My absolute favorite meal “formula” is roasted vegetables (with or without meat) over a bowl of grains, with a delicious drizzle of sauce. I come back to this type of meal over and over again because the formula is easy to prepare, meal preps well, and there are endless flavor possibilities. This week’s version was Curry Roasted Vegetable Bowls with a Lemon Tahini Dressing drizzle. It’s simple, colorful, flavorful, filling, and will leave you looking forward to the leftovers. :)
What is Curry Powder?
Since curry powder is responsible for all of the seasoning in the bowls, let’s take a minute to chat about it. If you’ve never had curry powder, it’s a warm blend of spices that are pre-ground and blended to mimic the fresh spices used in Indian cuisine. This blend usually includes cumin, turmeric, coriander, and other spices. Every curry powder blend is unique, so you may need to experiment with different brands or recipes to find one that suits your palate. If you’d like to try making your own curry powder, try this recipe for homemade curry powder from Spice it Upp.
Add More to Your Curry Roasted Vegetable Bowls
I kept my curry roasted vegetable bowls simple because I like simplicity, but you can add more to make them a little more fancy, if you’d like. I think a light sprinkle of raisins would add an incredible pop of sweetness to contrast the savory curry powder and tahini dressing.
Slivered almonds would offer an amazing crunch to these bowls without competing with the already strong flavors.
If you want to add some meat, rotisserie chicken would be great, as would some Yogurt Marinated Chicken.
Swap Out the Vegetables or Grains
This recipe is super flexible. You can swap out the vegetables for anything you like. Try broccoli, sweet potatoes, asparagus, sweet bell peppers, Brussels sprouts, or whatever vegetable you like.
The same goes for the “bed” for these bowls. If you don’t like brown rice you can swap it out with white rice, couscous, quinoa, your favorite grain, or even salad greens.
How Long Do The Leftovers Last?
Simple bowl meals like this hold up in the refrigerator for about four days, with the dressing kept on the side. Your mileage may vary depending on the freshness of your ingredients and the conditions within your fridge. I’ll link my favorite meal prep containers for meals like this in the recipe below.
Curry Roasted Vegetable Bowls
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 cup long grain brown rice (uncooked) ($0.40)
- 1 head cauliflower ($2.29)
- 3 carrots ($0.24)
- 1 red onion ($0.37)
- 1 cup frozen peas ($0.60)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp curry powder ($0.30)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1/3 cup tahini ($1.13)
- 1/3 cup water ($0.00)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice ($0.18)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne ($0.02)
- 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
Instructions
- Begin the rice first because it takes the longest to cook. Combine the uncooked rice in a pot with 2 cups water. Place a lid on top, turn the heat onto high, and allow the water to come up to a full boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and let the rice simmer for 45 minutes (no stirring). After 45 minutes, turn the heat off and let it rest with the lid in place for an additional five minutes.
- Once the rice is started, move on to the curry roasted vegetables. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Peel and slice the carrots. Slice the red onion into ¼-inch wide slices.
- Place the cauliflower, carrots, and red onion on a parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over top, then add the curry powder and salt. Toss the vegetables until everything is evenly coated in oil and spices. Spread the vegetables out over the baking sheet in a single layer.
- Transfer the seasoned vegetables to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes give them a good stir, then roast for another 15 minutes. Next, add the frozen peas and toss together with the roasted vegetables, then return the baking sheet to the oven for the an additional 5 minutes. Taste the vegetables and add additional salt, if needed.
- While the rice is simmering and the vegetables are roasting, make the lemon tahini dressing. Place the tahini, water, lemon juice, minced garlic, cumin, cayenne, and salt in a blender then blend until smooth. Set the dressing aside.
- When the rice has finished cooking, fluff with a fork. Place about ¾ cup rice into each bowl or meal prep container. Top with ¼ of the roasted vegetables. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of dressing just before serving.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
How to Make Curry Roasted Vegetable Bowls – Step by Step Photos
Start the brown rice first, since it takes the longest to cook. Add 1 cup brown rice to a sauce pot with 2 cups water. Place a lid on top and turn the heat onto high. Bring the water up to a full boil, then reduce the heat to low and let the rice simmer for 45 minutes (no stirring). After 45 minutes, turn the heat off and let the rice rest with the lid on for five more minutes.
