vegan

Curried cauliflower with golden raisins and ginger is a great side for chicken or steak, but it can stand on its own as  a meatless meal. Vegetable sides don’t have to be boring or bland. Roasting cauliflower brings out its sweetness while the curry gives it a little kick and a lot of flavor.

A little spice can go a long way. For example – curry powder. Oven roasted curry cauliflower is a side that you will make again and again.

We are eating more vegetables these days. Also, we are eating healthier. At least, we are trying to eat healthier (when I’m not eating cookies). I love vegetables, I honestly prefer them over meat most of the time.

However, they can be boring if you don’t jazz them up sometimes. This roasted cauliflower side dish has earned a spot in the regular rotation.

How to Cook Curried Cauliflower

For this particular recipe, the cauliflower is roasted. Roasting cauliflower really brings out it’s personality. It deepens the flavor and transforms it into something completely different than it’s raw version.

To turn this into an Indian cauliflower side dish, we’re using a bit of curry powder. It is hardly an “authentic Indian dish”, but it is seriously delicious.

Different ways to cook cauliflower

Awhile back, there was a “cauliflower craze”. It has hung on and had serious staying power, but when cauliflower first became a thing, I must admit, I found it a little amusing and also a bit perplexing. It left me wondering if people hadn’t really eaten cauliflower outside of a veggie tray.

When the people discovered cauliflower – they hit it hard. It was cauliflower rice, cauliflower mash, cauliflower this & cauliflower that. Then, what happened next? The price went through the roof.

I could not, in good conscience, spend $6 for a head when last year it was half that price. Consequently, it led to a dry spell of this cruciferous vegetable in our house. As you can see, it left me a little fired up.

Cauliflower is one of those vegetables that can take on different flavors and can be made in a variety of ways. Indian spices work great with this vegetable, because they are potent and bring a ton of flavor.

Curry Cauliflower with Pine Nuts

While I’m all fired up, let me tell you how I used to prepare this dish. I’ve been making this for the better part of 12 years, give or take. I mixed toasted pine nuts in at the end, while it is still warm.

Why don’t I use them anymore? Remember when the airlines started charging baggage fees to compensate for higher gas prices, but then gas came down and the luggage fees didn’t go away? Yeah, like that.

A number of years ago, the cost of pine nuts more than doubled. The price on my weekly order went from $8 to $20 and I almost choked.

If you happen to catch pine nuts or pignoli, on sale, grab a bag or three and add a handful to the vegan roasted cauliflower. Each bite is nutty and packed with curry flavor. It’s amazing.

Roasted Cauliflower with Pine nuts and raisins

Toasting the pine nuts before adding them to the cauliflower is key. Add them to a hot, dry pan and toast for 5 minutes or so until they begin to brown. You will smell them, it is unmistakable so don’t worry that you won’t know.

Be careful not to let them go too long, as they do burn quickly.

If pine nuts are unavailable, but you still want some nuttiness in your side dish, try toasted pecans or cashews in this dish. They will go nicely with the curry and they are less expensive.

Roasted Curried Cauliflower

When people say that they don’t like a certain food, my first follow up question is “How was it prepared”?  Sometimes, I find that it is less about the particular food and more about the way it was cooked (or not cooked).

If you are one of the people that doesn’t love this vegetable, try roasting it. It becomes sweeter and in my opinion, tastier after roasting. Rather than writing off a certain food, try a different preparation. You might find that you actually do like it.

Curry Turmeric cauliflower with golden raisins

Golden raisins are also known as sultanas or white raisins. Depending on where you live, they may not be available year round. If this is the case for you, substitute regular black raisins.

If you are looking for a few recipes to use up your golden raisins, try the Mediterranean Quinoa Salad or Linguini and Roast Chicken with Golden Raisins. For baking, I use golden raisins in this Irish soda bread and this Apple Chutney Bruschetta is a tasty appetizer using them as well.

As I mentioned earlier, I’ve been making this dish for a long time. It was something I used to make at the restaurant, back before cauliflower was a thing. We were always looking for new and different ways to serve vegetables.

Even though the meat is and for the most part, has always been, the star of the plate, I always wanted to serve vegetables that didn’t fade into the background. This curried cauliflower is still one of the most requested by clients and also at home.

Curried Cauliflower with Raisins

This is a perfect recipe for those following a ketogenic diet. Omit the golden raisins and carry on with the rest of the recipe. This vegetable is a staple of keto cooking and sometimes, it’s difficult to think of different ways to eat or prepare it.

If you are watching your carb or calorie intake, this is a great recipe for you too.

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What else can I serve with this cauliflower?

• Superfood Salad with Pomegranate
• Veggie Cakes
• Grilled Lamb Chops
• Stuffed Acorn Squash
• Chestnut Stuffed Pork Loin

Thanks for stopping by! Have a delicious day 🙂

Questions? Send me an email, I’m happy to help. I’d love to send you weekly tips and recipes, so you can get updates about what’s happening in the kitchen!

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