Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower

Tandoori spice blend

I'm always trying new cauliflower recipes because I mostly find it a bit underwhelming. That's what tempted me to try whole roasted Tandoori cauliflower from My New Roots. It had great potential, but I wasn't impressed with the end product. Perhaps I used too much of the marinade, but the cauliflower was too spicy to eat, and the interior was just steamed cauliflower. Perhaps the mint chutney would've helped, but I'm dubious.

Garlic

Not wanting to chuck an entire head of cauliflower into the trash, I attempted to transform it into a soup, adding more yogurt and Neufchatel (my attempts to insert a circumflex over the A were futile) cheese. It's still fairly spicy, and I ended up with a gigantor batch of it, so some of it's still living in my freezer. After I finish the soup, I'm going to try Going Cave Woman's recipe for crunchy cauliflower. It caught my eye on Pinterest, and I'm intrigued. It's even supposed to be low in calories.

Mashing garlic in the mortar and pestle

Tandoori Marinade
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp. tandoori spice blend
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup / 120 ml thick yogurt (preferably goat or sheep - vegans use plant-based yogurt or coconut cream)

Directions:
1. In a mortar and pestle (or food processor) smash garlic and ginger into a paste. Add the tandoori spice, lemon and salt and mix until uniform. Fold in the yogurt.
2. Place the whole of 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 minimum 1 hour, maximum 12.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. On a lined baking sheet, place cauliflower and roast until tender (45-60 minutes depending on the size of the cauliflower). Garnish with cilantro leaves, lots of lemon juice and a generous drizzle of high-quality olive oil. Serve immediately with mint chutney. Enjoy.

Sarah B’s Tandoori Spice Blend
4 grams / 2 tsp. chili (or cayenne)
5 grams / 1 Tbsp. cardamom (ground, or seeds)
20 grams / 4 Tbsp. cumin seeds
11 grams / 2 Tbsp. coriander seeds
½ whole nutmeg, grated
5 grams / 2 tsp. whole cloves
5 grams / 2-3 sticks cinnamon
15 grams / 2 Tbsp. ground turmeric
15 grams paprika / 2 Tbsp. paprika

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients except for turmeric and paprika in a spice mill, mortar and pestle or coffee grinder. Grind until powdered. Add turmeric and paprika. Store in a glass jar away from light and heat. Will keep for up to six months.

Cauliflower smothered in the marinade

Whole Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower with Mint Chutney
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower, washed well, leaves removed

Tandoori Marinade
Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. minced ginger
1 Tbsp. tandoori spice blend
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp. sea salt
½ cup / 120 ml thick yogurt (preferably goat or sheep - vegans use plant-based yogurt or coconut cream)

Directions:
1. In a mortar and pestle (or food processor) smash garlic and ginger into a paste. Add the tandoori spice, lemon and salt and mix until uniform. Fold in the yogurt.
2. Place the whole of 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 minimum 1 hour, maximum 12.
3. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. On a lined baking sheet, place cauliflower and roast until tender (45-60 minutes depending on the size of the cauliflower). Garnish with cilantro leaves, lots of lemon juice and a generous drizzle of high-quality olive oil. Serve immediately with mint chutney. Enjoy.

Cooked cauliflower