A typical Indian dinner in my house growing up consisted of a spicy lentil soup or dal, white rice, wheat-based flat bread or roti, and a sauteed vegetable (sometimes potatoes). It’s totally delicious and comforting but it can also give you a devastating carb crash. Not to mention, it takes a lot of time to cook a whole Indian dinner! I will gladly welcome a glorious carb coma on the rare weekend when I get to visit my parents, but it doesn’t quite work for my busy lifestyle these days.
When I am craving the spicy and tangy flavors of the Indian foods I grew up with but want something lightened up, I make this Golden Cauliflower Salad with Raita Dressing.
This salad is great for a lot of reasons. It is packed with vegetarian proteins like lentils, greek yogurt and pistachios and full of fiber and healthy fats.
This one takes a little bit more waiting than a typical chop and serve salad but it’s totally worth it. The roasted cauliflower makes it more flavorful and satisfying than the typical salad. The raita dressing and pomegranate give it a delicious tang. It’s a great option as a standalone meal or to serve to a crowd.
Here are your very easy steps:
Chop your cauliflower into bite-sized florets and place them on a large sheet pan. Coat them in the olive oil, salt, turmeric, garam masala, and cayenne and toss everything together with a spatula. You won’t want to do this with your hands or you will end up with yellow fingernails (trust me on this one). Roast this at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft with some golden brown spots. Remove from the oven and let it cool down slightly or it will wilt your greens.
While the cauliflower is roasting, make your lentils. You can use any kind that will hold its shape. We used brown lentils, but green would also make an excellent choice. Combine ½ cup of lentils with 1 ½ cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce to a simmer and let it cook for 15-20 minutes or until it is soft but holds it shape. Drain any excess water and let cool.
In the meantime, make your creamy raita dressing. Stir together 1 cup of shredded cucumber (we used small persian cucumbers and left the skin on) with a cup of greek yogurt, juice of half a lemon, salt, ground cumin, and a little olive oil. Swap for a plant-based yogurt to make the whole dish vegan friendly.
Finally, once everything is cooked and cooled slightly, you can assemble your salad. You can do this in one large salad bowl, or four individual salad bowls (or meal-prep containers). I am usually a fan of mixing a salad before serving, but I prefer this one layered because it’s so pretty. In this order, layer greens of your choice, lentils, cauliflower, raita dressing, chopped cilantro, pomegranate seeds, and pistachios and serve immediately.
We kept it simple here. You can add other things that you want to this recipe, some ideas we love include roasted beets, pickled onions, pita chips, chopped mint, chickpeas or really anything your heart desires.
Golden Cauliflower Salad with Raita Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 head cauliflower
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ⅛ tsp cayenne
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup green or brown lentils
- 1 and ½ cups water
- ½ cup chopped cilanto
- 5 oz mixed greens
- ½ cup pomegranite seeds
- ½ cup roasted pistachios
Dressing
- 1 cup greek yogurt
- 1 cup shredded cucumber
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Chop an entire head of cauliflower into bite-sized pieces and place onto a large baking sheet. Drizzle the cauliflower pieces with olive oil, and sprinkle turmeric, cayenne pepper, garam masala and salt over top. Stir with a spatula until evenly coated, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until slightly golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and let cool.
- Meanwhile, add brown or green lentils to a small saucepan with 1 ½ cups of water. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes until soft but not too mushy. Once cooked, drain any excess water.
- Make your raita dressing. Combine greek yogurt, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tsp of salt, ground cumin, shredded cucumber, and juice of a half lemon in a medium bowl.
- Assemble your salad in a large serving dish or four individual salad bowls. Layer in order: greens, lentils, roasted cauliflower, raita dressing, cilantro, pomegranate and pistachios. Alternatively, assemble your salads in four individual to-go containers (keep the raita on the side until ready to eat) for easy weekday meal prep.
