Roasted Whole Cauliflower Tikka
A whole cauliflower in yogurt tikka marinade, roasted until tender, then served with a creamy tomato tikka gravy over the head.
Equipment
- Large pot or steamer
- Baking sheet or air fryer large enough for the head
- Blender for the gravy
Ingredients
For the cauliflower
- 1 medium cauliflower about 2 to 2.5 lb / 900 g to 1.1 kg before trim
- 1 teaspoon salt for the blanching water
For the tikka marinade
- 1/2 cup hung curd or plain Greek yogurt about 120 g
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon chaat masala
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
For the tikka gravy
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 medium tomatoes chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato puree
- 10 raw cashews
- 1 cup water divided
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup water or cream to loosen
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi crushed
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped
To finish
- 1 tablespoon oil or melted butter for brushing
- onion rings optional
- lemon wedges
- mint-cilantro chutney
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
Prep the cauliflower
- Trim the outer leaves and the thick woody stem. Keep enough core that the head stays in one piece.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Lower the cauliflower in and blanch 4 to 5 minutes. A knife should meet some resistance at the stem, not a raw crunch.
- Lift it out and set it stem-up in a colander for 10 minutes. Pat the crevices dry.
Marinate
- Whisk yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chili, coriander, cumin, garam masala, chaat masala, kasuri methi, salt, oil, and cilantro until thick.
- Score a shallow X in the stem. Using your hands, push marinade into the cut and between the florets, then coat the top and sides.
- Cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes, or up to overnight.
Oven
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with foil and brush it with oil.
- Set the cauliflower stem-down. Roast 35 to 45 minutes, until a knife slides into the stem with little resistance and the edges look browned.
- Brush with oil or butter. Broil 2 to 3 minutes for darker spots. Watch it. The marinade can go from browned to bitter fast.
Air fryer
- Heat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C). The trimmed head must sit in the basket without jamming the sides.
- Cook 18 to 22 minutes, turning once if your basket allows. Brush with oil in the last 3 minutes.
- If the top is pale and the stem is tender, give it 2 more minutes at 380°F (190°C).
Make the tikka gravy
- While the cauliflower roasts, heat oil in a pan on medium. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle.
- Add onion and cook 3 to 4 minutes, until soft. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook 1 minute, until the raw smell goes.
- Add chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, cashews, salt, and 1/4 cup water. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until the tomatoes collapse and you see oil at the edges.
- Add Kashmiri chili, coriander, garam masala, and sugar. Cook 2 minutes.
- Add the remaining 3/4 cup water. Stir, then blend until completely smooth.
- Return the gravy to the pan. Add butter, kasuri methi, and cilantro. Loosen with a splash of water or cream until it is pourable but still coats a spoon. Simmer 2 minutes.
Serve
- Set the roasted cauliflower on a warm platter. Pour gravy around the base and spoon some over the crown so it sits in the crevices.
- Garnish with cilantro. Serve with onion rings, lemon, mint chutney, and naan or cucumber raita.
Notes
Blanch or steam first. A raw head browns on top and stays hard in the core.
Drain stem-up and pat dry or the marinade will not cling.
Greek yogurt stands in for hung curd. Regular thin yogurt does not.
Head size changes time. Start checking a small head at 30 minutes in the oven, a large one at 45.
If the gravy tastes sharp, the tomatoes needed another minute before blending, or you need the teaspoon of sugar.
Jain: skip onion, garlic, and onion rings. Bloom a pinch of hing in the oil for both the marinade and the gravy. Use ginger only, or skip ginger too. Keep tomato, cashew, butter, and the same dry spices.
Vegan: thick unsweetened coconut or almond yogurt in the marinade. Cashew cream and oil in the gravy instead of butter and dairy cream.
No blender: mash the cooked tomato mix hard and accept a rustic gravy, or use an immersion blender in the pan.
Best eaten hot. Leftover wedges keep 2 days. Reheat in the air fryer 4 to 5 minutes. I do not freeze this.
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