You guys, if you like cookbooks, and you like vegetables, and you don’t have Ottolenghi’s Plenty, do yourself the biggest favor and order/buy it right now. This is my “go to” vegetable cookbook, and it’s beautiful to boot.
I’ve been on a big cauliflower kick. Having liked it, but mostly ignored it, cauliflower reappeared in my life like that kid you’ve known for years whom you suddenly recognize to be the love of your life.
This is my favorite way of making cauliflower. Ottolenghi is my inspiration, but I’ve modified the recipe slightly. I omit the olives and the bay leaves, and instead, I add curry powder. Curry powder and cauliflower are like chocolate and peanut butter. Heaven.
Roasted Curried Cauliflower
*Adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi’s Saffron Cauliflower recipe in “Plenty”
Serves 4
1 1/2 tsp saffron
1/3 cup boiling water
1 1/2 tsp curry powder (or to your liking)
1 medium cauliflower, divided into florets
1 large red onion sliced (rings)
2/3 cups golden raisins
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
4 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Put the saffron strings in a small bowl, pour boiling water over them, and let the saffron steep for a few minutes (you can omit this step if you don’t have saffron, add more curry powder and it will save the day).
Add the cauliflower, raisins, onions, curry powder, salt, pepper, olive oil and the saffron with its water into a big bowl. Mix everything together.
Transfer the mix onto an oven proof dish/roasting pan, roast for 40-45 minutes. Stir the cauliflower every 15 minutes to prevent it from burning. I like the cauliflower tender and slightly carmelized (don’t let it get too mushy or too brown).
Once it’s cooked, remove, cool slightly, and then add the parsley. Add salt or pepper if need be.
Don’t leave out the raisins! They plump up during cooking and don’t taste raisiny.
This dish will disappear quickly.
