Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin

I have never roasted cauliflower this long - when we roast cauliflower we tend to only roast it for about 30 minutes, which often results in tender, but slightly soggy cauliflower.  I was worried that roasting it this long would result in bitter, overly charred cauliflower.  But it resulted in sweet, crispy, slightly nutty cauliflower.  And when the roast cauliflower itself is that tasty, you don't need a lot of seasonings and flavors.  For this entire head of cauliflower there was less than 2 tsp of spices - the majority of which was cumin.  And yet, the cauliflower ended up tasting buttery and spicy (although the spicy flavor was not unexpected given the red pepper flakes) and not smoky.  I thought it would need some acid, perhaps a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, but it didn't.  The fresh mint and cilantro provided the perfect fresh counterpoint, while the toasted pine nuts provided some nice crunch.  From now on, I am totally going to roast my cauliflower for an hour (provided that it doesn't contain any garlic or anything else that could burn and turn bitter) so it gets that whole sweet, nutty and crispy texture and flavor.

Recipe after the jump!

Roasted Cauliflower with Turmeric and Cumin

Adapted from Food & Wine

INGREDIENTS:

4 tbsp grapeseed oil 

scant 1 tsp ground cumin 

1/2 tsp turmeric 

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
kosher salt
1 medium head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
1 tbsp pine nuts, toasted

2 tsp chopped cilantro 

1 tsp chopped mint

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.  In a large bowl, combine the oil, cumin, turmeric, crushed red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Toss cauliflower well in spiced oil to coat.  Season with salt.

Spread the cauliflower in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour, until browned and tender; stir the cauliflower halfway through cooking.

Transfer the cauliflower to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, cilantro and mint and serve.