Best Spiced Cauliflower Recipes

SPICED ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH FETA AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Slice cauliflower lengthwise into ½-inch thick slices, including the core and leaves. (Some of the first slices will crumble and fall apart. This is O.K., and will be useful when you want those crispier bits.)
• Place cauliflower (slices and crumbles) and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with fennel seed, turmeric and red-pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper.
• Roast, without disturbing, until cauliflower has turned a deep golden brown and crisped up in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the larger steaks and stir the smaller bits around and continue to roast until completely and evenly browned, another 8 to 10 minutes.
• Remove from heat and transfer to a large serving platter. Top with feta, herbs and a drizzle of olive oil.

PAN-ROASTED SPICED CAULIFLOWER WITH PEAS

Steps:

• Heat a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Add the ghee or oil, and when it is hot, add the cauliflower. Stir until the cauliflower begins to color, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Continue stirring until the cauliflower is half-cooked, about 5 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary to keep it from browning too quickly.
• Add the cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric and makrut lime leaves, if using. When they begin to sizzle, add the ginger, garlic and chilies. Stir well and add the peas, along with a sprinkle of salt. Cover to let the peas steam until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle with the slivered scallions and cilantro. Serve with lime wedges.

SPICED CHICKPEAS WITH CAULIFLOWER AND ROASTED LEMON

Steps:

• Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of oven and heat to 425 degrees. Bring a small pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add lemon slices and simmer until softened, about 5 minutes. Drain, pat dry with a clean kitchen towel and cut slices into quarters.
• On a rimmed sheet pan, toss cauliflower, tomatoes and jalapeños with 1/4 cup oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Fold in lemon slices. Place pan on bottom rack of oven and roast, tossing every 10 minutes, until well-browned, about 35 to 45 minutes.
• In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 cup oil, cumin seeds, tomato paste, Tabasco, ground turmeric, cumin and coriander.
• On a separate rimmed sheet pan, toss together chickpeas, potatoes, spice-oil mixture and salt to taste. Top with rosemary sprigs. Roast on top rack until potatoes are golden, 30 to 40 minutes, tossing mixture halfway through. Remove pan and toss with more salt to taste.
• While everything is roasting, make the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together yogurt, dill, basil, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. Taste and add more salt or lemon if needed.
• To serve, toss roasted chickpeas and potatoes with cauliflower mixture. Drizzle with more oil, yogurt sauce and herbs.

ROASTED CURRY-SPICED SWEET POTATOES AND CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine sweet potatoes, cauliflower, black pepper, olive oil, curry powder, maple syrup, garlic, thyme, and salt together in a bowl until evenly coated; spread onto the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until vegetables are tender and lightly browned, about 20 minutes.

MOROCCAN SPICED ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
• 2. Heat oil in an heavy oven-safe skillet (such as cast-iron) over medium heat. Add garlic and onion to skillet, and sauté for about 3 minutes or until fragrant.
• 3. Stir cauliflower florets into the garlic/onion mixture. Add tomatoes, cumin, turmeric, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and mix until cauliflower is well coated.
• 4. Transfer skillet to preheated oven, and roast for 45 minutes until tender and cauliflower is beginning to turn a light golden brown.
• 5. While cauliflower is roasting, mix chopped cilantro and chopped mint together; set aside.
• 6. Remove skillet from oven. Garnish roasted cauliflower with the cilantro/mint mixture, and serve immediately.

MOROCCAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER & ALMOND SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the cauliflower into small florets. Fry olive oil, ground cinnamon, cumin and coriander and harissa paste for 2 mins in a large pan. Add the cauliflower, stock and almonds. Cover and cook for 20 mins until the cauliflower is tender. Blend soup until smooth, then serve with an extra drizzle of harissa and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.

INDIAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER, POTATOES AND PEAS (GOBHI MATAR RASEDA

Steps:

• Cut cauliflower into florets, approximately 1 1/2". Peel potato and cut into about 3/4" dice. Measure out the cumin powder, coriander, turmeric and cayenne into a small bowl and have it ready next to the stove.
• Heat oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the cumin seeds and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds, until they brown.
• Add bowl of spices and stir-fry for a few seconds to mix them in with the oil, then add in the cauliflower and potatoes. Stir the vegetables around for 5-8 minutes, until they are thoroughly coated with the seasonings and starting to sear a bit.
• Add the tomatoes and stiry-fry another 3 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
• Add salt and boiling water, stir a few times and then cover the skillet.
• Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender - about 15-25min.
• When tender, uncover and add the frozen peas. Stir in and simmer an additional 3 minutes.
• Turn off heat and serve sprinkled with chopped fresh cilantro.

SPICED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Heat oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat; add mustard seeds and cover skillet. Cook until seeds stop popping, 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion to the skillet; cook and stir over low heat until translucent, about 10 minutes.
• Mix garlic, ginger, turmeric, chile powder, and salt into onion mixture; cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add cauliflower; cook and stir for 1 minute. Transfer cauliflower to a microwave-safe bowl and cover bowl.
• Cook cauliflower in microwave until tender, about 3 minutes. Drizzle lemon juice over cauliflower.

