Roasted cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted cauliflower dish is so tempting and delicious that one cannot resist eating them. The roasting process brings a whole new flavor to the cauliflower. First cauliflower florets marinated in spicy yogurt which is prepared by adding grated ginger, minced garlic, fenugreek leaves and tandoori masala, then these florets are roasted on barbecue grill or oven. Indians love cauliflower, they never seems to get enough of it, especially Northwest India. In winter time it is cooked in some form at almost every meal. This particular fondness has resulted in numerous ways of cooking this vegetable and roasted cauliflower is one of them. Tandoori cauliflower is fun to make and they could be added to summer barbeque parties or served as a snack in parties.

Ingredients:

1    Small head of Cauliflower
2    Tablespoons gram flour
½   Tablespoon minced garlic
½   Tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 Teaspoon lemon juice
½   Teaspoon Garam masala
1    Teaspoon red chili powder
1    Cup plain hung thick yogurt or
     Greek style preferred
2   Tablespoons melted butter or ghee
3   Teaspoons Tandoori masla- any brand
1   Teaspoon salt or to your taste
½ Teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
1   Teaspoon chaat masala
2   Teaspoons dry kasturi methi
     (Fenugreek leaves)
     Few drops of red color (optional)

Optional vegetables:

1    Medium green bell pepper
     (Capsicum, shimla mirch)
1    Medium red bell pepper
     (Capsicum, shimla mirch)
1    Medium onions

Other needs:

Vegetable oil or melted butter for basting
5 to 6 wooden or metal skewers
Oven baking tray with the grid and lined with aluminum foil (if you are baking in oven)

Cooking measurement conversion
Measurement converter

Cauliflower

Red capsicum , green
capsicum and onion

Directions:

1. If using wooden skewers then soak the skewer sticks in water for 30 minutes to
    protect it from burning.

2. Remove the outer leaves from the cauliflower head.

3. With a sharp knife remove the stalk from the head the cauliflower by cutting
     around it. When the stalk is removed, the core with the florets attached will
     be remaining.

Remove the outer leaves

Remover the stalk

4. Now begin to remove the florets by cutting each cluster from the core, leaving
about 1” stem with each floret. Finish cutting the remainder of the head in the
same manner. Keep each floret into uniform size pieces.

Cut the cluster from the core

Remove floret from the cluster

5. Wash and rinse the cauliflower florets.

Cauliflower florets

Wash and rinse the florets

6. If roasting onions and capsicums then remove the seeds from the capsicums and chop them into 1” pieces. Peel and cut the onion into 1” chunks and separate the layers. Chop bell peppers and onion into same size pieces so that they cook evenly.

7. Add 5 cups of water in a sauce pan and bring it to boil. Add lemon juice, ¼
teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon of salt and mix.

Chopped Bell peppers and onion

In a pan boil the water

8. Add cauliflower florets in boiling water and cook uncovered for 3 to 4 minutes.
Do not overcook the cauliflower florets.

In boiling water add lemon juice, salt & turmeric powder

in boiling water add cauliflower florets

9. Pour the cauliflower into a colander and drain the water out from the cauliflower florets and rinse with cold water so that it cools down and do not cook any more.

10. In a large bowl, add yogurt, grated ginger, minced garlic, tandoori masala,
     ½ teaspoon of salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, ¼
     teaspoon turmeric powder, chaat masala kasturi methi, red color, besan and
     melted butter or ghee and mix them together and make a smooth mixture.

Drain and rinse cauliflower florets

In a bowl add yogurt and other marinade ingredients

11. Add boiled cauliflower florets in the marinade and if roasting capsicums and
     onions then add them with cauliflowers and mix them well. Make sure all the
     florets and the vegetables are coated with the marinade, cover the bowl and
     place it in the refrigerator for half hour. Do not marinade the cauliflower and
   vegetable for too long because they release water and marinade will become
     watery.

Marinade mixture

Add cauliflower florets capsicums and onion in marinade

12. Apply a light coat of cooking oil on regardless of what type of skewers you
     use so that after cooking vegetables slides out easily.

13. Take one skewer at a time and thread the cauliflower florets crosswise through
     the stems onto the skewers, the flower ends should all be pointing up. Thread
     capsicums and onions on separate skewers because they take different cooking
     time. Place the skewers on a plate and repeat.

