South Indian Tray Bake
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
250gm sweet potatoes
1 small cauliflower
2 sprigs curry leaves
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
3 tbsp extra virgin coconut oil
¼ coconut, sliced
Ingredients for toppings
½ cup bajra (pearl millet)
1 large handful coriander leaves
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chilli flakes
Serves
1-2
“South Indian flavors and ingredients, tumbled together and baked in the oven!
Serve with chutney and dosa.! A twist on our favorite South Indian meals.”
What to do:
For the prep, preheat the oven to 200° celsius and soak ½ cup dried bajra in salted water.
Scrub sweet potato and chop into one-inch cubes. Add to an oven-proof tray. Toss with the cinnamon powder, ½ tsp of Himalayan salt, and 1 tbsp of extra virgin coconut oil.
Cut the cauliflower into florets and cut up any leaves and part of the stalk. Soak all of this in salted water with a tbsp of vinegar for 10 minutes. Drain well.
Make a paste out of the remaining spices, ½ tsp salt, and coconut oil, and rub this paste into the cauliflower. Add the spiced cauliflower to the sweet potato.
Pull the curry leaves off the stalk and add them to the oven tray along with the sliced coconut pieces and toss everything lightly together.
Cover the tray tightly with foil, so that no air can escape. Place in the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 25 minutes. The veggies will cook with their own steam inside the airtight foil tray.
After 25 minutes, remove the foil and stir everything together. The potatoes should be soft. Now put the tray back in the oven, uncovered and allow to cook for a further 20-25 minutes (it may be longer depending on the strength of your oven, keep checking.)
While the tray of veggies is in the oven, drain the soaking water from the bajra and cook the soaked bajra in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and allow to dry until the veggies are ready.
The traybake is ready to come out of the oven when parts of the cauliflower are golden brown and the sweet potato appears crispy.
Add the cooked bajra, and stir through with the lemon juice and chilli flakes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve alongside dosa, dal, and chutney for a healthy South Indian brunch.
