• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

School Night Vegan

  • Recipe Index
    • All Recipes
    • Mains
    • Sides
    • Desserts
    • Snacks
    • Drinks
  • My Story
  • Hire Me
You are here: Home / Mains / Roasted Romanesco Dhansak

Roasted Romanesco Dhansak

25/02/2020 by Richard Makin Leave a Comment

roasted romanesco dhansak

An intensely flavoursome roasted romanesco dhansak with a sweet/savoury and perfectly spiced tomato curry sauce, with a punch of lime. A delicious easy dinner packed with veggies and flavour.


Sometimes nothing hits the spot like a vegan curry, and this roasted romanesco dhansak is an absolute must for such occasions. It’s all about big, bold, spicy flavours held together with a wonderful creaminess of cooked lentils. 

The flavours are sweet, savoury and slightly sour with a kick of fresh lime juice. Quick! Cancel that takeaway order! This curry’s got your name on it!

I love to make this as soon as romanesco comes into season. There’s something about that intensely exaggerated cauliflower flavour which just works so well – particularly when roasted! Give it a go. Here’s how!

Do I need any specific kit to make roasted romanesco dhansak?

I’d only recommend one piece of specific equipment. The rest is all basic stuff. 

Stick Blender

You’ll need this to blend up some of the cooked lentils which will help make your curry super smooth and creamy. Any blender with a closed lid won’t work because you’ll be blending hot lentils, which might make it explode!

You can grab a stick blender here!

toasted spices for vegan curry

How do I make roasted romanesco dhansak?

This is a fairly easy curry which shouldn’t spook too many of you. As always, the full recipe is at the bottom of this page, but you can find a breakdown of the steps involved below!

1. Roast the romanesco

I like to get the spices involved from the start, so I toss the romanesco in some cumin, ginger and garam masala before roasting. You can skip this step if you like, but I think you’ll thank me for it. 

Roast until the romanesco is browning slightly but still has that lovely green colour. 

Roasted romanesco

2. Cook the lentils

To keep the sauce beautifully rich and creamy, this type of curry uses well-cooked lentils. Almost any dried lentil will do the job but for that dhansak colour and flavour, I’d stick to moong dal or split red lentils. 

It’s also a good idea to cook the lentils with some onion and some turmeric, just for extra flavour and colour. The aim is to cook them until they’re thoroughly cooked and the lentils have no real discernible shape any longer.

3. Toast your spices

I’d always recommending starting any curry by toasting your spices in the hot pan. No oil! Just spices and heat. Get them good and smoky and you’re all set. Remove from the pan and grind them as well as you can.

Please don’t skip this step! It’ll really impact the flavour of the curry and you’ll regret it 100%! Additionally, fenugreek is super bitter until toasted, so at very least, toast this guy. 

spices for roasted romanesco curry

4. Start the curry

You’re probably super familiar with this process, but it goes like this. Cook your onions in some oil. Add your aromatics (in this case ginger, garlic and chilli) and cook them for a few minutes. 

Follow with your spices, tomatoes and a dash of sugar to boost the sweetness. Be sure to cook down your tomatoes well before moving to the next step. That bit’s important!

Tomatoes in the curry

5. Add the romanesco

It should now be beautifully roasted and browned which means it’s ready for the curry! Just before you add it to the pan, make sure it’s fully cooked all the way through. Pierce with a sharp knife. It should slide in very easily.

Roasted romanesco in a dhansak

6. Add the lentils

I like to do this in two halves. The first half of lentils you add should be exactly as you cooked them. The second half should be blended until smooth. This is where the stick blender comes in handy. 

This will really make a huge difference to the texture of the curry!

roasted romanesco dhansak

7. Finish and serve

I like to finish my dhansak with a good squeeze of lime juice and a handful of freshly chopped coriander. I serve mine with freshly steamed basmati rice and sometimes, if you’re lucky, a hand-made roti!

Roasted romanesco dhansak

Need more Indian inspired recipes?

You’ve come to the right place! I’m a huge fan of Indian food, so check out some of my favourites here!

  • Beetroot Dal with Onion Bhajji
  • Butter Cauliflower Curry with Cucumber Lime Salsa
  • Super Crispy Vegan Onion Bhaji

Please keep in mind…

I love sharing my food with you – it seriously gives me so much joy! As a result, I put a huge amount of time and energy into creating these recipes. This recipe right here is my lil baby and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. As such, I won’t give advice on any ingredient swaps, substitutions, omissions or changes to the method described above (how dare you talk about my baby like that!)

