Whenever I make mixed roasted vegetables I ask myself why I don’t do it more often. It’s such a simple, healthy and colorful dish that is also super easy to play up or down. All you need is some quick chopping, olive oil, salt, extra flavourings and an oven. This time I wanted an Arabic feel, so I jazzed up my veggies with typical regional spices and served them alongside fresh yoghurt with garlic and parsley.
The Flavour Affair:
Mixed Vegetables + Cumin + Coriander + Turmeric + Yoghurt + Garlic + Parsley
I really like this combination because of the unexpected contrasts. Roasted vegetables are normally more of a winter-y dish, and the pungent, earthy spices accentuate its overall warm and grounding quality. But down here, we live in the eternal summer 😀 and the fresh, cooling bowl of aromatic yoghurt creates just the right balance.
Vegetables: for the best experience, go for a variety of colors and textures. Mix root and cruciferous vegetables with nightshades, for instance:
- Root – carrots, onions (and/or turnips, beets, parsnips)
- Cruciferous – broccoli, cauliflower (and/or kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts)
- Nightshades – bell peppers, tomatoes (and/or eggplant, potatoes)
Spices: cumin, turmeric, and coriander are popular spices in the Middle Eastern cuisine. Pungent aromatic cumin and subtly sweet, floral coriander often form the backbone of savory blends. Turmeric has a very unique taste that is distinctively earthy, warming and somewhat bitter.
Yoghurt is commonly used as a side dish in the region. Apart from its cooling and refreshing quality, it is rich in nutrients such as calcium and protein. It also contains probiotics that aid digestion and promote gut health. Fresh plain yoghurt often contains a few extra ingredients or seasonings that vary depending on what you are serving it with. For this dish I chose complementing flavours of minced garlic, fresh parsley, salt and olive oil.
Preparation tips for Mixed Roasted Vegetables with Spices and Garlic Yoghurt:
Mixed veggies have different cooking times. Personally, I am not fussed about carrots being too crunchy or onions getting a little burnt (I actually really like them that way). However, you can help ensure that everything cooks more or less evenly by cutting the vegetables into different sized chunks. For instance, in my mix, carrots take the longest, so I keep the chunks rather small. Bell peppers don’t really matter because they are hard to overcook. Cauliflower florets should also be on a smaller side, while broccoli can go in as they are. If you like the onion browned, cut it into eight wedges, otherwise quarter. Baby marrows are juicy and cook fast, so slice them thick. The only thing I add later on are cherry tomatoes. I like them to keep their shape and just crack, then you get that fresh burst in your mouth!
- For the spice blend, use equal quantities of ground cumin and coriander and and 1/4 of turmeric powder, i.e. 4:4:1. Turmeric has a very prominent flavour and a little goes a long way.
- Once the veggies are all nicely cut, pop them onto the roasting tray in a single layer. Generously season with the spice mix and drizzle over a few table spoons of olive oil:
- Send into the preheated oven (middle rack) at 200C for 20-25 minutes. Check once or twice and toss around so they don’t burn on one side.
- To prepare the yoghurt bowl, simply stir in minced garlic, salt and chopped parsley and top with a little olive oil.
Enjoy you delicious and healthy mixed roasted vegetables as a side to fish, poultry or meats or as a light dinner on a detox day 😉
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Mixed Roasted Vegetables with Spices and Garlic Yoghurt
Equipment
- 1 Roasting tray
Ingredients
For the vegetables:
- 1 carrot chopped
- 2 small onions quartered
- 1 bell pepper cut into squares
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup cauliflower florets
- A handful cherry tomatoes
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- black pepper
For the yoghurt:
- 150 g fresh plain yoghurt
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
To make the vegetables:
- Preheat the oven to 200C.
- Arrange the chopped vegetables on a roasting tray in a single layer.
- Mix together 2 tsp ground cumin, 2 tsp ground coriander and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Sprinkle over the vegetables.
- Generously drizzle with olive oil.
- Roast on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, tossing a couple of times in between.
- Arrange on a serving plate and finish off with a grind of black pepper mill.
To make the yoghurt:
- Stir in minced garlic, salt and chopped parsley.
- Drizzle over 1 tbsp of olive oil.
Notes
- The vegetables are best consumed within the day.
- Yoghurt can stay in the fridge for a day or two.
- For the best results, use a mix or root and cruciferous vegetables and nightshades that you can alternate for variety.
