Tandoori Cauliflower

Tandoori Cauliflower

[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #00adef;”] T[/dropcap]here was one good thing to come from my disastrous waitressing career during my university days.

Actually make that two things.

First, I gained a deep respect for anyone who provides excellent service in a restaurant.

Second, I fell in love with Indian cuisine. Especially the food from the tandoori oven.

And while the most famous tandoori dishes like tandoori chicken centre around animal protein, I recently had the most delicious tandoori carrots at a local restaurant.

Which got me thinking of the possibilities of tandoori flavours and vegetables.

Hello cauliflower!

I’ve added some chicken here to make it a more substantial meal, but the cauli really is the star of the show.

Slightly charred, smoky and fragrant with spice.

I could eat this all day.

Every day.

Tandoori Cauliflower
5 from 3 votes
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Tandoori Cauliflower

Course Dinner
Cuisine Indian
Keyword 6-ingredients, cashews, cauliflower, chicken, roast cauliflower, tandoori, yoghurt
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2 people

Ingredients

  • 1/2 head cauliflower (approx 500g / 1lb)
  • 4 chicken thigh fillets
  • 1 tablespoon tandoori spice or 2 teaspoons each smoked paprika + curry powder
  • large handful roast cashews (50g / 2oz)
  • 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt
  • bunch coriander leaves picked

Instructions

  1. Turn your oven to 250C (480F). Chop cauliflower into bite sized little trees and place in a large roasting tray. Slice each chicken thigh into 4 strips and add to the tray.
  2. Combine spices and 4 tablespoons olive oil in a small bowl with a very generous pinch of salt. Drizzle spiced oil over the cauli and chicken and toss well until the oil has coated everything. I find clean fingers the best tool for this job.
  3. Pop the uncovered tray in the oven. Set your timer for 20 minutes.
  4. After 20 minutes, check the cauliflower and chicken. If the cauliflower and chicken are cooked through and well browned, remove from the oven. If they’re not quite done, stir and cook for another 5 minutes or so. If in doubt give them more time.
  5. When the cauliflower is well browned and the chicken is no longer pink in the middle, divide chicken + cauli between two plates. Top with coriander leaves, cashews and the yoghurt.

Recipe Video

Tandoori Cauliflower Variations & Substitutions

different spice – you could just use 2-3 teaspoons curry powder or make your own tandoori blend with equal parts smoked paprika, coriander and cumin. Spice pastes can also be used, depending on the strength you will need 2-3 tablespoons tandoori paste.

Keto / ultra low carb – use macadamias instead of cashews. Halve the cauli and serve with baby spinach leaves instead.

vegetarian – replace chicken with cooked chickpeas. Or serve with poached or fried eggs, crumbled feta, diced paneer (Indian cheese), pan fried halloumi or a big bowl of dahl or lentils. Or just serve with extra cashews.

dairy-free – coconut yoghurt or cashew yoghurt or almond hummus, mayonnaise.

more substantial (carb lovers) – steamed rice or naan bread.

more substantial (low carb) – extra nuts, extra chicken or chunks of avocado. Use mayonnaise instead of yoghurt (or both!), cauliflower ‘rice’.

Low FODMAP – use low FODMAP veg instead of the cauli. Such as carrots, kohlrabi or celeriac.

family-friendly – use 2 teaspoons smoked paprika and 2 teaspoon cumin.

different vegetables – carrots, kohlrabi or celeriac, eggplant, mushrooms (yum tandoori mushrooms!), zucchini (courgettes), capsicum (bell peppers) sweet potato, pumpkin, thinly sliced onion, parsnips.

different herbs – use flat leaf parsley, mint, basil or baby spinach leaves instead of the coriander.

different protein – chicken breast fillets, diced lamb, white fish, salmon, sausages, chickpeas, poached or fried eggs (added when serving), dahl or cooked lentils (to serve).

more fancy / for entertaining – slice an onion in half lengthwise and then into thin 1/2 moons. Toss them with the cauliflower and spiced oil for extra depth of flavour. Serve with chilli oil for everyone to add spice to taste. Serve with another curry like Lesh’s Dahl, Butter Chickpeas, Lamb Saag or Easy Fish Curry.

Waste Avoidance Strategy

cauliflower – will keep for weeks in a plastic bag in the fridge. Can be frozen but the texture isn’t as good when defrosted.

chicken thigh fillets – freeze them.

roast cashews / tandoori spice (or smoked paprika + curry powder) – keep them in the pantry.

yoghurt – usually has a shelf life of a month or so. Otherwise, have it for another meal like breakfast! Don’t freeze.

coriander – best to use for another meal. Can be frozen but will wilt when defrosted.

Prepare Ahead

Yes! Just cook as per the recipe but keep the, yoghurt, coriander + cashews separately. Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen. To serve, warm spiced chicken and cauli in a pan with a little oil then serve with remaining ingredients. If the weather is warm it’s also excellent chilled.

Tandoori Cauliflower

More Recipes Similar to Tandoori Cauliflower

Have fun in the kitchen!

With love,
Jules x

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10 Comments

  • 5 stars
    I just read about this recipe and I will definitely make it! And this recipe is freely accessible too. :)

    I’m so Great-Full that I purchased your StonesoupVirtualCookerySchool.com Life-Time MemberShip When I had the Opportunity! I like that “Life-Time” -it sounds so Life-(ie. Love) Affirming doesn’t it? What could be more Love-ly than cooking delicious and healthy meals for YourSelf and Family and Friends of whatever kind?

    My Cooking Update: I have been Buying and Cooking 1kg of Bulk Grass Fed and Finished Beef mince all-most every 2 days and melting cheese and adding other things like salad and tomato sauce to it! The taste of the mince even by itself is delicious and tasty enough to eat by itself which is really saying something!

