I’m continuing to explore the frugal food options when buying veggies and cauliflower has remained relatively cheap at the markets throughout the floods and climate catastrophes. This recipe comes from Madhur Jaffrey’s fabulous book on Indian home cooking – Vegetarian India, which was published about seven years ago and is now quite hard to come by. This is an excellent vegetable dish for a dinner party spread particularly when your juggling different pans on your stove top space. It’s really simple and delicious and who doesn’t love roasted cauliflower.

Roasted Cauliflower with Punjabi spices

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s Vegetarian India

• 1 small cauliflower or half a large head broken into florets about 4cm wide and about 6cm long (about 700g of florets)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon tumeric
• 1 teaspoon peeled and finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• *1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped coriander
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 6-8 fresh curry leaf leaves (Optional)

1. Combine lemon juice, tumeric and ginger in a small bowl. Place cauliflower in large bowl and pour lemon juice over it. Sprinkle salt, cayenne pepper, ground spices and fresh coriander and mix well through cauliflower. Allow cauliflower to marinate for 2 hours, tossing every now and again.
2. Heat oven to 220C (200C fan forced) Heat olive oil in small frying pan over medium high heat. If using curry leaves throw them let sizzle for a couple of second then add whole cumin seeds and let sizzle for another few seconds.
3. Pour spiced oil over cauliflower and toss well to distribute the oil and spices evenly.
4. Spread cauliflower in a single layer on a medium size roasting tray. Roast fore 15 minutes the turn cauliflower and roast for another 10-15 minutes until cauliflower is tender and lightly browned.

*It is best to use freshly roasted spices in this dish. Place cumin seeds in small pan over medium heat until seeds are toasty and fragrant. Grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.