One Tray Pasanda
We make this one on repeat, honestly. A creamy, fragrant pasanda that all comes together on one tray in the oven; it's the kind of recipe that sounds too good to be true but absolutely delivers. The cauliflower goes golden and nutty, the carrots get tender and sweet, and the sauce wraps everything in that rich, mildly spiced, coconutty goodness you'd expect from a proper pasanda. It's warming and comforting without being heavy, and it tastes like you've been cooking for hours. Chuck it in the oven tonight. You won't regret it.
Before You Start
- Preheat oven to 200°C
- Large roasting tin
- Mixing bowl
- Microplane or fine grater
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp chilli flakes
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp chilli powder - optional
- 1 cauliflower - broken into florets
- 500g carrots
- big pinch salt
- big pinch pepper
- 1 x 400g can of coconut milk
- 50g ground almonds
- 2cm piece of fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves
- 200g green beans
- basmati rice
- 250g coconut yoghurt
- 30g flaked almonds
- 20g coriander leaves
Method
First prep and cook the veg
- Trim the cauliflower and break it into 3cm florets
- If your cauliflower has a lot of good-looking leaves, reserve them to add to the dish near the end
- Trim the carrots and cut them into 3cm chunks
- Spread the vegetables over a roasting tin and drizzle with the oil
- Season with big pinches of salt, pepper and the chilli flakes
- Toss to coat the vegetables with the oil and spices
- Put the tin in the oven for 15 minutes
Meanwhile, pour the coconut milk into a mixing bowl
- Add the ground almonds and stir
- Peel the ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon then finely grate it
- Peel and grate the garlic
- Add the ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, garam masala and chilli powder, if using, to the bowl
- Stir everything together until it’s really well mixed
Finish the curry
- After 15 minutes, take the tin out of the oven and pour the coconut paste and green beans over the vegetables
- Put the tray back in the oven for 20 minutes, until the cauliflower pieces have started to blacken at the edges
- 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add any reserved leaves, if using
Remove the tin from the oven
- Stir through the coconut yoghurt
- Season to taste and add more chilli powder if you like a hotter curry
- Sprinkle over the flaked almonds and fresh coriander and serve
Tips & Variations
- Use the cauliflower leaves: If your cauliflower comes with good-looking leaves, don't throw them away. We add them to the tray near the end of cooking and they go beautifully crispy and flavourful.
- Go bigger on the chilli: The pasanda is naturally mild and creamy, so if you like a bit of heat, don't be shy with the chilli flakes at the start. It balances out really nicely with the sauce.
- Serve it right: We love this with fluffy basmati rice and some warm flatbreads to scoop up all that sauce. A dollop of coconut yoghurt on top takes it to another level.
Why This Works
The trick here is roasting the veg first so they get a bit of colour and caramelisation before the sauce goes in. That depth of flavour is what makes this taste like a proper curry rather than a quick weeknight shortcut. One tray also means less washing up, which, let's be honest, is always a win.