Indian-inspired Crispy Baked Cauliflower with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

This recipe is an exciting one, because I am collaborating once again with my lovely & talented friend Trisha from Sinfully Green We decided on three ingredients to get creative with: Cauliflower, Bell Pepper, and lemon/lime. 

I absolutely love indian food and my first thought was to create an indian inspired dish. I love incorporating a variety of spices in my dishes so this was the perfect route for me. 

Cumin and coriander seeds are two of my favorite spices.

Lightly dry toasting them on a skillet then grinding them is the best way to use them! It brings out the aromas and flavors 10x more than just using store-bought pre-grounded spices. 

This red pepper sauce is oh so flavorful and pairs perfectly with the crispy baked cauliflower and fragrant rice (flavored with star anise and cardamom pods). 

This dish is…

Vegan

Easy 

Simple 

Delicious!! 

Crispy Baked Cauliflower with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

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By: Taavi Elizabeth     Serves: 3-4 

Ingredients:

Rice

• 1 1/2 cups white or brown basmati rice 
• 4-5 whole star anise 
• 6-7 whole cardamom pods 
• Pinch of salt 

Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

• 2 red peppers 
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice 
• 1 tsp salt 
• Pepper to taste 
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small handful fresh basil 
• 3 cloves garlic 

Crispy Baked Cauliflower

• 1 medium sized head cauliflower 
• 1 cup almond milk 
• 2 tbsp starchy rice water 
• 3/4 cup + 1 tbsp flour 
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 1 tsp ground cumin 
• Pinch of red pepper flakes 
• 1 tsp garlic powder 
• 1 tsp onion powder 
• 1/4 tsp pepper 
• 1/4 tsp salt 
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs 
• Pinch salt 
• Dash of ground cumin, onion powder, and garlic powder

Directions:

Rice 

1. Throughly rinse rice until water is clear. Reserve two tbsp of starchy rice water. 
2. Add in cardamom pods and star anise to rice cooker. Cook rice according to rice cooker instructions. 

Red Pepper Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place peppers on baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25-30 min. or until super soft and skin has charred. 
2. Place red peppers in a bowl and immediately cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 5 min. This will allow it to steam and the skin will become softer. Remove seeds and stem and transfer to a food processor.
3. Lightly toast cumin and coriander seeds on a skillet until fragrant. Grind with a mortal and pestle (or spice grinder). Add them into the food processor. 
4. Add in rest of ingredients. Process until smooth. 
5. Transfer sauce to a small saucepan and cook on low until ready to serve. 

Baked Cauliflower

1. Reduce oven temp. to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with silicon baking mat or parchment paper. Cut cauliflower into large florets. 
2. In a small bowl whisk together milk, water, flour, and spices. In a separate bowl, combine breadcrumbs, salt, and dashes of the spices. One-by-one drench a floret of cauliflower in wet mixture first, then breadcrumb mixture. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake for 30 min. or until golden brown and crispy. 
3. Serve the cauliflower over rice, then pour over red pepper sauce. Garnish with a bunch of fresh cilantro, a few basil leaves, lemon wedge, and dash of red pepper flakes. Enjoy! 

*Make sure to go over to Trisha’s blog and check out her amazing creation!*