At least four days a week, I try eating healthy meals; lots of vegetables and some protein. But one thing I cannot do is have plain steamed vegetables seasoned with only salt and pepper. I always enjoy my veggies seasoned with some spices. Often times the South Asian in me loves to have her Indian food fix and this dish always does the trick.

Now about the spice used in the recipe, Tandoori Masala (seasoning) is easily available in almost all grocery stores across the globe. It’s a very popular South Asian spice used for barbeque.  You can make this dish with just cauliflower or broccoli, but I like the combination of both. So go ahead, serve it as a snack or as a side!

INGREDIENTS

• Cauliflower — 1/2 lb. or 225 g
• Broccoli — 1/2 lb. or 225 g
• Olive oil — 3 tablespoons
• Garlic powder or paste — 1/2 teaspoon
• Tandoori spice blend — 1 tablespoon
• Crushed red pepper flakes or paprika (optional) — 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon
• Salt — to taste
• Lemon — 1, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
   If using aluminum foil, lightly grease it with some cooking oil. This is to ensure the cauliflower and broccoli don’t stick to the foil.
3. Cut the cauliflower and broccoli into bite sized florets.
   Don’t forget to thoroughly wash and dry them
4. In a large bowl, add the olive oil, garlic powder or paste, Tandoori spice blend and ground red pepper flakes. Give it a whisk to combine everything together.
5. Into the large bowl add the florets and toss or stir until each floret of broccoli and cauliflower is covered with the spice mixture.
6. Lay the florets on the lined baking sheet and bake them for 25 to 35 minutes.
   It should look tender and caramelized on the edges .
7. The roast time may vary depending on your oven, so after 30 minutes keep a close eye on them.
8. Sprinkle some salt to taste and serve it with some lemon wedges on the side. 
   If your tandoori seasoning has no salt sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of salt over the roasted cauliflower and broccoli. In case, your seasoning comes with salt you can skip this process.

NOTES

1. Olive Oil: Can be replaced with any cooking oil of your choice. For Paleo limit your choices to ghee (about 2 tablespoons), coconut oil (2 tablespoons) or avocado oil (3 tablespoons).
2. Tandoori seasoning: One of the main ingredient in most store bought Tandoori seasonings is paprika. For those with low tolerance to spicy food, skip adding the extra crushed red pepper flakes or paprika.