But seriously, if this recipe doesn’t do it for you and you want to customise it – that’s cool – no probs. Put that finely honed chef’s intuition to good use and tailor the recipe to suit you! Regardless of whether you make any changes or not, let us know how you get on in the comments below.  


Disclosure: some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning at no additional cost to you, I may earn commission when you click through and make a purchase.

roasted romanesco dhansak

Roasted Romanesco Dhansak

An intensely flavoursome roasted romanesco dhansak with a sweet/savoury and perfectly spiced tomato curry sauce, with a punch of lime. A delicious easy dinner packed with veggies and flavour.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
Prep Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Roasted Romanesco Dhansak
Servings: 4
Calories: 390kcal
Author: Richard Makin

Equipment

  • Stick Blender

Ingredients

For the Roasted Romanesco

  • 500 g romanesco
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 tsp garam masala
  • pinch of flaky sea salt

For the Dhansak

  • 1 yellow onion (large)
  • 4 tbsp sunflower oil
  • 160 g moong dal
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1½ tsp coriander seeds
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp fenugreek powder
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder
  • 30 g fresh ginger (peeled and finely chopped or grated)
  • 2 cloves of garlic (crushed finely)
  • 2 fresh chillis
  • 2½ tomatoes (Chopped. If using tinned, this is one whole tin)
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 lime
  • small bunch of fresh coriander
Metric – US Customary

Instructions

To Roast the Romanesco

  • Preheat the oven to 180c
  • Break the romanesco into florets (using a paring knife where necessary). Add to a large bowl and dress with the olive oil cumin seeds, ground ginger, garam masala and a good pinch of flaky sea salt.
  • Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes or until browned and cooked through. While the romanesco roasts, make the rest of the curry.

To Make the Dhansak

  • Halve the yellow onion. Dice one half and roughly chop the other into larger strips.
  • Place a medium saucepan over medium heat and add a tbsp of the sunflower oil. Add the diced half of the onion and fry until softening and turning translucent. Add the moong dal and 1/2 a teaspoon of the ground turmeric. Stir to combine and cover with water. Place the lid on and bring to a simmer before reducing the heat to low.
  • Allow the lentils to cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are completely cooked and the mixture resembles a very loose porridge.
  • While the lentils cook, place a large saucepan over a medium heat. Before adding any oil, toast the remaining turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, garam masala, fenugreek powder and chilli powder in the dry saucepan until smoking slightly and very fragrant. Transfer the spices to a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder and grind well. Set aside.
  • Add the remaining 3 tbsp sunflower oil to the hot pan, followed by the roughly chopped half of the onion. Fry until the onions are turning translucent but don't allow them to brown.
  • Add the ginger, garlic and chillis and stir to combine before cooking for a few minutes. Add the spices, chopped tomatoes and light brown sugar. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and allow the tomatoes to cook, stirring regularly, until no longer holding their shape.
  • The lentils should now be cooked. Add half of the lentils to the tomato mixture and stir to combine. Remove the remaining half of the lentils from the heat and use a stick blender to puree them before adding to the curry.
  • Finally, add the roasted romanesco to the curry and stir to combine. Add the juice of half the lime and season to taste with flaky sea salt. Top with the chopped coriander before serving with steamed basmati rice.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Roasted Romanesco Dhansak
Amount Per Serving
Calories 390 Calories from Fat 171
% Daily Value*
Fat 19g29%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Sodium 47mg2%
Potassium 609mg17%
Carbohydrates 45g15%
Fiber 10g42%
Sugar 10g11%
Protein 15g30%
Vitamin A 756IU15%
Vitamin C 168mg204%
Calcium 48mg5%
Iron 7mg39%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @schoolnightvegan or tag #schoolnightvegan!

Filed Under: All Recipes, Mains Tagged With: roasted romanesco dhansak

Previous Post: « Vegan Ricotta Ravioli with Roasted Garlic
Next Post: Vegan Double Chocolate Coconut Oatmeal Cookies »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Follow School night vegan

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

My name’s Richard Makin and I’m the School Night Vegan.

