This curry spiced whole roasted cauliflower is roasted to tender perfection and served whole for a beautiful presentation. Simple to prepare with a spice rub, it's topped with pomegranates and a turmeric tahini sauce. Great for weeknights or as a vegan Thanksgiving or Christmas option.
Cauliflower is one of the most versatile vegetables, happens to take on flavors really well. It seems to be able to turn into almost anything we'd like: pizza crust, muffins, rice, mashed potatoes, and this delicious whole roasted cauliflower!
The cauliflower roasts to tender perfection, with those golden caramelized bits that you love so much from roasted cauliflower florets, but serving it whole makes for a show-stopping presentation. We've added a simple curried spice blend, and served it with pomegranates as well as a turmeric tahini sauce.
You could enjoy this as a vegan Christmas recipe, but it's also easy enough for an everyday meal. Best of all, it requires very little prep work: just brush the seasoning blend on, and toss it in the oven!
Reasons You'll Love This Recipe
- it's tender on the inside and caramelized on the outside, with lots of flavor from the spices and tahini sauce
- the presentation is show-stopping, yet it's so easy to prepare
- it's vegan, gluten-free, and low carb
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see how to make whole roasted cauliflower! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Ingredient Notes
- Spice blend - we used the Indian spice blend but you could swap for one of these 7 spice blend recipes if you prefer.
- Cauliflower - look for one that is medium - large in size; since size can vary quite a bit in cauliflowers, use the cook time as an estimate and adjust as needed.
- Tahini- made from pureed sesame seeds, you should be able to find it with the nut butters, or in the heath foods aisle of your grocery store. While we haven't tried it, we suspect that cashew or almond butter would both work as alternatives.
- Pomegranate- an optional garnish, the pops of sweetness pair well with the savory roasted cauliflower and curried spice blend. See how to open a pomegranate!
Step by Step directions
Season
Stir together the seasoning blend including the curry powder, cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, salt, and olive oil.
Prepare Cauliflower
Heat oven to 450°. Prepare the cauliflower by removing all leaves and gently cutting the stem out. Make sure you don't cut too deep so the head of cauliflower remains intact.
Brush the seasoning all over the cauliflower.
Roast
Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet. Roast cauliflower in the oven, basting it with any seasoning/oil that runs off in the first 10 minutes. Bake for a total time of 45 minutes- 1 hour, or until a knife inserts easily into the cauliflower.
Tips - roasting time will depend on the size of your cauliflower. We recommend using a silicone brush for basting the cauliflower!
Prepare Sauce
While cauliflower is baking, stir or shake together the turmeric tahini sauce, including the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, cumin, ground coriander, garlic powder, turmeric, and salt.
Garnish + serve
Serve the roasted cauliflower with pomegranate seeds, parsley, and a drizzle of turmeric tahini sauce.
FAQ
Insert a sharp paring knife into the center. When it goes in without resistance, your cauliflower is done! If you have to push to get it in, your cauliflower needs more time in the oven.
Absolutely! You could go Mexican with taco seasoning, you could go Greek with this Greek seasoning blend (and a squeeze of lemon), or keep it simple with some onion garlic powder and parmesan cheese.
No, it's not. We use a mild or medium spiced curry powder, but if you'd like to take it up a notch, opt for a spicy curry powder to include in this blend.
Sure! You could swap the tahini sauce for chimichurri sauce for a low carb option.
Serve It With
This whole roasted cauliflower would work well as a main course vegan Christmas recipe, but it's easy enough for an everyday meal!
Here are some vegan-friendly recipes I would serve with this whole roasted cauliflower recipe:
- this shaved brussels sprouts salad with pomegranates
- this butternut squash soup recipe
- Instant Pot wild rice pilaf or cranberry almond rice pilaf
- this roasted butternut squash
- our staple kale salad or this autumn apple farro salad (just leave out the cheese for vegan)
Storage
- Fridge - let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store tahini sauce separately in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge. Let tahini sauce come to room temperature before serving.
- Reheat - reheat until steaming hot in the microwave. Enjoy with tahini sauce.
- Freezer - we have not tested whether this recipe freeze/thaws well. If you try, leave us a comment below to let us know how it went for you!
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Whole Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower medium - large; see note 1
Seasoning
- 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- ¾ teaspoon garam masala
- ¾ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup olive oil
Turmeric Tahini Sauce
- ¼ cup tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons water or more to thin out
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Other toppings
- ¼ cup pomegranate seeds
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Season - Stir together the seasoning blend including the curry powder, cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, salt, and olive oil.
- Prepare Cauliflower - Heat oven to 450°. Prepare the cauliflower by removing all leaves and gently cutting the stem out. Make sure you don't cut too deep so the head of cauliflower remains intact.Pace the cauliflower on a sturdy baking sheet (note 2), and brush the seasoning all over the cauliflower.
- Roast - Place the cauliflower on a baking sheet. Roast cauliflower in the oven, basting it with any seasoning/oil that runs off in the first 10 minutes. Bake for a total time of 45 minutes- 1 hour, or until a knife inserts easily into the cauliflower.
- Mix Sauce - While cauliflower is baking, shake together the turmeric tahini sauce, including the tahini, lemon juice, maple syrup, cumin, ground coriander, garlic powder, turmeric, and salt.
- Serve - Serve the roasted cauliflower with pomegranate seeds, parsley, and a drizzle of turmeric tahini sauce.
Tips:
- since cauliflower sizes can vary greatly, use the cook time as an estimate and adjust as needed
- line the baking sheet with foil or parchment for easy clean up
- Fridge - let cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store tahini sauce separately in an airtight container for up to 1 week in the fridge; let the sauce come to room temp before serving.
- Reheat - reheat until steaming hot in the microwave. Enjoy with tahini sauce.
- Freezer - we have not tested whether this recipe can be frozen or not.
Video
Nutrition Information
© Sweet Peas & Saffron - Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Leave a Comment