While the rice is cooking, start on the roasted vegetables. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Chop one head of cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Peel and slice three carrots. Slice one red onion into ¼-inch wide slices. Place all of the vegetables onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Add 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp curry powder, and ½ tsp salt to the prepared vegetables. Toss the vegetables until they are evenly coated in oil and spices.
Transfer the prepared vegetables to the preheated 400ºF oven. Roast for 20 minutes then give them a good stir. Return the stirred vegetables to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes.
After roasting for 35 minutes total, add 1 cup frozen peas (no need to thaw). Toss them together with the roasted vegetables and return them to the oven for an additional 5 minutes.
While the vegetables are in the oven, prepare the lemon tahini dressing. Combine ⅓ cup tahini, ⅓ cup water, ¼ cup lemon juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic, ½ tsp ground cumin, ¼ tsp cayenne, and ¼ tsp salt in a blender.
Blend the ingredients until smooth, then set the dressing aside.
Give the final roasted vegetables a taste and adjust the salt, if needed.
To build your curry roasted vegetable bowls, add about ¾ cup brown rice to each bowl or container then top with ¼ of the roasted vegetable mix. Drizzle with the lemon tahini dressing just before serving!
Very good recipe! Great combination of flavors and textures. Added a sweet potato, cut in chunks. Vegetables charred nicely in the oven. Curry powders are not all the same and can affect the flavor of the finished dish. I like Frontier Co-op brand from Whole Foods. Blended tahini sauce with a fork in a bowl- no blender needed. Added 1 tsp of honey to tahini sauce and it was just right for my taste. The sauce was PERFECT with the vegetables and the rice.
One of my favorite Budget Bytes recipes. The sauce has a great creamy flavor and the vegetables come out so well. We added broccoli and sweet potato to the recipe and it was great.
This was absolutely delicious!
This dish is incredible. I follow the recipe to the “T” and I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s healthy, cheap, easy and incredibly satisfying. I’ve made it so many time and will make a million times more.
And I just have to mention that Budget Bytes taught me to cook and for years it’s the only place I have gone to for recipes. I’m incredibly grateful for Beth and her talent. Thank you for another amazing dinner!
Thank you, Tessa! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Tf is tahini???
Sesame seed paste.
This recipe was amazing. My picky kids love curried cauliflower. They ate it without the sauce. Great if you are trying to eat a more whole food plant based diet (you can omit the oil for roasting veggies).
Ohhhh my goodness! 10/10 🙌🏻❤️
This was incredibly good. I added potatoes to the roasted veggie mix and sprinkled pumpkin seeds and fresh parsley on top – definitely will be a staple meal from now on.
This was unbelievably good. I have a family of five and everyone loved it, even my extremely picky 4 year old.
I didn’t have tahini so I had to use Greek yogurt, but it was still delicious. I used half the lemon juice, and added a small pinch of sugar and a few drops of sesame oil but other than that followed the recipe to a T.
As always, thanks for the delicious recipes!
Wow! What I thought was a simple recipe is packed with flavor! I added this to my meal plan as a simple fill in but I think it’s going to become a staple – so easy and delicious. I added some feta to mine and it was superb!
Yum! I took this idea and used brussel sprouts and the Trader Joe’s crinkle cut butternut squash. Roasted them with curry powder and olive oil and served it over pearl cous cous with the tahini lemon sauce, some feta, and a sprinkle of garam masala.
Such a yummy and healthy lunch meal prep! I can’t wait to make it again with lots of different veggies.
is this doable with canned chickpeas or mushrooms? maybe tofu?
Yep, that’s the great thing about bowl meals like this. You can literally add anything you like. :)
Can I substitute bottled lemon juice for fresh lemon juice for the dressing?
Yes, that will work fine. :)
I was looking for a meatless dish and found this recipe. I was so glad I did. I made this today with wild rice and it was a hit with myself and my fussy kids. The sauce is a perfect complement to the dish. Definitely adding this one to my repertoire. Thank you!
Yuuum! I used almond butter instead of tahini and it tasted great! Somehow the recommended amount of rice to cook turned out to be way more than I needed but it wasn’t an issue, I just used the leftovers to make fried rice. I will be saving this recipe to make again!