Sheet pan roasted veggies are my favorite! They are so easy to make and you can make whatever you like of it with a multitude of flavor possibilities. They are also incredibly versatile; you can top them on a salad, toss them into your breakfast the next day, or make a whole meal with roti/bread, yogurt and a salad.
This is my recipe for a spice crusted roasted cauliflower. Takes 5 minutes to prep, 22 minutes to bake, and tastes incredibly nuanced like it took 2 hours to make.
And did I mention how addictive these are; sometimes, the whole sheet pan makes it to our table and we dig in and polish it off as a pop-able snack 🙂 They’ll melt in your mouth after the initial spiced crispy crunch and make you feel all kinds of happy. Do give it a try!
Ingredients:
Serves 4
2 heads of cauliflower, broken into florets (Make sure the florets are not too small. They should be in larger chunks to get the crispy outside and creamy inside)
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tsp coarse kosher salt (use and adjust according the type of salt you use)
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder (you could use paprika if you’d like this without any spiciness)
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp amchur (dried raw mango powder)
Amchur brings the much needed touch of sourness, so if you don’t have this available, you could add a squeeze of lemon right before you serve these. But please do try and find Amchur, it is a well worthy spice to keep in the pantry:)
Some cilantro for garnish.
Method:
In a mixing bowl add all the spices (except salt), the cauliflower florets and measured oil. Do not add salt yet. Adding the salt in the beginning makes the veggie sweat and release more water hindering it from become crispy.
Toss this spice/cauliflower together well. I typically use my hands to make sure the spices and oil are spread evenly and make it to all the little nooks and crannies in the cauliflower. Set this aside until the oven preheats.
Preheat the oven to 425F degrees. Once preheated, spread the cauliflower evenly on a sheet pan. You want to make sure it is one layer with each floret touching the sheet pan. If you feel they are piled up, I would recommend spreading your mixture across two sheet pans. For the crispy crunch, they need some room in the pan!
Set a timer to 20 minutes, and let the oven do it’s thing. After 20 minutes, carefully remove the sheet pan out, sprinkle measured salt over the veggie, and toss very gently.
Put it back in the oven for 2 more minutes, then remove sprinkle cilantro, and serve hot.
