Name: Tandoori whole roasted cauliflower with a green peanut chutney recipe by Vaishali Nagarajan at BetterButter
Prep time: 90 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: Small Cauliflower- 1; Coriander leaves- a small bunch; finely chopped for garnish; Toasted peanuts- 10 grams for garnish; FOR TANDOORI PASTE-; Coriander leaves- 3/4 cup; Garlic- 6-7 cloves; Ginger- 1 cm piece; Onion- 1 medium; Tandoori powder- 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons depending on how spicy you want it; Thick tamarind puree- 1 1/2 tablespoons; Thick yogurt- 1 cup; Fresh red chilli- 1; Zest and juice of a small lime; Salt- to taste; FOR GREEN PEANUT CHUTNEY-; Coriander leaves; plucked- 1 cup; Mint leaves; plucked- 1 cup; Green chilli- 1; Onion- 1/2; medium; Peanuts- 4 tablespoons; (To remove the brown peel; Dry roast the peanuts over a low heat. Turn off the heat, rub the peanuts with you palm and the skins will come out easily.); Olive oil- 2 tablespoons (If not available use sunflower oil); Juice of half a lime; Thick yogurt- 4 tablespoons; Salt- to taste

ABOUT Tandoori whole roasted cauliflower with a green peanut chutney RECIPE

Tandoori cauliflower is typically found in dhabas all around North India and many dhabas or restaurants located on the highway roast the whole cauliflower smeared in a rich dark tandoori masala in a tandoor oven. Well, not all of us have a tandoor oven, do we? That’s where this recipe comes in and can be made with an oven. This dish has a spicy, tangy kick which works brilliantly with jeera rice, simple ghee rice or even butter roti!

Ingredients Serving: 6

Small Cauliflower- 1
Coriander leaves- a small bunch; finely chopped for garnish
Toasted peanuts- 10 grams for garnish
FOR TANDOORI PASTE-
Coriander leaves- 3/4 cup
Garlic- 6-7 cloves
Ginger- 1 cm piece
Onion- 1 medium
Tandoori powder- 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons depending on how spicy you want it
Thick tamarind puree- 1 1/2 tablespoons
Thick yogurt- 1 cup
Fresh red chilli- 1
Zest and juice of a small lime
Salt- to taste
FOR GREEN PEANUT CHUTNEY-
Coriander leaves; plucked- 1 cup
Mint leaves; plucked- 1 cup
Green chilli- 1
Onion- 1/2; medium
Peanuts- 4 tablespoons; (To remove the brown peel; Dry roast the peanuts over a low heat. Turn off the heat, rub the peanuts with you palm and the skins will come out easily.)
Olive oil- 2 tablespoons (If not available use sunflower oil)
Juice of half a lime
Thick yogurt- 4 tablespoons
Salt- to taste

Instructions

Clean the whole cauliflower by removing the green leavy parts if any and trimming the base. Once trimmed, blanch the cauliflower in boiling, salted water for 7-8 minutes or until it starts to cook a bit but still quite firm.
While blanching, keep turning the cauliflower. Remove from heat, drain and rinse with cold water. Shake off the excess water and place in a baking dish.
FOR TANDOORI PASTE- Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend until you get a dark brown, smooth paste. Pour over the cauliflower sitting in the baking tin.
Massage the cauliflower with the paste, making sure you turn the cauliflower and even drench the back part and all the small openings. Let it marinate for 1 hour or more if possible.If you are in a hurry, let it sit for atleast 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180 degree Centigrade. Cover the baking dish containing the cauliflower with an aluminium foil and seal tightly. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a knife goes through the cauliflower without any resistance.
After the first 20 minutes, check the cauliflower and if it is browning too much, sprinkle a little water into the sides of the tin, cover with the same foil tightly and return. Keep checking every 10 minutes.
The cooking time will vary with the size of your cauliflower. If the size is very small, you have to keep a close eye as it may be done before 40 minutes. If the cauliflower is large, it might take more time.
Once you think the cauliflower is tender, remove from the oven and allow to cool. Meanwhile make the peanut chutney.
FOR GREEN PEANUT CHUTNEY- Pulse the peanuts until fine in texture. Add the fresh herbs, chilli, onion, olive oil and blend until smooth. If the mixture is not forming a smooth paste, add a dash of water.
Empty into a bowl, fold in the yogurt and lime juice. Season with salt and set aside. If you feel the chutney is too thick, add a tablespoon of water to loosen it.
Use a spatula to remove the cauliflower from the baking dish and place on your serving platter. Scatter finely chopped coriander leaves and toasted peanuts on top.

Similar Recipes