This curry cauliflower with minted cucumber yogurt sauce is not your average veggie side dish. This recipe is bursting with aromatic flavors, spices and texture. The creamy, minted cucumber yogurt sauce is shockingly vegan. This easy but delectable vegetable dish is allergy friendly and comes together in about 30 minutes.
Why you will love this vegan recipe
There is so much to love about this curry cauliflower with minted cucumber yogurt sauce! Any recipe that gets you to eat your vegetables happily is a win in my book. First, this recipe is really easy to make. The cauliflower is cooked on a sheet pan for the ultimate in hands off cooking. It is spiced to perfection with curry powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder which gives boring old cauliflower a huge flavor boost. Coupled with a creamy minted vegan yogurt sauce, this cauliflower is delectable.
What is cucumber yogurt sauce?
Cucumber yogurt sauce is eaten with many genres of food from the Middle East to the Mediterranean to India and beyond. Many cultures have their own version of cucumber yogurt sauce. Some call it tatziki, some call it raita and others simply call it cucumber yogurt sauce or dip. Most people squeeze their cucumbers, but I don't. My cucumber yogurt sauce never sticks around too long so the extra water doesn't make a difference. It's too good for leftovers!
Ingredients for this easy vegan recipe
- Cauliflower- Cauliflower is the King of this recipe. This recipe will be great with cabbage cut in quarters or with a head of broccoli cut in florets.
- Extra virgin olive oil- Olive Oil is the nectar of the gods. But if you want to be oil-free, your best bet is to add the spices to a bowl and mix with 1 teaspoon of miso paste, watered down a bit into a paste. Then tossing it and baking it.
- Curry powder- To keep this recipe simple we use a curry powder spice mix. If you want to make your own curry powder with turmeric, garam masala, ginger, garlic and cumin, be my guest!
- Smoked paprika- Smoked paprika ads a nice smoky sweetness that gives the cauliflower a fire roasted feel.
- Garlic powder-Garlic powder is the easy way to get a garlicky flavor into a recipe. If you prefer a more pungent garlic vibe, chop some fresh garlic and toss it in with the spices before baking the cauliflower.
- Salt
- Fresh mint- I really love mint in this dish, it gives a nice fresh zing. Sub cilantro or parsley. For a super easy twist just add 1 teaspoon dried Italian Seasoning or oregano!
- Onion- To garnish the dish I use finely chopped red onion. This is totally optional. You can sub green onion for a milder flavor.
- Plain vegan Yogurt- My favorite is cashew or almond based vegan yogurt. Forager Project or Kite Hill make the best ones. But recently I also tried Cocojune and it was excellent. Use any type but just make sure that the yogurt is PLAIN.
- Pure maple syrup- Pure maple syrup is my sweetener of choice. It helps to balance the tanginess of the yogurt and tart lemon.
- Lemon-Lemon juice adds a bit of acid that helps the flavor pop.
- English cucumber-English cucumber or Persian cucumber are my favorite. They are not super seedy and don't make it watery.
How to make this Curry Cauliflower with minted yogurt sauce recipe
This recipe is extremely beginner friendly. Just a few easy steps will yield a delicious vegetable side dish that everyone will rave about.
- Prepare the Cauliflower- First cut the cauliflower in florets (or buy it pre-cut and bagged). Then toss it with the oil and spices and throw it into the oven to bake.
- Make the sauce- Making the cucumber yogurt sauce is wicked easy. Just chop the cucumbers and combine them with the other ingredients in a bowl!
- Plate and serve- To serve, simply make a bed of cucumber sauce on the plate and top with the roasted cauliflower.
Other delicious veggie side dishes
Curry Cauliflower with Minted Cucumber Yogurt Sauce
Ingredients
For cauliflower
- 1 head cauliflower in florets
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp fresh mint chopped for garnish
- 1 tbsp chopped onion for garnish
For Sauce
- 1 cup plain vegan Yogurt
- 1 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1 English cucumber chopped very small
- 2 tbsp fresh mint chopped
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450
- To a sheet pan add cauliflower, salt, curry powder, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Toss and bake for 30 minutes.
- Make sauce by combining yogurt, maple syrup, lemon, cucumber, mint and salt. Mix well.
- On a large plate, spread the sauce out evenly. Top with roasted cauliflower, chopped onion and mint.
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