it in the oven for about 30-40 minutes. It could not get simpler than that, and beyond the simplicity of the recipe, I love the flexibility of it. Although the spices I used are Indian-influenced, you could mix and match any flavor profile you want. Make a Greek version with some oregano and lemon juice. Or perhaps an Italian version with oregano and basil, with maybe some sun-dried tomatoes thrown in for good measure. I honestly donât think this recipe can be screwed up.
I made it on a night when I needed something easy that required pretty much no thought and ingredients I had on hand already. I didnât have a dinner plan ready, and Nick had a dance to go to that night. I made the kids a tray of roasted broccoli (theyâre not cauliflower converts ⌠yet), and this for me. Leftover ribs for protein.
Now for the cauliflower story from this weekend⌠I spent Saturday at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) campus in Hyde Park (more details on that coming later this week), and one of the things we did while we were there was to have a Chopped-style challenge. If youâre not familiar with the Food Network show Chopped, youâre basically handed a basket of ingredients and have to make something amazing with it. I, along with three other team members, was handed a basket that had broccoli, kale, bulgur, lettuce, cauliflower, oranges, and Greek yogurt. All those specific ingredients had to be used to create one main dish and one side dish in an hour, and we could also use any Jones Dairy Farm products we wanted, along with any herbs and spices in the CIA kitchen.
Once I saw the cauliflower and the Greek yogurt, it was a no-brainer, and I took the reins for making the side dish, while the other three team members worked on our main course.
There was a team of CIA chefs in the kitchen during our one hour of cooking time, offering assistance as we needed it, and doing some taste testing along the way. Two of the chefs were also judges, along with two members of Jones Dairy Farm. When Chef Michael came around and took a taste of my marinade (pre-bake), I watched his face for a reaction, and he said âInteresting.â I asked him âInteresting bad or interesting good?â âJust interesting. I canât say anything else because Iâm judging.â
Although I wasnât worried, I was certainly wondering.
When the cauliflower comes out of the oven, it is a beautiful show-stopper, because it gets a gorgeous color as it roasts, and you donât typically see a whole roasted cauliflower served that way. As I was cutting it up (because it had to be plated for the judges, and the rest of us to try), Chef Michael came back around. I cut off a small, but pretty floret and handed it to him.
âWow,â he exclaimed, smiling broadly.
âThat is definitely wow good, right?â I asked.
âYes, for sure, wow good.â
Chef Michael was no longer playing coy with me, and I exhaled.
Chef David came around and I gave him a piece too.
âThat totally doesnât suck at all.â
Chef Michael laughed and said that was as good as a compliment as I was going to get.
I was totally ok with that.
There were four total teams competing in the Chopped challenge, and although our team didnât win (the uniqueness of scrapple croutons on a salad won the top prize), we received positive feedback and high praise from the judges nonetheless. Chef Michael said that he had worked with an Indian chef in the past, who made something similar to this cauliflower, and it tasted exactly like his.
Score.
The only tasting note was the suggestion of a dipping sauce to accompany it. Which I totally agree with. I actually dipped it into honey mustard the night before when I made it for myself because I had some on hand, even though that was a complete mix of flavors. Using some of the leftover marinade for a little bit of dipping would work as well. The reason the dipping sauce is suggested is because the marinade, once baked on, only covers the tops of the florets, so some of the insides donât get anything.
However you make it, just do it.
Itâs CIA- and Chef Michael-approved, and I donât think it gets any better than that.
PS And we are totally not talking Jones Dairy Farm tomorrow because I had a momentary lapse of everything sacred. We are most definitely talking about a soon-to-be newly minted six year old tomorrow. Jones Dairy Farm on deck for Wednesday.
Spicy Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Recipe courtesy of Jacquie Bernhardsson
Ingredients
1 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 head cauliflower
1-1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt
1 lime, zested and juiced (I used orange for the CIA challenge)
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat over to 400 and lightly grease a small baking sheets with vegetable oil. Set aside.
Trim the base of the cauliflower to remove any green leaves and the woody stem.
In a medium bowl, combine the yogurt with the lime zest and juice, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, curry powder, salt, and pepper.
Dunk the cauliflower into the bowl and use a brush or your hands to smear the marinade evenly over the surface. (Excess marinade can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to three days and used with meat, fish, or other veggies).
Place the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet and roast until the surface is dry and lightly browned, about 30-40 minutes. The marinade will make a crust on the surface of the cauliflower.
Let it cool about ten minutes before cutting.
Ooo definitely need to try this! My jaw dropped when I saw it on your Instagram (in a good way). It is DEFINITELY a show-stopper!
Joanne recently posted..Stuffed Cabbage with Ricotta and Pine Nuts
I’ve never been a fan of cauliflower but I love Indian spices so this may convert me!
debbie recently posted..Cocoa Fudge Cookies
My other half loves cauliflower but I don’t use it very often… I’ll have to try this!!
I’ve been dying to try this!!
Oooh, I love cauliflower — and I’ve definitely never thought of serving or preparing it in this way! Will definitely have to try this. And what a great story of your challenge at the CIA — love it!
Meg recently posted..Twosday: Show some love
This is very dramatic when whole, but it is better cut into florets then dipped in sauce and baked. Each piece gets the full flavor.
We liked it both ways, but much prefer smaller bites. Any leftovers are great on a salad, or stuffed into a pita.
Love the idea of stuffing the pieces into a pita!
I loved this idea when you presented it Saturday! So happy to have had you on our team! While we didn’t win, you definitely get a lot of bonus points for your cauliflower–and talk about prepared. What excellent timing! Lovely to meet you this past weekend!
Carrie @ poet in the pantry recently posted..Jones Dairy Farm Event at the CIA: Day 2 #spon #jonesdairyfarm
Um, scrapple croutons? Recipe please? :-)
I love how easy this is… and it’s so gorgeous right out of the oven!
patsy recently posted..Cosmic Brownies for #Elleapalooza
This is definitely a show stopper! I was wondering what the coating on top is and would have never guessed greek yogurt! A meal in itself for sure!
Susan recently posted..Chambord Marshmallows
I did try this and it is way toooooo hot! I lived in India and I love hot but this is inedible as written; Make the changes and it becomes delicious. Try using only ONE TBS of chili spice. It will still be fire engine hot but edible.
We tried this tonight and loooved the yogurt marinade, but our cauliflower was nearly raw after 40 minutes at 400°F. May be our oven’s partly to blame, but I thought I’d mention it. We went ahead and ate it anyway because we were hungry (and it was still good, just crunchy!) but I think we would have needed at least another half an hour to really roast it.
I want to make a different vegetable for Easter and am considering this…but would have to re-heat…has anyone heated it whole or any suggestions of something different to serve that can be re-heated
I am a personal chef and this recipe is one of the worst I have ever tried. Spice, cooking time and methods all wrong. A waste of good ingredients. Don’t bother.
this was a horrible recipe I dumped it all out .tryed different recipewith Parmesan cheese it was delish!_