Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower {with Mint Chutney}
Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower with Mint Chutney.
I realize this recipe is not for everyone. Someone in my house was a bit skeptical himself. Having said that, if you’ll follow this picture montage to the end, you’ll see what a whole roasted tandoori cauliflower looks like, only 17 minutes after it comes out of the oven. And I didn’t work alone.
This dish begins by making a heavenly Tandoori Spice Blend. I’m thrilled that it’s recipe yielded enough for use in this dish plus extra to share. I also learned that a coffee grinder is one powerful little gadget. Yes, the cinnamon sticks go in whole and come out as part of this blend. Pretty amazing. I can’t wait to sprinkle this goodness on all kinds of dishes.
Next comes the Tandoori Marinade, which is PUNCHY right out of the bowl. Thankfully it mellows out beautifully while roasting and actually leaves you craving more. This same Tandoori Marinade can be used to make Tandoori Chicken. Watch for it soon :).
The whole cauliflower is then rubbed liberally with the marinade and refrigerated for up to 12 hours before roasting. We went 4 hours, next time I’ll go longer to see if the flavors permeate further. We oven roasted for an hour which was about perfect, might have been able to go a little longer.
The roasted cauliflower is wonderful drizzled with EVOO and lemon juice and served with a side of Mint Chutney. Cilantro Mint Chutney with garlic and shallot and honey. Oh my.
We have My New Roots to thank for this lovely recipe, that was clearly enjoyed by all.
Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower {with Mint Chutney}
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower washed well, leaves removed
For Tandoori Marinade
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 Tbl. minced ginger
- 1 Tbl. tandoori spice blend
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ cup plain yogurt
For Mint Chutney
- 2 cups loosely packed mint leaves
- 1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
- 1 shallot minced
- ½ red chili minced (optional)
- Juice of 1 lime
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
- A couple pinches of salt
- 1 tsp. honey or agave nectar
Instructions
For Tandoori Marinade…
- In a mortar and pestle (or food processor) smash garlic and ginger into paste. Add the tandoori spice, lemon and salt and mix until well blended. Fold in the yogurt.
- Place the whole cauliflower in a large bowl and spread the marinade all over, making sure to coat the bottom as well. Place in the fridge to marinate for 1 hour minimum up to 12 hours maximum.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cauliflower on a foil lined baking sheet and roast for 45-60 depending on the size of the cauliflower. Garnish with cilantro leaves, lemon juice and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
For Mint Chutney…
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse to form a chunky pesto-like sauce. Season to taste. Store leftovers in fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
15 Comments
Donna A Levin
Outstanding. Thank you for this recipe. I had a cauliflower in the fridge and fresh mint in our garden waiting to be harvested.
Beautiful presentation – I served it with brown rice. Such a fresh combination of tastes. I did use an onion instead of a shallot and also put some shredded coconut on top of the cauliflower for the last 10 minutes or so of baking. I would recommend making extra tandoori marinade to use on tofu or paneer, if you have that. Those should only be in the oven for some of the baking time.
billie haddock
this looks amazing. i didnt see the recipe for the tandoori spice blend. did i miss something or do i need to find it elsewhere?
billie haddock
oops..never mind i found it.
libby
Hi Billie. Thanks so much. This was a great recipe, so different and very tasty.
Rita
This looks awesome! I was thinking you could put this on other things also. Like on a baked potatoes and squash.
libby
I think it would be fabulous on veggies Rita! Thanks for stopping by.
Kristen @ The Endless Meal
This looks seriously amazing!
libby
Thanks Kristen. I think you’ve got it about right. It’s a wonderful recipe. Thank you for stopping by. Libby
Elizabeth
Thank you so much for this. I would have never dreamed to do this to cauliflower. incredibly delicious. The flavor was a wake up call for my taste buds. I cannot wait to eat it again. My family is loving following your adventure in food. On cauliflower – WOW!
libby
Thank you Elizabeth. You know I love to Share the Love with you all. I’m glad you got a chance to taste it and if it inspires you to make it, then Lemony Thyme has done her job :)
Author Bek Mugridge
WOW I can’t wait to make this!
We grow a lot of cauliflowers too so this is very exciting! XX
libby
Yes, this is a fabulous recipe from My New Roots. So glad to have finally made it and am now wondering what else I can smother in this marinade. Thank you for commenting Bek. xo Libby