• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • about Dom in the Kitchen
  • contact me
  • pr & demo’s

Dom in the Kitchen Homepage

Recipes from my Lincolnshire kitchen

  • Home
  • Chicken Thighs
  • Bread
  • Cakes
  • Eggs
  • Vegetarian
  • Everything else

curried roast cauliflower cheese

19 May 2017 by Dominic Franks

roast curry cauliflower

… so i’m still having issues with my knee but like all proper men i’m ignoring the pain and expecting it to just go away.  Well, maybe i’m not quite as bad as your average man but I am thinking that I just have to deal with it on a daily basis and carry on with my life.  My physiotherapist tells me it’s probably a torn ligament or muscle but there’s no swelling so I need to strap it and rest it when I can.  Of course i’m currently obsessed with my boxing and HIIT classes so the thought of not doing these depresses me slightly.  Why can’t we just not get any older and our bodies remain at the same fitness level as when we were kids, I simply don’t understand.  To be fair, I wasn’t a very fit kid anyway.  I guess back in the 70’s and 80’s we just ate the food that was put in front of us and as regular readers will know my mum is a very good cook so we always ate well and lots of it.  I didn’t care for football or sports at school, preferring to hang out with the stoners in the park or by the river with the nerds and talk about existential shit.  I really didn’t start to take an interest in my health until much later on in life.  Don’t get me wrong, I always wanted to be slim and muscular, us gay men are as much victims of societies beauty  pressures as women always have been and it seems everyone is now but I just never had the conviction to do anything about it.  Plus, back then the whole fitness revolution hadn’t quite kicked in.  We had Jane Fonda, the Green Goddess and Mr Motivator, hardly the paradigm of virtuosity… now fitness has become an industry and a respectable vocation for many people… and i’m just catching up, at the point when my body wants to eat cheeseburgers and sleep… a lot.  of course writing a food blog doesn’t help, especially when cake posts are more popular than savoury recipes.

roast curry cauliflower

roast curry cauliflower

curried roast cauliflower cheese

I guess this twist on a classic won’t get the popularity it deserves… and it really does deserve your attention.  The cauliflower has had something of a boost in likability in recent years.  It’s an incredibly versatile vegetable as it’s unique subtle flavour means it works well with lots of  styles of cooking and it’s adaptable texture means it can be used as an alternative to rice, mashed potato and even steak!  But you know me, I like a classic and I adore cauliflower cheese… as I mention above, my mum is an exceptional cook and her cauliflower cheese was legendary and regularly made an appearance on a Friday night, with a simple cheese and creamy sauce served with golden breadcrumbs on top.  This twist adds in some tantalising caramelised onions and a fiery curry cheesy sauce that may sound a little peculiar but works exceptionally well.  The whole dish could work as a stand alone meal or as a side dish or part of an extended meal of tapas style dishes…

  • 1 medium cauliflower – trimmed but with some green leaves left on the bottom third
  • 2 medium white onions – peeled and thinly sliced
  • olive oil and butter
  • 2 cloves garlic – finely crushed
  • 1 tablespoon medium curry powder or
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seeds.
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds.
  • 1/4 teaspoons dry mustard.
  • 1/4 teaspoons ground fenugreek seeds.
  • 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper.
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground chilli

for the cheese sauce

  • 20g butter
  • 3 tablespoons plain flour
  • half pint of veg stock
  • half pint of milk
  • a large handful of strong cheddar – finely grated

I made this dish all in one small casserole dish with a lid (apart from the steamed cauliflower) that could go from hob to oven, which I preheated to 160C

start with your cauliflower… you want to pre-cook it but not until it’s too soft as it will cook again in the oven.  I steamed mine for 8 minutes – set aside

next, caramelise your onions by heating a little butter and olive oil in a pan, add the onions along with the garlic and let them soften for roughly 8 mins, then turn up the heat and add 2/3rds of the curry spices and let them bake off for a minute or two, then turn down the heat and let the whole lot caramelise for another 10 minutes until soft and gloriously golden – you may need to add a drop or two of water to stop the spices burning

once the onions are golden, set the pan aside and place your cauliflower on top of the bed of onions

next make the cheese sauce which is a classic white sauce with added cheese…

melt the butter in a pan and once melted take off the heat and stir in the flour until you have a thick paste, place the pan back onto a gentle heat and slowly add the stock and milk, a ladle-full at a time, stirring all the time until you have a thick silky sauce… add the remaining curry spices and gently simmer this for 4 minutes then add the cheese and stir in until it’s all melted.

pour the curried cheesy sauce over the cauliflower… you don’t want it drenched in sauce, just lightly coated – save the rest for some other vegetables or a pie… then place in the oven and roast for 10 mins until golden and bubbly

roast curry cauliflower

eat and of course, enjoy!

