Recipe: $3.93 | Per Serving: $0.98 | Yield: 4
I hope you're ready for a simple yet elegant side dish. This Curry Roasted Cauliflower is packed with flavor and spice and everything nice. Tossing this spiced vegetable side dish with raisins, cilantro, and a lemon-tahini sauce takes the flavor to the next level. You're going to love it!
Curry spices pair perfectly with sweet and juicy raisins, and the whole dish is elevated with the bright lemon-tahini sauce. This recipe requires just cauliflower, spices, raisins, tahini, lemon, and cilantro.
Why is My Roasted Cauliflower Mushy?
- Crowded Pan: a crowded pan is the number one reason for soggy cauliflower. When the sheet pan is crowded, the cauliflower steams because the water cannot evaporate adequately. And instead of a maillard reaction (sugar + heat = browning), you get steamed cauliflower. Sometimes you just can't be bothered to get another sheet tray (or you're using it for something else), so you can totally still make this recipe, but you'll have much softer, mushier, steamed cauliflower.
- Temperature too low: low and slow will create soggy cauliflower that is barely crispy. hotter is better. For roasted cauliflower, aim for 425-450ºF.
- Too much oil: believe it or not, too much oil can actually make your roasted cauliflower a little bit soggy. You want enough to coat each floret, but not so much that there's oil pooling on the pan.
Give those florets plenty of space! The above picture is a little too crowded, so I split it up over two pans.
Look at that freakin' perfectly browned cauliflower! This is what happens when you spread your cauliflower out, even over 2 trays if necessary.
Don't steam your roasted cauliflower if you want that beautiful maillard reaction.
What Main Dish Goes with Roasted Cauliflower?
- Crispy Stovetop Chicken Thighs
- Quinoa & Chickpea Bowl - love making a salad / Buddha bowl with this curry roasted cauliflower, quinoa, chickpeas, and even a handful of arugula
- Herbed Lamb Meatballs
- Curry Chicken Salad Endive Boats
- Almond Baked Chicken
How to Reheat Roasted Cauliflower
The best option for reheating this curry roasted cauliflower recipe is to reheat it in the oven or microwave. Because of the sauce, it will not get crispy again, and the raisins will puff up (and can burn if you leave them in the toaster oven too long). I recommend gently reheating on 350ºF for about 5-10 minutes. And if you have an air fryer, this recipe will reheat in the air fryer in about 5 minutes.
Dietary Substitutions for Curry Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins and Lemon-Tahini Sauce
Vegetarian: yes! And vegan.
Paleo: yes! And Whole30.
Low FODMAP: somewhat. If you keep the serving size small, you may be able to tolerate this. The only moderate-high FODMAP foods in this recipe are cauliflower and raisins.
PIN THIS RECIPE FOR LATER!
Curry Roasted Cauliflower with Raisins and Lemon-Tahini Sauce
Ingredients
For the Cauliflower:
- 2 pounds cauliflower 1 large head
- 2 Tablespoons avocado oil or other oil of choice
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder I have this one with turmeric, coriander, and fenugreek
- ½ teaspoon cayenne powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoon tahini ground sesame paste
- 4 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons water or more as needed to thin out the sauce
- pinch of salt
For Serving:
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line a half sheet pan (or larger) with parchment paper. (If using stainless steel baking sheets, parchment isn't necessary!)
- Prepare the cauliflower by breaking apart the cauliflower florets and cutting the tender part of the stem into bite-sized pieces. I like smaller pieces here so they get crispier in the oven. Toss with 1-2 Tablespoons of cooking oil of choice. Then sprinkle on the curry powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Spread out onto the sheet pan in an even layer. If the pan is crowded, you'll get better results by splitting it into two pans (so they roast and caramelize instead of steaming), but you do you!
- Roast on 425ºF for about 45 minutes, stirring and flipping part way through.
- To make the sauce: add the tahini and lemon juice to a small bowl. Stir until it thickens and becomes a paste. Add water, 1-3 teaspoons in total, until it thins out again to your desired consistency. Season with a pinch of salt. Taste and alter to your preference.
- To serve: let the cauliflower cool for a few minutes so it isn't letting off copious amounts of steam. Place the cooked cauliflower in a large bowl, then toss with most of the sauce, raisins, and chopped cilantro. Reserve a little of each for sprinkling and drizzling over the top. Serve!
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