on the menu : tandoori spiced cauliflower

TANDOORI SPICED CAULIFLOWER

A tandoor oven (typically used in Southern/Central/Western Asia) is smoking hot and exposes whatever food you put in there to live-fire.  Flavors that result are often smoky and the food beautifully charred.  Most household kitchens do not come equipped with traditional tandoors, but that’s no excuse not to recreate tandoori flavors.

I cheated a bit and purchased a pre-packaged tandoori marinade.  The ingredients contained nothing unnatural and it saved me some trouble/time on a busy weeknight.  The package will tell you to marinade poultry, meat, or tofu.  I, on the other hand, went with cauliflower!  Cauliflower stands up great in the oven and certainly has the capability to soak in flavors well.  I was so pleased with the end result.  I was a little worried that the marinade would just sit at the bottom and not go anywhere, but it was completely immersed in the vegetables.

The dish is perfect for summer as well because you can satisfy your Indian cravings without having to sweat through a big bowl of curry!

INGREDIENTS:

• Cauliflower (1 head)
• Tandoori Marinade* (1 package)
• Greek Yogurt (1/3 cup)
• Yellow Onion (1/2)
• Lemon (1/2)
• Salt + Pepper

*I used a store-bought Sukhi’s brand but feel free to make your own!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk together the Tandoori marinade, yogurt, and lemon juice in a bowl until completed combined.
2. Break apart the cauliflower florets and place into the bowl.  Coat the florets fully.
3. Slice up the onion and add to the marinade.  Toss with the cauliflower and again, make sure everything is coated fully.
4. Cover the bowl with saran wrap and place it in the fridge to marinade for at least 2 hours.
5. When you’re ready to cook the vegetables, pre-heat the oven to 375 F.
6. Place the vegetables with the marinade into an ovenproof dish.  Pop into the oven and cook until the marinade has reduced; roughly 40 minutes.
7. Serve immediately with a side of brown rice or some curry perhaps.

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