Share this post:

Share on Twitter Share on Facebook Share on Pinterest Share on LinkedIn Share on E-mail

Filed Under: Vegetarian Tagged With: cauliflower, cauliflower cheese, curry, vegetabes, vegetarian

Previous Post: « sticky toffee pudding loaf cake
Next Post: coconut and carrot cake »

Reader Interactions

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Comments

  1. Denise Tyrrell says

    20 May 2017 at 1:02 pm

    Curried cauliflower is one of my favourites at the Indian restaurant. Hope you are back to your boxing soon. I love it but it seems the more exercise I do the more injured I am and then I have to go easy for a while 😩🥊

    • Dominic Franks says

      21 May 2017 at 1:55 pm

      Thanks Denise… i’m being a brave soldier!

  2. kellie@foodtoglow says

    21 May 2017 at 3:20 pm

    I make cauliflower rarebit in a slightly similar fashion and it is fantastic. I can see very clearly that adding curry flavours would be a real palate and people-pleaser 🙂 And major empathy with the ligament pain. I had tears to ligament and cartilage, with swelling and hot red knee – which was excruciating and alarming. Iced it as often as I could then graded physio and finally a steroid injection. I have had surgery before and never want it again so I begged the consultant to go conservatively and avoid surgery if poss. It worked. I have to go to the gym and maintain it all but I see it as a win-win. I have hypermobile joints and have to keep them strong or everything falls apart. As I am over 50 it is more important than ever. You are a young strippling so rehabbing it should be quicker. Good luck! 🙂

    • Dominic Franks says

      27 May 2017 at 10:26 am

      wow… that all sounds very painful but also very good advice Kellie, thank you. It’s actually been good this week but I know that if I don’t get it sorted i’ll be a fool x

  3. Choclette says

    24 May 2017 at 1:39 pm

    Sorry to hear your knee is still playing up. I was only moaning to CT yesterday about why couldn’t we be as fit and pain free as we were as teenagers – sigh!

    I love cauliflower cheese and am more likely to make this with a cauli than anything else. Those spices sound like grand additions – yum yum!

    • Dominic Franks says

      27 May 2017 at 10:25 am

      Thanks C… I know, I wish we could just all stay young x

  4. Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says

    25 May 2017 at 4:31 am

    I’m fascinated by this recipe Dom. I will have to give it a try as we love cauliflower. Have a wonderful weekend!

    • Dominic Franks says

      27 May 2017 at 10:25 am

      Thanks Tricia, it’s lovely and mild and a twist on the classic x

  5. Karen Burns-Booth says

    28 May 2017 at 3:34 pm

    I LOVE whole cooked cauliflowers and that looks JUST stunning Dom!

Primary Sidebar

About Dom In The Kitchen

My name is Dominic, I am a cook, food writer and creative event producer. I write the food blog Dom In The Kitchen and also write a monthly recipe column for Lincolnshire Life Magazine and Good Taste Magazine. I also run creative event production company The Persuaders, producing global events for brands since 1997. I am based both in the small village of Belleau in Lincolnshire and the smaller village of London! Read More…

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Subscribe

Archives

Foodies100 Index of UK Food Blogs
Foodies100
Tweets by @DomInTheKitchen

as featured in Lincolnshire Life Magazine

Lincolnshire Life

creatively managed by

The Persuagers
Belleau Cottage

Footer

dominthekitchen

plum-in-the-middle, ground almond cake -a mumspira plum-in-the-middle, ground almond cake -a mumspiration 

This is one of those cakes that comes together so easily and tastes utterly divine. A little like a cross between a pudding and a cake, which is always my favourite kind!

#cake #cakesofinstagram #pudding #baking #groundalmonds #mum #plums #plum #food #foodie #foodstagram #mumspiration
Roast Turkey Dinner So we couldn’t have it for Roast Turkey Dinner

So we couldn’t have it for Christmas and we couldn’t have it for Easter but now that mum’s finally here we’re going for that other traditional meal, Friday Night Dinner!

