Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
Most vegetables taste great roasted. Meaning the best recipe is two ingredients: vegetables and heat. That being said, it’s nice to spice things up once in a while. And when you’re looking to do that, there’s no reason to add fat and calories in a quest for taste. Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower checks all the boxes — a low-calorie taste-packed side-dish that works great with most any protein. It’s quick and easy to prepare and features (as you probably guessed from the name) turmeric, a very trendy “super food.”
Turmeric seems to be praised for its ability to fight a new malady with each passing day. One day it’s touted for its anti-inflammatory properties, the next for its ability to combat everything from arthritis, to IBS to Crohn’s to PMS.
What is forgotten is how versatile a spice it is. Turmeric is a key ingredient in curries, as well as many other more traditional Indian dishes. And while it has a bitter taste all on its own, when combined with other warm spices, its aromatic notes are quite pleasing. Not to mention it adds a splash of color to any dish it’s in! I hope you’ll give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!
Ingredients (serves 4)
- head of cauliflower / bag of cauliflower florets
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed) / 2 tsp garlic paste
- cooking spray
Spice Blend
Initial prep for this dish is simple. To prepare the spice mix, simply combine all the dry spices together in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.
Cauliflower Prep
Now, depending on whether you buy a head of cauliflower or simply buy a bag of florets, your prep will differ… in that, the goal is to end up with a zip-loc bag of florets. So if you need to cut up your head into pieces, then do so. If you need to just open your bag and pour it into another bag, well, then that works too!
Once you’ve got the cauliflower in the bag, add the crushed garlic (or garlic paste) and then spray a short blast of cooking spray in there. I prefer the olive oil cooking spray, but the regular stuff will work just fine.
Goldilocks Time
Ok, so here’s the one and only place where this recipe can get a bit tricky. As you know, cauliflower heads come in all shapes and sizes. So the amount of spice mix that you’ve got put aside may be way too much, too much, or just enough for the amount of cauliflower you have (it will be enough, for certain).
If you use too much, you’ll over-spice it, too little and it can be a bit bland. So getting the amount right takes a bit of practice. What I’ve found best is to start with half of the spice mix. Add it to your bag, seal it up and shake until it’s evenly coated.
You’re looking for the color of caramel popcorn. The real stuff, so lightly coated caramel corn… not the industrial brown Cracker Jack stuff. See the photos for a sense of what I mean. After adding half if you think you need more, add in more about a teaspoon at a time.
If your cauliflower head is standard sized, then half of the mix will almost always be enough, with perhaps the addition of one more teaspoon. Although in my experience I have not ever had cause to use all of the spice mix, I still prefer not to reduce the recipe. Better to have a bit more on hand and judge for yourself each time than have fear of running out.
Roasting Tips
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Line a baking pan with foil or parchment paper. If using foil, you should spray it with some cooking spray.
Spread the spice-coated cauliflower evenly out on the tray and roast for 20-25 minutes, until just tender. Midway through the baking time, you should flip the pieces over and toss them around a bit to more evenly distribute the heat.
Serve immediately.
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
Ingredients
- head of cauliflower / bag of cauliflower florets
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic (crushed) / 2 tsp garlic paste
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat over to 425 degrees F
- Combine dry spices (cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper) in a small bowl.
- Mix well and set aside
- Cut cauliflower into florets and put into a zip-loc bag
- Add crushed garlic and a few shots of cooking spray to the bag, followed by 1/2 of the spice mix.
- Seal bag and shake well to coat.
- Target color is a nice caramel corn color. If your cauliflower head was small, the 1/2 of spice mix was probably sufficient. For larger heads, you may need to add more spice mix (1 tsp at a time) and reshake until you get the desired color.
- Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and cooking spray.
- Spread coated cauliflower out on tray, roast for 20-25 minutes or until tender, tossing midway.
Nutrition Facts
Roasted Turmeric Cauliflower
Serves: 3 oz
|
Amount Per Serving: 4
|
||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 22 | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 0 g | 0 | |
| Saturated Fat 0 g | 0 | |
| Trans Fat 0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 0 g | 0 | |
| Sodium 460 mg | 19.2% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 3 g | 1% | |
| Dietary Fiber 2 g | 8% | |
| Sugars 1 g | ||
| Protein 2 g | ||
| Vitamin A 3 % | Vitamin C 54 % | |
| Calcium 3 % | Iron 4 % | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Lighten Up!