CURRY SPICED WHOLE ROASTED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• For the cauliflower: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Heat the butter and olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the garlic and curry powder and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Make a small foil ring wide enough to hold up the base of the cauliflower a little. Put the foil ring in a large saute pan and place the cauliflower on top. Season the cauliflower with salt and pepper. Pour all but 1/4 cup of the curry butter over the cauliflower. Roast the cauliflower for 10 minutes, then baste with some of the curry butter on the bottom of the pan. Continue to roast and baste until the cauliflower is tender, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the almonds and raisins to the remaining curry butter in the saucepan and cook over medium heat until the nuts are toasted and the raisins are plump, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.
• Remove the cauliflower to a serving platter and drizzle with any remaining butter from the saute pan. Top with the nut, raisin and curry butter mixture and sprinkle with the lime zest.
• For the yogurt-tahini sauce: Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, tahini, dill, cumin, garlic and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle the cauliflower with the yogurt-tahini sauce and garnish with the cilantro, mint and chiles.

SPICED PARSNIP & CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the vegetables. Cover partially and sweat slowly for 10-15 mins until soft but not brown. In a separate pan, dry-roast the spices with a pinch of salt for a few mins until fragrant. Grind with a pestle and mortar to a fine powder.
• Add the garlic, chilli, ginger and spices to the vegetables, and cook for about 5 mins, stirring regularly. Add the lemon zest and juice. Pour in the stock, topping up if necessary to just cover the veg. Simmer for 25-30 mins until all the vegetables are tender.
• Purée with a blender until smooth. Dilute the consistency with more water if needed, until you get a thick but easily pourable soup. Season generously, stir in the coriander and add more lemon juice to balance the taste. Eat straight away or chill in the fridge to reheat. This also freezes beautifully. Serve with crusty bread, if you like.

SPICED CAULIFLOWER ROAST

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat the butter and spices with a wooden spoon, then set aside.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7. Trim the outer leaves of the cauliflower and remove the very bottom of the root, being careful to keep some of the root attached so the whole cauliflower remains intact. Bring a large pan (big enough to fit the whole cauliflower) filled with salted water to a rolling boil. Cook for 3-4 mins to partially tenderise, then carefully remove with two slotted spoons.
• Put the cauliflower and chickpeas on a baking tray. Rub the cauliflower with the butter, dot a little over the chickpeas and season everything. Roast in the oven for 35 mins until the chickpeas are crispy, the cauliflower is deep golden-brown, and a cutlery knife can be inserted into the middle easily.
• Meanwhile, make the feta dressing. In a large bowl, whisk the feta and Greek yogurt until the cheese has completely broken up and the mixture is creamy. Add the lemon juice, whisk again, then season to taste. Chill until needed.
• Remove the cauliflower and chickpeas from the oven, transfer the cauliflower to a plate, then mix the remaining ingredients, except the pomegranate molasses, with the warm chickpeas on the tray.
• Arrange the herby chickpeas on a large sharing platter and place the whole cauliflower on top. Spoon over the dressing and drizzle with pomegranate molasses to serve.

INDIAN-SPICED EGGPLANT & CAULIFLOWER STEW

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add curry powder, garam masala and mustard seeds and toast, stirring, until the spices begin to darken, about 1 minute.
• Transfer to a small bowl.
• Add oil, onion, garlic, ginger and salt to the pot and cook, stirring, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir in eggplant, cauliflower, tomatoes, chickpeas, water and the spices.
• Bring to a simmer.
• Cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Top each serving with optional dollop of yogurt; serve with basmatti rice & a loaf of 7 grain bread.
• **Garam masala is a flavorful, fragrant blend of dry-roasted ground spices. It's in the spice section of most supermarkets and specialty stores.

CRISPY SPICED CAULIFLOWER STEAKS

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with a wire rack or paper towels, and set aside.
• Finely grind cinnamon, coriander, fennel, peppercorns, cumin and cloves in a spice grinder, spice mill or mortar and pestle.Transfer to a bowl, and stir in cayenne and 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk both flours until combined. Whisk in lime and lemon juices, then gradually whisk in enough water until the mixture is the consistency of thin pancake batter (about 1 1/3 cups). There is no gluten in either flour, so don't worry about overmixing.
• Stir in turmeric and the spice mixture. Taste, and adjust salt as needed.
• Working with 1 or 2 steaks at a time, push the cauliflower steaks into the batter, turn to coat and allow to marinate for at least 3 minutes.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium high. Add coconut oil to a depth of 1/3-inch, and heat until hot. Carefully drip a few drops of batter into the oil to test that it's sufficiently hot. The batter should immediately sizzle and expand. Slip the steaks one at a time directly from the batter into the pan. Don't overcrowd the pan - the steaks should never touch.
• Cook until golden brown on the bottom, 8 to 12 minutes, rotating the steaks around the pan after 6 to 8 minutes to ensure even browning. Use a thin metal spatula to carefully flip the steaks. Continue cooking until the second sides are golden-brown and the cores are tender when pierced with a knife, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer steaks to the prepared baking sheet, and allow to drain. Season with salt. Repeat with the remaining steaks and any remaining smaller pieces of cauliflower, adjusting the heat as needed to prevent the steaks from browning too quickly.
• Serve hot or reheat in an oven at 400 degrees until hot and crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Top with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a shower of chopped cilantro, if desired. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing on top.

MOROCCAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER AND ALMOND SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the cauliflower into small florets.
• Heat oil in a large pan over medium-high heat and fry ground cinnamon, cumin and coriander and 2 tablespoons harissa paste for 2 minutes.
• Add the cauliflower, broth and 2 oz. of the almonds. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the cauliflower is tender.
• Blend soup with a stick blender, or in batches in a blender until smooth. Return to heat.
• Ladle into warm bowls and drizzle with remaining harissa and a sprinkle of remaining almonds.

AFRICAN-SPICED CAULIFLOWER AND CARROT SALAD

Steps:

• Steam first 2 ingredients, covered, 2 minutes. Rinse mixture under cold water; drain well.
• Combine salt and next 5 ingredients (salt through crushed red pepper) in a small skillet; cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until lightly aromatic, stirring constantly.
• Add vinegar while of the heat.
• Combine spice mixture, sour cream, and honey in a bowl; stir well.
• Add cauliflower mixture; toss well to coat.
• Chill for 1 hour.
• Top with green onions just before serving.

SPICED CAULIFLOWER RICE

Steps:

• Cut the cauliflower into quarters through the stem. Trim and discard the core, then separate the head into florets. Place a third of the florets into a food processor and pulse in 2- to 3-second bursts until the cauliflower is finely chopped and has the consistency of couscous. Repeat twice, until all of the cauliflower is chopped. (One large head should yield approximately 8 cups chopped.)
• Combine the cumin, pepper, turmeric, ginger and nutmeg in a small bowl and add 1 tablespoon water. Stir well to combine and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. When the oil begins to shimmer, add the onion and cook, stirring often, until tender but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, 30 seconds more. Stir in the spice mixture and cook another 30 seconds.
• Add the cauliflower, peas and carrots and stir well. Add some salt to taste. Cook, stirring often, until the cauliflower is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowls and garnish with chives.

AFRICAN-SPICED BROCCOLI AND CAULIFLOWER SALAD

Steps:

• Steam first 2 ingredients, covered, 2 minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain well. Combine salt, ginger, cumin, coriander, nutmeg, red pepper in a small skillet, cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring constantly. Combine spice mixture, yoghurt, and honey in a bowl, stir well. Add vegetables, toss well to coat. Stir in green onions right before serving.

ROASTED SPICED CAULIFLOWER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a small bowl, mix together the ras el hanout, cinnamon, paprika, garlic, oil and yogurt. Take the cauliflower and remove the outer leaves and the base of the stalk so that it sits flat in a large roasting tin. Rub the spiced yogurt mixture all over it then pour 100ml water into the roasting tin around the base of the cauliflower. Cover with foil and bake in the oven for 45 mins.
• Meanwhile, put the tahini in a bowl and slowly add the lemon juice, stirring constantly, to make a smooth sauce - it should be the consistency of single cream. Chill until needed.
• When the cauliflower has roasted, remove the foil and return to the oven for a further 10-15 mins. Put the chickpeas in a saucepan with 50ml water and cook over a medium heat until piping hot. Season, then crush with a potato masher - you want some to be smooth and others to be just a little broken. Stir in 1 tsp of the tahini sauce.
• Take the cauliflower out of the oven and put the pitta bread in to warm for 2-3 mins while you cut the cauliflower into 8 wedges.
• To serve, place a warmed pitta bread on each plate, top with the crushed chickpeas followed by the cauliflower wedges. Drizzle with the remaining tahini sauce and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds, sunflower seeds and herbs. Serve warm or cold.

INDIAN SPICED CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat butter and oil in a large saucepan.
• Add onion and cook over low heat until soft.
• Add garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds.
• Add curry paste cook for 30 seconds.
• Add cauliflower and stir to coat with the curry paste.
• Add stock (If the stock doesn't cover the cauliflower add more water).
• Simmer for 15 minutes.
• Cool slightly before pureeing.
• (Use a hand held blender, or you can use a food processor).
• Return to the heat and stir in the yoghurt.
• Serve drizzled with cream and with pappadums.

SPICED CARROT CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onions for 3 minutes, or until soft.
• Dissolve the vegetable bouillon in the water and add to the pot.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the pot and stir to combine.
• Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are fork tender.
• Using an immersion blender or standing blender, puree all of the ingredients until smooth.