Curry flavored, crispy roasted broccoflower bites are a cross between broccoli and cauliflower and make for a fun way to jazz up your typical side dish.

Internet, meet the broccoflower.

I’m going to assume your reaction is similar to mine at the grocery store and somewhere along the lines of “what in hell is that?!”

At least that’s what I’m hoping for otherwise it’s official that I live under some rock having never seen this stegosaurus looking vegetable before.

Curry flavored, crispy roasted broccoflower bites are a cross between broccoli and cauliflower.
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You can’t see a spiky, almost fluorescent green, new to you vegetable in the store for $1.49 and not pick it up, right?

I actually grabbed this then ran around looking for Ulysses like a kid in a toy store seeking parental approval.

Funny, he wasn’t nearly as excited about my find as I was.

Now humor me and tell me those spikes remind you of the back of a stegosaurus because that’s all I could think about the entire time I was cutting this thing up.

That and trying to remember how long ago it was since Jurassic Park came out (1993 in case you’re wondering, I was 11).

Broccoflower is a mix between broccoli and cauliflower and turns into an easy dinner side dish when roasted.

And then since my mind was on dinosaurs, I started thinking about the paleo diet (get it? dinosaurs…paleolithic era…paleo diet..stay with me now) and wondering if broccoflower existed back then.

Wouldn’t you like to spend a day in my head?

It’s a good time.

Crispy Curry Roasted Broccoflower is fun way to change up your side dish routine.

WHAT IS BROCCOFLOWER?

Besides its funky appearance, broccoflower pretty much acts, smells and tastes exactly like the offspring of broccoli and cauliflower.

Technically, this vegetable is called romanesco or broccoli romanesco.

I actually have this delicious simply roasted romanesco recipe as well if you’re not into the curry flavors of this dish.

But, it also goes by the common name of broccoflower. Which I’m choosing as my preferred name today because I think it’s the most fun!

And to make things even more confusing, those lime green cauliflower you may have seen before…well, they’re a type of broccoflower too.

This version, however, with the sort of pine tree looking florets is the one referred to as Romanesco broccoli.

WHAT DOES BROCCOFLOWER TASTE LIKE?

As you’d probably expect, taste-wise, it’s a dead cross between broccoli and cauliflower. A little milder in flavor than each.

That said, you can treat it just like you would either of those vegetables.

And since roasting is my favorite way to enjoy broccoli and cauliflower most of the time, I figured that’s the way I’d go here with this roasted broccoflower recipe.

Except sassed up with some Indian flava.

Crispy and crunchy roasted broccoflower is seasoned with curry spices for a delicious side dish recipe.

Ohh, speaking of…you should totally make this sweet and spicy Indian chicken to go with this! And if you’re feeling ambitious, make a whole meal out of it with this curry cauliflower rice too. All the flavors in these three dishes meld together perfectly!

When we lived in Florida we had Indian neighbors a few houses down from us.

We’d take walks pretty much nightly since we had a puppy Weimaraner at the time who had the energy levels of the energizer bunny and we’d walk past the Indian neighbors house to literally smell the curry seeping out onto the street through closed windows and doors.

That stuff tastes delicious but man, does it linnnnnger.

Point of that little side story?

My house still smells like curry after 24 hours and I only used 1/4 teaspoon of the stuff.

Proceed with caution.

Try broccoflower roasted with curry spices in a crunchy breadcrumb coating.

But definitely do it anyway because these mini stegosaurus ridges will make your mouth happy in a crispy, crunchy, curry kind of way.

Glad to have met you, broccoflower.

I see many more roasted broccoflower meals with you in the future!

Crispy Curry Roasted Broccoflower

Love this roasted broccoflower recipe?

Try some of these side dishes too: Girl and the Goat Grilled BroccoliRoasted Broccoli Cauliflower Parmesan GratinSalt and Vinegar Popcorn Cauliflower

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4.95 from 60 votes

Crispy Curry Roasted Broccoflower

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Curry flavored, crispy roasted broccoflower bites are a cross between broccoli and cauliflower and make for a fun way to jazz up your typical side dish.

Ingredients 

  • 1 large head of broccoflower cut into small florets, can substitute regular broccoli or cauliflower
  • 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees
  • Line a baking sheet with foil and grease.
  • Combine dry ingredients into a shallow bowl.
  • Combine egg and milk in a small bowl and whisk together.
  • Dip florets first into the egg mixture, coating well and then into the breadcrumb mixture in batches.
  • Spread out on baking sheet.
  • Roast for 25-30 minutes, tossing once.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 48kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 3gFat: 2gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 41mgSodium: 212mgPotassium: 45mgFiber: 0.4gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 74IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Side Dishes
Cuisine: Indian
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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65 Comments

  1. Made these broccoflower bites and they turned out delicious! Added my twist with extra spices. Easy and satisfying.

  2. 5 stars
    This roasted broccoli was so easy and delicious. The curry was unexpected and I do not think I will ever make my broccoli another way. Yummy!

  3. I had no idea it was also called broccoflower. I think that’s what I’ll choose to call it from now on too! I really enjoyed the combination of curry flavor with the savory roasted edges of broccoflower.

  4. 5 stars
    This broccoflower was so good! I’ve always just steamed it, which is super boring, so I’m super happy to have found your recipe. Thanks a ton! And my head works the same as yours. It absolutely looks dinosaury! 😆

  5. The crispiness had my kids DEVOURING this broccoli! I personally loved the curry flavor too, such a tasty side dish.

  6. 5 stars
    I’m so happy I found this recipe. I’m always looking for new side dish recipes and this did not disappoint. Can’t wait to make again!

  7. 5 stars
    I never thought to put curry with my roasted broccoli and it’s a game changer! I’m also going to start looking for broccoflower everywhere.