As we all know, cauliflower is this year’s kale. In that spirit, the Accidental Locavore has a collection of interesting-looking recipes to put this trendy veg through some new paces. Only problem? Someone (you know who you are) doesn’t consider it to be a green vegetable but more of a potato/rice/pasta side dish, so if I serve it, it needs to stand on its own enough to negate the need for (yet another) vegetable dish. This served 2, generously:
- ½ cup plain, yogurt (fat content not critical)
- 1 tablespoon Garam Masala
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 (1-inch / 3-cm) piece ginger, grated
- Juice of 1 lemon or lime, divided
- 1 small head cauliflower, trimmed and cut in bite-sized pieces
- Vegetable oil for greasing the pan
- 1 small yellow or red onion, finely sliced
- 1 serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed and very finely chopped (optional)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
In a large mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, Garam Masala, salt, ginger and ½ the lemon or lime juice and whisk until combined. Carefully fold the cauliflower into the mixture, ensuring all the pieces are coated. Refrigerate the mixture for 2 hours or (ideally) overnight.
Set the oven rack at the highest position and preheat the oven to 400°.
Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, turning over the pieces once halfway through the cooking time to ensure all pieces are lightly browned on both sides. Remove from the oven.
Transfer the cauliflower to a serving bowl. Sprinkle the remaining lemon or lime juice over the dish. Top with the onions, serrano, and cilantro. Serve and enjoy!
My verdict: Really good and could be great with a couple of tweaks. I rinsed the onions to take away some of the bite, but there could have been less of them, or a sweeter variety. Scallions might have worked well, too. If you’re not a fan of heat, leave the serrano out or use less of it. I added about a teaspoon of a lemon curry powder that I had, not that it was noticeable in the finished dish. Next time, I might toss the cauliflower in the microwave for a couple of minutes to give it a head start before roasting. That, plus marinating it overnight, might be just what it needs to achieve greatness!