Just a classic roast stuffed turkey crown with pheasant breast and classic pork, sage and onion stuffing, served with all the timings of course, and some Christmas decorations thrown in to add to the festivities and religious confusion!

#RoastTurkey #FridayNightDinner #ChristmasLunch #Easter #ChristmasInApril #Dinner #Roast #Food #Foodie #FoodBlogger
Veggie Spring Stew with cheddar herby dumplings T Veggie Spring Stew with cheddar herby dumplings

The weather here in the UK has been so bizarre.  One minute it was really warm and sunny and the next minute the temperature dropped and it even snowed yesterday.  Today we woke up to a hard frost and then the sun came out. So it's time for something warming and hearty and this Spring stew with cheddar dumplings is exactly what we need. I realise that there's probably no such thing as a Spring stew but I've used a few fresher veg rather than all root veg to make it lighter.  Spring onions, green beans and courgettes feature in here as well as some stunning new Mallorcan potatoes which are just divine.

#recipe on the blog today - link in bio

#tutorial on my #stories

#Stew #VeggieStew #Vegetarian #dumplings #SuetDumplings #Spring #SeasonalEating #SeasonalFood #Food #foodblogger
Jerusalem Bagels These are no ordinary bagels, t Jerusalem Bagels 

These are no ordinary bagels, these beasts are bagels on steroids! I only really started making regular bagels a year ago and I do love them, although I still only rarely make them as they can be quite fiddly. They remind me of growing up and eating them on a Sunday morning with smoked salmon and cream cheese, or egg and onion. 

Jerusalem bagels are really only a bagel in the broadest sense of the word. As in, they have a hole in the middle and they're a traditional Jewish bake but really, it's quite a simple bread dough and it doesn't get the 'boil before bake' that the traditional bagel gets so they don't have that chewy texture. However, they are a delightful bread and they do make for a great 'egg in the hole' brunch dish, which I think would be perfect for eating al fresco with friends now that the weather is warmer, and we can enjoy life outside.

The original recipe for these Jerusalem Bagels comes from the amazing new book, The Pocket Baking Book by Trevennon Dakota @hamletsbakery 

#recipe on the blog today - link in bio

#bagels #baking #bread #JerusalemBagels #breakfast #brunch #FriedEgg #EggyBread #eggs #food #foodblogger #jewishfood #jewish
Wild Garlic & Watercress Soup This wild garlic a Wild Garlic & Watercress Soup 

This wild garlic and watercress soup is such an easy classic to make and so tasty. You need to have wild garlic to hand which is fortunate because now is wild garlic season, so time to get down to the local market or if you’re lucky, go and find some out in the wild.  We’re lucky enough to have a little hidden valley near to the cottage that has plenty of the stuff seemingly growing everywhere.  The smell is quite intoxicating it would be hard to mistake it for anything else.  Don’t forget to ask permission from the landowner before you go rooting around! Only take what you need.

#recipe on the blog now - click on the link in my instagram bio or visit DomInTheKitchen.com

#soup #VegetableSoup #Healthy #HealthyEats #Vegetarian #WildGarlic #WildGarlicSeason #Watercress #Food #FoodBlogger #lovewatercress
Asparagus, Spinach and Sausage Quiche The weather Asparagus, Spinach and Sausage Quiche

The weather has literally gone from summer to winter in less than 8 hours.  I almost feel we should have eaten this quiche in yesterday’s sunshine in the garden and saved our Easter roasts for the cold of today but this is the UK so it’s what we expect and to be honest a quiche works every day! I’m using the amazing fresh hens eggs that my neighbour brought over the other day and Greek yoghurt to make the savoury custard.  The pastry is a cheesy rye and herb shortcrust, which its divine.

#recipe on the blog - link in bio, by which I mean, click on the link in my bio page on instagram and then some pictures will pop up.  Click on the picture you want the recipe for and it will take you to my blog page with that recipe!

#Quiche #Vegetarian #Apsaragus #SpinachQuiche #Pastry #ShortcrustPastry #Food #foodblogger #quiches #eggs #freerange #freerangeeggs
Load More… Follow on Instagram

&copy 2010 - 2021 | All rights reserved | Website by Peckish Digital