Tandoori Cauliflower With Mint Chutney

I did this Tandoori Cauliflower With Mint Chutney recently. Again, just another one of my endless effort to coax my kids to eat more vegetables, this time, cauliflower. They are just not bothered with cauliflower unless it’s roasted with lots of spices. So, that’s just what I did. I cooked the cauliflower directly on the grill and served them hot with some mint chutney. They loved it and I was happy. Worked out as planned for me. Try it. :-)


Recipe adapted from The Moti Mahal Cookbook by Monish Gujral

Tandoori Cauliflower With Mint Chutney
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 Large (about 1.2 kg) Cauliflower, cut into large florets
3 Green Cardamoms
1” Stick Cinnamon
4 Cloves
5 Black Peppercorns
2 tsp Sea Salt

Marinade
4 Tbsp Yogurt
1 ½ tsp Red Chili Powder (Degi Mirch)
1 ½ tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 ½ tsp Cumin Powder
¾ tsp Black Salt (Kala Namak)
½ tsp Sea Salt
¾ tsp Chaat Masala
¾ tsp Coriander Powder
¾ tsp Fenugreek Leaves (Kasuri Methi)
2 tsp Ginger Paste
2 tsp Garlic Paste
1 tsp Dried Mint Leaves
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

Mint Chutney
30 g Mint Leaves, chopped
50 g Coriander Leaves
2 Tbsp Chopped Ginger
6 Green Chilies, seeded and chopped
2 Tbsp Pomegranate Seed Powder (Anardana)
1 Cup (250 g) Yogurt
1 tsp Sea Salt
Juice of 1 Lime

Method

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the cardamoms, cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, and sea salt. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add in the cauliflowers. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Then drain the cauliflowers and plunge into iced water. Drain when cool and pat dry.

In a medium bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients and rub into the cauliflowers and set aside for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the mint chutney. Grind all the ingredients except yogurt, salt and lime juice to make a smooth paste, gradually adding up to 4 tsp of water. Then mix in the yogurt, salt and lime juice.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Roast the cauliflowers in the oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cauliflowers are fully cooked but still firm.

or

Prepare the grill on medium heat for direct cooking. Preheat a perforated frill pan until hot, about 8 to 10 minutes. Spread the cauliflowers on the hot pan and grill for about 4 to 6 minutes, or until the cauliflowers are fully cooked but still firm.

Serve immediately with mint chutney.