What you need
- 2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
- 3 beetroot, peeled and cut into wedges
- 2 red onions, cut into wedges
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- A handful of rocket and some pumpkin seeds, to serve
For the turmeric-tahini drizzle
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- A good pinch of black pepper
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 small garlic clove, crushed
- 3–4 tbsp warm water
Putting it together
- Roast the roots: heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Toss the sweet potato, beetroot and onion with 2 tbsp oil, the cumin seeds and some salt, and roast for 25 minutes. (Keep the beetroot at one end of the tray so its colour doesn't run into everything.)
- Add the broccoli: toss the broccoli in the rest of the oil, add to the tray and roast for 12–15 minutes more, until everything is tender and charred at the edges.
- Make the drizzle: whisk the tahini, turmeric, pepper, lemon juice and garlic, then add warm water until it is smooth and pourable.
- Serve: arrange the vegetables on a large platter over the rocket, drizzle with the sauce and scatter with pumpkin seeds.
Why it's good for you: Eating a "rainbow" is one of the simplest anti-inflammatory habits there is: each colour brings different protective plant compounds, from the betalains in beetroot to the beta-carotene in sweet potato and the sulforaphane-forming compounds in broccoli. Turmeric's curcumin is far better absorbed with black pepper and a little fat, both of which are in the drizzle, and tahini adds calcium. Read more in The Quiet Fire.
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