Roasted Vegetables Recipe

I like Roasted Vegetables; it's always a quick and healthy side to go with dinner especially on Thursday when I'm trying to finish the leftovers of the week so that I can plan something good for Friday. I like it because unlike a sabzi (in Indian cuisine- vegetables fried with spices and herbs), which is fried on a medium heat for a long time, roasted vegetables are a more nutritious option.

We don't usually have the big convection ovens in our homes in India, the one we do have is a microwave oven with convection (which is not a great substitute for a real convection oven) so I didn't have much of roasted food back in India. The first time Debarshi roasted the vegetables for us, we were having Chicken Tikka Masala with Pulao (a yummy Indian Chicken gravy with Rice cooked in Clarified Butter with Nuts. Recipe to follow is later in the cookbook) and we wanted to have some veggies with our dinner, this was a quick option and was ready in no time.

Ingredients:

• Olive Oil - 2- 3 tablespoons
• Asparagus – 2 cups, cut in 1 inch lengths
• Red/ Yellow/ Green Bell Peppers – 2 cups, cut in 1 inch cubes
• Carrot – 2 cups, cut in 1-inch-long pieces
• Broccoli – 2 cups, cut along with stems
• Cauliflower - 1 cup, cut along with stems
• Onion – 2 cups, cut in 1 inch cubes
• Green Beans – 2 cups, cut in 1-inch length
• Black pepper - for seasoning
• Cilantro - a handful
• Parsley - 2-3 teaspoons, fresh or dried
• Garlic - 2-3, minced finely
• Salt - to taste

Let’s do some preparations:

• Tear the leaves of cilantro or chop it well if you are not fond of eating stems. Always wash the Cilantro well before using it. Discard any discolored or wilted cilantro leaves.
• If using fresh Parsley follow the same steps.

Directions:

• Preheat the oven at 475 degrees.
• Put a foil on the baking tray, you may want to take two trays and arrange the vegetables on it on a single line.
• If you want the vegetables to be crunchy then set a timer for 10 minutes.
• After 10 minutes use a fork to check if the vegetables are cooked.
• Switch off the oven and serve hot.
• If you are serving after some time, you can let it remain in the oven to keep it warm.

Tip for you: 

• Place the vegetables in a large plastic bag. Drizzle half the olive oil over the vegetables, seal the bag and shake until the vegetables are coated evenly with the olive oil. If necessary, add only enough of the remaining olive oil to coat the vegetables. Place them in a single layer on a foil and season.

Other side dishes you may like:

• Homemade Herbed Skillet Potatoes
• Steamed Broccoli
• Corn on the Cob and Grilled Corn
• Southwestern Style Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Red Peppers
• Mashed Potatoes with Garlic
• Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Pecans
• Dr. D’s Smoked Ribs
• Perfect Grilled Steak