Recipe for Spiced Cauliflower at Life's Ambrosia

I have to be honest, it took me a little while to warm up to cauliflower. Whenever I would go to pot luck parties someone would always bring a veggie tray and cauliflower would be on the dish but I would usually skip it for broccoli or celery and I’m not sure why, I just didn’t dig the flavor. But, in the spirit of experimenting in the kitchen, while at the grocery store I decided to pick up a head of this vegetable to see what I could do with it. It always seemed kind of plain so I wanted to kick it up a bit. For this recipe, I was inspired by Indian flavors so I coated the cauliflower with turmeric, cumin, cayenne and chili powder. After tasting it, I must say, cauliflower can actually be quite delicious.

The cayenne can make this dish a little spicy and if that is not for you cut the amount in half. That way you will still get some of the cayenne flavor but it wont be overly spicy.

Serves 4 as a side dish

You will need:

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil

Place all ingredients in a large resealable bag. Shake to coat. The cauliflower will turn yellow-ish.
Place seasoned cauliflower into a large pan. Cover and cook over medium heat until the cauliflower is soft, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Remove lid and cook cauliflower for 2 more minutes just to brown up some of the pieces.
Serve.

Since I was inspired by Indian flavors, I served this along side Chicken Curry and it was delicious. Enjoy!

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Responses to "Spiced Cauliflower"

“
I love raw cauliflower but I’m not crazy about cooked. This sounds great though!!
”

- Michelle

“
I must say Des, this is inspired. I love it when someone works outside their comfort zone as it usually results in something special like this cauliflower setup here. Yet again, simplicity rules the day.
”

- Barr

“
Cauliflower just needs a bit more TLC… but once you dress it up, it’s so tasty! This Indian-inspired version looks lovely :)
”

- Marta

“
I’ve always done the same with cauliflower, but when it’s done right, I can’t get enough of it!
”

- Mindy

“
Thanks Michelle!
Thanks Barr, I agree, working out of your comfort zone is when you sometimes come up with the best ideas. That is one of the reasons I started this blog, I found my self always making the same things, this way I can explore all kinds of new things. :)
Thanks Marta!
I agree Mindy!
”

- Deseree

“
Hi Des

Is there another spice that I can use instead of cumin. I really do not like cumin.
”

- Jackie

“
Hi Jackie, what is it about the cumin that you don’t like? If it is the smokiness, you could try substituting ground coriander which is a little milder and has a slightly lemony taste. It comes from the same plant as cilantro. You could also omit the cumin and increase the chili powder to 3/4 of a teaspoon. Hope this helps!
”

- Deseree

“
Just a thought … you could toss all of the ingredients together, lay out on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven until toasty and caramelized. Cauliflower does really well roasted in the oven with good olive oil and seasonings. Oh, I love your blog. Just found it today and plan on trying a bunch of your recipes.
”

- Julie Kellogg

“
Thanks for the great tip Julie, caramelized cauliflower sounds yummy! I’m glad you like the blog and I hope you enjoy the recipes. :)
”

- Deseree

“
Hi Deseree; I’m doing phones tonight, as you know and have been looking at the recipes. They all look so good. I’ve already printed several and can’t wait to start trying them. You are doing a great job! Kathryn
”

- Kathryn Lalario