I’ve been exploring the world of plant-based cuisine since November 2017 when I switched from life-long vegetarian to full-time vegan! Read More…

  • All Recipes
  • Sides
  • Mains
  • Dessert
  • Snacks
  • Drinks

Why not try…

butterbeans

Creamy Butterbeans with Spinach and Roasted Pomodorino

vegan kimchi pancake

Vegan Kimchi Pancake with Tamari Mushrooms

How to eat kale

How to Eat Kale (and actually enjoy it!)

vegan chocolate ice cream with fudge cake

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake Ice Cream

PRIVACY POLICY

Footer

schoolnightvegan

🌿Anything you can cook, I can cook vegan⁣⁣⁣🌿
He/Him⁣ • Food Editor @wickedhealthy⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ • Column @olivemagazine⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

Richard Makin
NEW RECIPE: CASHEW TOFU STIR FRY!⁠ Wrap your eye NEW RECIPE: CASHEW TOFU STIR FRY!⁠
Wrap your eyeball holes around this fakeaway! Chuck on some steamed rice and you’re set for din din! Easy pipsy!!⁠
⁠
Tap the link in my bio or head to the @wickedhealthy blog for the recipe!⁠
⁠
#vegan #veganstirfry #stirfry #tofu #tofustirfry
I’ve done permanent damage to my brain this last I’ve done permanent damage to my brain this last week trying to figure out Tik Tok so it feels REALLY BLOODY LOVELY to come back here and post AN ACTUAL PICTURE OF FOOD!⁠
⁠
And not just ANY food! It’s the eighth wonder of the food world - VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE BITES! ⁠
⁠
They’re OBNOXIOUSLY creamy and crispier than you thought the laws of physics would allow! GIVE THEM A TRY NAYSAYERS! You’ll be YAYSAYERS in no time!⁠
⁠
Tap the link in my bio for recipe!⁠
⁠
#vegan #vegansnacks #macandcheese #veganmacandcheese #veganfood #veganchef
Wanna know how soft these VEGAN GARLIC BUTTER ROLL Wanna know how soft these VEGAN GARLIC BUTTER ROLLS are?? When I was 13 I did a presentation to my entire class about the acoustic guitar and when the teacher asked me what you pluck a guitar string with I panicked and said “scrotum”. Imagine what my legs did when I realised my mistake... THATS how soft these rolls are.⁠
⁠
While we’re all here in this anxiety focus group TELL ME WHATS THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING YOU EVER DID AT SCHOOL! Sharing is healing!⁠
⁠
Recipe on the blog - tap the link in my bio!⁠
#vegan #veganfood #veganbaking #garlicbuns #garlicrolls #veganchef #baking #comfortfood
LET'S PLAY BLANKETY BLANK (aka Match Game for the LET'S PLAY BLANKETY BLANK (aka Match Game for the Americans, Snatch Game for the gays 💕). Finish this sentence:⁠⁠
⁠⁠
School Night Vegan is so proud of his vegan burger recipe, he decided to change the job title on his business cards top [BLANK] ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
ANSWERS IN THE COMMENTS! 10 POINTS TO SLYTHERIN FOR BEST ANSWER!⁠⁠
RECIPE ON THE BLOG - TAP THE LINK IN MY BIO!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
#vegan #veganburger #veganchef #burger
Like one of these VEGAN MOROCCAN SPICED MEATBALLS Like one of these VEGAN MOROCCAN SPICED MEATBALLS I’m rolling into this week with joy and gay abandon!⁠
⁠
Have you ever seen an anxious vegan meatball?? No! Me neither! And that’s why I’m choosing it as my attitude model for this week - I’ll be wearing faux ruby earrings to emulate the pomegranate seeds because I’m dedicated to my craft.⁠
⁠
GET THE RECIPE ON THE @wickedhealthy BLOG or tap the link in my bio!⁠
⁠
#vegan #veganmeatballs #vegancooking #veganrecipe #moroccanmeatballs #meatballs #veganchef #schoolnightvegan
Ok people - What’s the BEST PASTA SAUCE?⁠ ⁠ Ok people - What’s the BEST PASTA SAUCE?⁠
⁠
For me nothing beats this FRESHLY MADE VEGAN PESTO! Also, not gonna lie, sometimes I literally just dip bread/crisps into it and.. DOWN THE HATCH!⁠
⁠
CAN TOUR FAVE PASTA SAUCE DO THAT???⁠
⁠
TAP THE LINK IN MY BIO FOR THE RECIPE!
NEW RECIPE - VEGAN GARLIC BUTTER ROLLS⁠⁠
⁠⁠
Well wouldya wrap your eyeballs around this charmingly UGLY BUNCH OF MISFITS?? Bits popping out where they shouldn't, some a little more tanned than others, but you know what? They are the MOST DELICIOUS things I've baked in a LONG time. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
I mean it. Like, I genuinely couldn't leave them alone. Husband ate those top three fellas. The rest I nailed. And I'm proud. ⁠⁠
⁠⁠
GET THE RECIPE - TAP THE LINK IN MY BIO!⁠⁠
⁠⁠
#vegan #veganbaking #vegangarlicbutterrolls #veganchef #garlicbutter #garlicbutterrolls #vegancomfortfood #comfortfood
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2021 School Night Vegan on the Foodie Pro Theme