    So far from “GinginBeef.com”, which is in Western Australia and also delivers to Perth, Western Australia, I’ve bought 5 packs of approx. 1 kg each Regular ie. Full Fat Grass Fed Beef Mince then a second order of the same however 10 approx. 1 kg packs instead of 5.

    Full Fat Meat for me! I don’t pay extra for the “privilege” and “convenience” of removing the Natural Fat and get “lean”. The Brain has a higher percentage of Fat than any other part of the Human Body so imagine what a “low fat diet” “or “lean” does for your mental and emotional functioning?

    Also, all other Animals and Plants “HAVE a diet of ” or “EAT a diet of ” or simply “eat “, and yet since the advent of the “Diet INDUSTRY” humans “go ON a diet” (and then “go OFF it). If “diets” (diet”s” plural, animals and plants have a “diet” not “dietS”):

    If “dietS” “worked” how come we as a society have become so fat and overweight and unhealthy?

    (IMPORTANT NOTE: EATING Fat does NOT MAKE you “fat” – here’s my freely accessible and available article on “https://medium.com/@steven.lynch/eating-fat-does-not-make-you-fat-50bb2de6ed14”)

    Why is it when you “go ON a diet” – it is a GOOD(TM) thing and the “Diet INDUSTRY” praises you and themselves and TAKES ALL THE CREDIT for “WONDERFUL DIETS THAT WORK”;

    YET when you “go OFF” a diet you’re “useless” and “lazy” and “a bad human being” and it’s “all your fault”, and YOU get to TAKE ALL THE CREDIT FOR THE FAILURE OF THE DIET!

    So anyway, after that IMPORTANT “SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT” :) back to the topic of my buying and cooking Grass Ged Beef mince “GinginBeef.com” (the two quotes below are from their website):

    “We pride ourselves on producing beef of the highest standard being full of flavour and completely natural. All our beef is Dry Aged for a minimum of 35 days with a greater concentration and saturation of natural flavours as well as tenderness of the meat texture. This process involves considerable expense, as the beef must be stored near freezing temperatures, because of this dry aged beef is seldom available outside specialty steak restaurants.

    All our beef is grown without hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified inputs, grain feeding or feedlot confinement.”

    “All our packaging is chemical free, we will only use vacuum packing where the air is removed from the package to extend the life of the meat. We do not use MAP packaging where gas is added to the package to retain the colour of the meat and extend the life.”

    Gingin Beef began on a family farm in Gingin, Western Australia. It is raised to organic standards but it is not certified organic which apparently can take a couple of years and has high costs, so I Can comprehend their Decision to not get Organic Certification. Regardless, I really enjoy the taste and quality of this Gingin Grass Fed Beef and Will Continue to “pay attention” and “buy” from them!

    Now specifically to the Cooking! Finally!

    I add cheese and tomato sauce and will soon again start adding flavourings and spices. I did that before with meat that wasn’t as good quality or flavour-FULL, but that’s not the case anyMore. Here are ingredients I currently have in my pantry:

    – Organic Turmeric (powder). Turmeric is very Healthy by ItSelf and when combined with Ginger (not too much Ginger because it is very Strong) is great for Relieving Nausea. Turmeric is also used as a dye for clothes, so clean your Utensils Well and Promptly! Fresh Turmeric Root has other very healthy nutrients in it but Turmeric Powder doesn’t go off, it has an extremely long shelf life and there’s no waste if you don’t eat it fast.

    – Natural Pink Himalayan Salt – Real Natural, not fake “natural”. Himalayan Salt has a Healthy Balance, unlike “table salt” which is NaCl ie. Sodium Chloride with no mineral balance at all!

    – Ground Black Pepper (Black Peppercorns in a grinder provide fresher-Tasting pepper but aren’t as handy).

    – Organic Cinnamon.

    -Garlic Powder. WARNING: “Garlic Powder” or “Garlic” is NOT the same as “Garlic Salt”! “Garlic Salt” is NOT Natural and is TOXIC!

    – Thyme Leaves.

    – And occasionally a bit of Organic Ground Ginger which can be also used by itself for nausea but if you only have one Turmeric is better by itself. Turmeric and Ginger are Synergistic and Exponentially better Together when it comes to Relieving Nausea.

    – And sometimes a bit of Organic Cayenne Pepper!

    – Also I Will be using other Herbs and Spices and I AM even going to be starting an Edible Garden on my Covered Balcony (which has a Clothes Line and is GREAT for getting Clothes Dry even when it is Rain-ing!)

    Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy Jules’ free blog “TheStonesoup.com” and Premium Cooking and Recipe Site: “StonesoupVirtualCookerySchool.com”!

    I accept all that I am, right here, right now in this moment. Nothing can stop you and nothing can make you!

    I am that I am.

    And so it is!

    • Thank you for this Steven. I do enjoy Jules’ blog, newsletters and recipes. I also appreciate her personal and quick responses to my questions. Your comments were very interesting. Keep on living in the moment.

  • Made this Tandoori Cauliflower last night. Oh my gosh, it was wonderful. Hubby said…you can put this in your good list !!!

  • 5 stars
    Love the cauliflower! I’m also trying to switch to a healthier lifestyle and started to mine for healthy recipes like yours. Also, I started a marathon training with SportMe, and I managed to get rid of some pounds. Your blog posts are super inspiring for me in this phase, thanks!

  • 5 stars
    Hi Jules, thank you – this was delicious! Didn’t have tandoori so used smoked paprika and cumin from your suggestions. Served with rice, yoghurt and cashews. The cauli goes perfect in this recipe. Can’t wait to try it again!

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