Curry Powder Is The Perfect Way To Spice Up Your Roasted Cauliflower

Cauliflower can be a nutritious way to get your protein in if you're vegetarian, or just a way to pack in some fiber and extra vitamins — but let's face it, the veggie can be a little boring on its own. These white florets have a nutty, somewhat bland flavor if you eat them plain, but the flip side is that they provide the perfect blank canvas for practically any way you want to spice them up. We love pickling cauliflower, piling on cheese, or turning these vegetables into a tasty mash, but one of the best ways to zhuzh up your florets is to add curry powder.

Using a seasoning like curry powder is one of the easiest ways to add flavor to any vegetable since you don't need to dice up any fresh ingredients. But sprinkling it on cauliflower is also the perfect way to take advantage of its potency, which may overwhelm your palette on more strongly flavored produce. Plus, when you add curry powder and roast these veggies, you get a crispy, flavor-packed side dish that is nothing like the mushy, mild version you may remember from your childhood. And if you're making anything with Indian flavors for dinner, you may even be able to throw your seasoned florets in your dish.

Making curry powder-roasted cauliflower is as easy as any other roasted veggie. All you need to do is toss your florets in avocado oil and seasoning, spread them in an even layer on a baking sheet, and transfer them to the oven. If you don't already own curry powder, you can make a spice blend with ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger, black pepper, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon — although you may want to just bite the bullet and purchase the seasoning, since some versions use as many as 20 unique spices.

When chopping your head of cauliflower, try to make pieces that are the same size so that they all finish roasting at the same time. Then to balance out the warmth of the curry powder, feel free to toss them in a dash of lemon juice, which will contribute a little acidity. If you want to amp up the flavor of your dish even more, throw in a little cinnamon (even if your blend has it), garlic, and diced onion, and roast your cauliflower for up to half an hour at 425 degrees Fahrenheit, stirring halfway through. While these florets will taste delicious on their own as a side dish (potentially with a yogurt dipping sauce), you can also throw them in a curry, wrap, salad, grain bowl, or even some tasty tacos.