Copycat Whole Foods Curried Cauliflower
Roasted curried cauliflower inspired by the version served at Whole Foods. This vegetable dish is perfect to accompany any meal or thrown through a salad- A spicy, salty and sweet combination helps caramelise the cauliflower. Suits a gluten free, paleo or vegan lifestyle.
I hope the security cameras at Whole Foods don’t monitor them too carefully.
I’ve been to America several times and first went to Whole Foods in 2011 with my cousin. I still remember that day as if it were yesterday (mainly because it was my first time in America- Not because of Whole Foods). I was jet lagged, sweating (it was Winter in Australia and the peak of Summer in San Diego). My cousin took me to Whole Foods and I thought it was a buffet restaurant. A healthy buffet restaurant.
My cousin gave me one of those glorious brown box and told me to load up. I did as she said and after a ridiculous amount later, I was fed, happy and in awe of such a concept.
Fast forward three years later, and I still have a soft spot for Whole Foods. Maybe it has to do with the blog world constantly singing it’s praises or perhaps its because we don’t have anything remotely like this in Australia- Either way, I know a pitstop to Whole Foods is mandatory whenever I’m in the Northern Hemisphere (Except maybe not the one in Toronto, Canada. The offerings at the hot bar weren’t too epic).
When I was in New York, I went to Whole Foods for lunch as soon as I arrived because it was conveniently located next to my hotel and my stomach was screaming for food. I went to the hot bar and loaded up with a variety of goodies, including a roasted curried cauliflower.
Let’s talk cauliflower for a minute. Outside of the potato, cauliflower is by far my all time favourite vegetable. I eat it whenever it is in season and if my stomach would be kinder, I’d eat it by the kilo/pound/your measurement of choice. My all time favourite way to eat it is simply roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper. Well, it was until that Whole Foods visit. I don’t know if it was because I was extra hungry, the spice combination was delicious or because it was glistening in olive oil- I was besotted at first bite. (Gross. I can’t believe I described cauliflower like that).
The next day I was dining solo before my early morning flight the next day and I spent close to 5 minutes carefully examining the cauliflower and inconspicuously memorising the ingredients listed on those white cards. Before you question why I didn’t take a photograph with my phone, it had died. (That’s what happens when you mooch wifi from random New York locations.).
When I arrived back on home soil, that very night I tried my hand at recreating the cauliflower and continued to eat this new variation. Friends, stalking the cauliflower at Whole Foods was so worth it. This roasted curried cauliflower tastes exactly like the one served at the Whole Foods hot bar! The best thing? You probably have ALL the ingredients in your pantry. The combination of curry spices with a touch of sweetness helps caramelise the cauliflower to roasted, charred perfection. This rounds off the first of my Copycat Friday recipe series!
PS. That was very expensive cauliflower that final night in New York. So worth it.
Copycat Whole Foods Curried Cauliflower
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Coat a large baking dish/pan with oil and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cauliflower and toss through all the spices. Add the olive oil and using your hands, mix well to ensure all florets are coated with the spices and the oil.
- Add the cauliflower on an even layer on the baking tray and cook for 15 minutes, or until it gets golden, flip and cook for another 15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and slightly charred.
- Remove from oven and serve immediately.
Notes
What is your favourite roasted vegetable?
Are you a fan of cauliflower?
If you’ve been to the Whole Foods hot bar, what’s your favourite dish from there?
Big fan of roasted cauliflower, especially with curry powder. Cauliflower is one of those foods which are hard to photograph pretty but you nailed it! Have you tried the mac & cheese at Whole Foods- to.die.for!
Thanks, Khushboo! I ate that with Christina and we were dying over the perfect amount of butter.
I totally love their roasted cauliflower! Definitely my fave from there- well that and the Brussels sprouts, butternut squash and sweet potatoes….Sometimes though they make a different version of their usual and I don’t like it. Not sure what the flavors are in order to say what it is I don’t like.
In LA I tried a different kind which I actually really liked too…need to copycat that recipe too!
This looks like a better way to eat cauliflower! My stomach only sometimes likes it (argghhhhhh) but I do enjoy it from time to time. Whole Foods hot bar=magical…can’t wait for another recreation!
Thanks Druga! Oh that’s like me and broccoli. ONLY small doses.
Second favourite veggie?! Reeeeaally?! I’m not the biggest fan — or at least my stomach isn’t — so you can keep all the cauliflower. I’ll steal the potatoes 😛
same. yet i love the curry ones at whole foods. It’s so tempting! I want to eat it all, but my husband won’t like later if i do. haha. 😉
Hahaha. Sometimes it’s worth it.
NOOOOO. You may have ONE french fry. ONE.
I have never seen curried cauliflower at Whole Foods……haha!
Maybe you’re not looking hard enough 🙂
Perhaps this coming year will be the year I try to reconnect with cauliflower. Or I guess more appropriately, connect. Never was a huge fan of it, but mostly that was when I ate it raw. Definitely open to this recipe, and I’ve always wanted to try cauliflower subbed mashed potatoes. We should start a campaign to measure potatoes and cauli’s in poods. That’s way more fun.
Mate, that is so weird to us Australians- I think the whole country was taught to eat broccoli and cauliflower cooked- never raw!
I eat cauliflower nearly every day! I love it, and this recipe looks amazing. I have to say that my favorite roasted vegetable at the moment is brussel sprouts.
YES! You and me both! I love brussels too but it’s so expensive here right now!
I love to roast vegetables – it’s so easy and flavorful! I will have to try this curry roasted recipe!
Thanks, Kelly! Definitely try it out with the curry flavours- It’s so good!
Cauliflower is one of those veggies that I ONLY like when roasted! I have roasted it with curry powder before, it is SO good! My favourite combination I’d say.
You know my veggie addicition…everything roasted is amazing 🙂 right now I’m impatiently waiting for my brussel’s sprouts to be done!! HUNGRY!
I HATE waiting for the oven to cook veggies….it’s torture!
That’s true…but it’s worth the waiting.
Ok, you’ve convinced me. I need to eat more cauliflower. I don’t have anything against it, but it just never jumps out at me. But after seeing this curried version, I totally need to try this recipe…and soon! They just opened a Whole Foods in our area, too…so stoked about that! I also like that you used the word besotted. You deserve a cookie for that…or maybe just more cauliflower. 🙂
Haha, hasn’t Mike’s blog converted you to appreciate this cruciferous goodness! Ugh, I need to move there. I am besotted by America. America, you besot me.
Cauliflower with Indian spices is one of the only ways I love that broccoli wannabe. So thank you for this!! Although, you’re right— besotted by cauliflower? Who are you?
I don’t go to Whole Foods often, but now I want to go just to see what my favorite hot bar item is. Watch it be the mac and cheese or something.
Broccoli wannabe? Dude, this TRUMPS broccoli!
Oh man, I LOVE their mac and cheese- Christina and I loved it in Toronto!
Looks good! I like a lot of different roasted veggie combos but cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are faves of mine.
Those two are my favourites too! YUM!
There’s a recipe in Thug Kitchen for beer-braised cauli tacos. YOU SHOULD TRY IT.
Have you picked up that cookbook yet? It’s a good one. I wish you & I were married. You’d make such a great wife.
Naww, thanks. You’d make a really good punching bag 🙂
This sounds SO good!! I am pinning, thanks!!
Thanks so much! 🙂
CUMIN!!
I’d never have thought. I can’t wait to try.
I would LOVE a copycat of their Buffalo Garlic Tofu – it’s my fave and I can’t duplicate it for the life of me.
OMG THEIR TOFU. They have to add crack in it because I can’t recreate it either.