Recipe: Indian Spiced Roasted Vegetables

Below is another recipe from my Traditions with a Twist post:

This vegetable side is most certainly not traditional nor Maharashtrian but rather something I came up with while walking through the supermarket based on what looked good that day.  Since the star of the show was the Lamb Curry, I didn't want anything too heavy or overly spiced as traditional Indian vegetables tend to be. They also tend to be overcooked mush. The Western influence in my cooking is very obvious when I think this way.  Traditionally a meal like this, say if my mother were to be hosting, would have so many more items on the menu.  She would serve two vegetables, a koshimbir (see post on Spinach Raita), a legume (lentils or such), and a seafood of all things - typically a spiced rice made with shrimp.  A heavy, very sweet Indian dessert of some sort would also be served with the meal.  I personally have never understood this nor am a fan of eating this way.  It is too confusing with so many things on the plate.  And why would anyone want to eat lamb and shrimp at the same time?  It's so much better to have plain saffron rice to eat with the lamb gravy.  In fact when I told my mother the menu I had planned, I could tell she did not approve and felt it wasn't enough.  Can't get the habit out of her after all these years.  I told her I was going to do it my way and that was the end of that.

But I digress.  The end result of this recipe was delicious, colorful and worked very well into the flavors of the meal without stealing the show.

Ingredients:

16 oz small crimini mushrooms (either whole if small or halved if large)

2 Yellow bell peppers – cut into 1 inch squares

2 Red bell peppers – cut into 1 inch squares

1 large red onion – cut into 1 inch squares

Chopped cilantro for garnish

Marinade:

3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

4 Tbsp Olive oil

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp salt

½ tsp red chili powder or cayenne

1 tsp dried thyme

Recipe:

Combine all ingredients for the marinade and stir well to mix.  Place vegetables on a cookie sheet or roasting pan and add the marinade.  Mix well to coat all the vegetables and lay them out in a single layer.  Allow to marinate for 1 hour.  Before cooking, preheat oven to 425 F.  Roast vegetables for 35 – 40 minutes or until just tender.  Garnish with Cilantro and serve.

Serves 8 - 10