Curry-Scented Cauliflower

Host, chef Emeril Lagasse shows you how he uses his favorite spices to make some great flavorful Indian dishes.  You will tag along as he shops at his favorite spice shop, Kalustyans, for ingredients to make flavor-bursting curry-scented cauliflower, sweet shrimp with coconut milk, chilies and tomatoes and delicate tandoori style chicken drumsticks with a refreshing yogurt dipping sauce.  Chef Emeril also gives us a lesson on spices – garam masala, curry, tandoori.  This is the show that will pique your taste buds and tame the spice beast in you!

Total: 30 min | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 20 min | Level: Easy

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 small heads cauliflower (3 to 3 1/2 pounds total), cored and cut into medium florets
  • 6 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter, melted* (See Cook’s Note)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala** (See Cook’s Note)

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Place the cauliflower in a large mixing bowl.
  3. In a smaller mixing bowl, combine the ghee, salt, curry powder, cayenne pepper, and garam masala. Stir to blend well, and then pour the spice mixture over the cauliflower. Toss until the cauliflower is thoroughly coated with the ghee and spices.
  4. Transfer the cauliflower to a large baking sheet, and roast until the cauliflower florets are caramelized around the edges and crisp-tender, 18 to 20 minutes, stirring it once midway through cooking. Serve hot.

Cook’s Note

  • *Ghee is butter that has been slowly melted until the solids and liquid separate. The solids fall to the bottom and the butter is cooked until the milk solids are browned and the moisture evaporates, resulting in a nutty, caramel-like flavor. This last step is what defines ghee from regular clarified butter. Ghee is used primarily in Indian cooking, but is wonderful for any high-heat cooking preparation since it has a higher smoke point than butter. You can find it in many Middle Eastern markets or you can easily make your own at home.
  • **Garam masala is a blend of ground Indian spices that comes in many variations, but can include black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, cardamom, dried chiles, fennel, mace, nutmeg, and other spices. Garam means “warm” or “hot” in Indian. Today it is easy to find commercially bottled garam masala in the spice aisle of most grocery stores.

Recipe copyright Emeril Lagasse, courtesy MSLO, Inc.