Mix the vegetables with marinade

Thread the vegetables on skewers

Cauliflower can be grilled or roasted several different ways. I have written how to grill in the oven, how to grill on barbeque grill or in the frying pan. Whatever way is convenient to you.

Directions to bake in the oven:

1. Preheat the oven at 400 degree. Turn the oven to broil. With a brush baste the
   vegetables with oil or melted butter.

2. Line the baking tray with aluminum foil to catch the drip if any so that oven tray does not end up with hard dried and burned marinade. Place the baking rack over the tray and place the skewers opposite to the rack tines so that vegetables do not drop through the tines.

3. Let the vegetable cook for 7 to 8 minutes then turn them around and let them cook for another 7 to 8 minutes or until they turn brown. You will know when the vegetables are done when they start turning lightly brown, if you want you can also char them a little, but don’t overcook as the cauliflower becomes dry.The cauliflower florets should be tender, juicy and well cooked. Capsicums and onions may take little longer to cook then cauliflower beacuse cauliflower is already half cooked. Timing of cooking varies because oven temperatures vary from oven to oven.

4. Remove the baking dish from the oven and take the vegetables out from the
    skewers and serve them hot with green chutney or mint chutney.

Place the baking tray in the oven

cauliflowers and capsicums are baked

Grilling Cauliflower over the barbeque grill:

You could also grill cauliflower on outdoor grill (barbeque grill) or over the stove top grill. Grilling over grill gives smoky flavor.

1. If using a charcoal grill, then light the charcoals and let them burn until there is a white coating of ash on all the coals. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, keep the lid close. Keep some oil in a small bowl and a basting brush aside

2. Once the grill becomes hot with a wire brush cleans the grill. With the basting brush lightly oil the grate of the grill.

3. Place the vegetable skewers on the grill opposite to the grill tines to prevent them from falling into fire. Keep the skewers approximately 3 “apart leaving space to turn them while cooking. With a brush baste the vegetables with oil or melted butter.

4. Cover the grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, then again brush some oil or melted butter over the vegetables and turn them around and continue to grill. Keep turning the skewers around for another 5 to 6 minutes or until all sides of vegetables are lightly charred but crisp. Capsicums and onions may take little longer to cook then cauliflower beacuse cauliflower is already half cooked.

5. Take them off the skewers immediately and place them in the plate. Serve
them hot.

Place the skewers on the grill

Cauliflower & Capsicums are grilled

6. Instead of grilling the vegetables on the skewers you can grill
them on a grilling pan.

Grill vegetables in grilling pan

vegetables are grilled

Grill in the frying pan:

If you do not have oven, tandoor or barbeque grill don’t get discourage you can still make delicious grill vegetables in the frying pan.

1. On medium heat add 2 tablespoon of oil in a wide non stick frying pan or use regular tawa and add more oil while shallow frying to prevent it from sticking.

2. Place the vegetables on the pan and fry for 12 to 15 minutes, gently keep turning the vegetables around every 2 minutes or so until all the sides are evenly browned. If you want to give little chard look then in the end turn the heat on high and stir the vegetables until you have the desired looks.

Add vegetables in the pan

vegetables are baked

Tips:

1. Select cauliflower which is clean, firm and creamy white with compact florets. Avoid cauliflower that has brown spots or have grainy texture. Refrigerate cauliflower until it is ready for use.

2. Paneer cubes, mushrooms, squash or even boiled potatoes could be added with cauliflower for roasting to make interesting variations and serve them with toothpicks as an appetizer or as a snack.

3. For marinate thick hung yogurt is preferred otherwise marinate become watery and it would not coat the vegetables. If you do not have thick yogurt, take plain yogurt, line a strainer with a cloth or a kitchen towel, put the strainer inside a mixing bowl. The bottom of the strainer must be suspended at least 1 inch above the bottom of the mixing bowl. Pour the yogurt in the strainer and place it in the refrigerator and leave it for 3 to 4 hours or until all the liquid has drips out of the cloth and into the bowl. Scoop out the yogurt and it is ready to be used. Strained yogurt should be thick and less than half the original volume.

Please take the time to let me know what you think about my recipe. Your comments would be helpful to me to improve the recipe.

Thank you

Geeta Seth

Other recipes:

Chicken kebabs                                                     Paneer tikkas

Chicken stir fry kebabs                                       Chicken seekah kebabs

Tandoori chicken                                                Butter chicken

Beef kebabs                                                         Beef seekah kebabs