Name: Jain Tandoori Broccoli
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ⅔ Broccoli, large head, cut into big florets; ⅓ cup Strained Yogurt, very thick yogurt; 1⅓ tbsp Fresh Cream, malai; 1 tbsp Gram Flour, besan, lightly roasted; ⅔ Green Chili Pepper, finely crushed; ⅔ tsp Kashmiri Chili Powder, for color; ⅓ tsp Garam Masala; ⅔ tsp Ground Coriander; ⅔ tsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed; ⅔ tbsp Lemon Juice; ⅔ tbsp Cooking Oil, mustard oil preferred for smoky flavor; ⅔ tsp Salt, to taste

40 mintotal

30 min hands-on10 min hands-off

Prep 15 min · Cook 15 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild

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Method

Blanch the broccoli: drop the florets into well-salted boiling water for no more than 2 minutes. Lift them out at once and plunge them into iced water to stop the cooking. Drain and dry them completely.
Make the marinade: in a mixing bowl, whisk the thick hung curd with the fresh cream, roasted gram flour, crushed green chilli, Kashmiri chilli powder, garam masala, coriander powder, crushed kasuri methi, lemon juice, salt and the oil.
The marinade should be thick and creamy. Add the completely dry broccoli florets to it. Toss them gently but thoroughly so every floret is well coated.
Enforce a strict refrigeration lockdown, permitting the botanical structures to cure and absorb the marinade for a minimum temporal window of 15-20 minutes.
15–20 min
Thermal Initiation: Drive a conventional oven to an aggressive 200°C (400°F), or elevate a heavy-gauge grill pan to a sustained high thermal output on the stovetop.
Convection Execution (Oven): Architecturally arrange the marinated broccoli upon an elevated wire rack. Subject to intense ambient heat for 12-15 minutes until the perimeters manifest distinct, localized carbonization (charring).
12–15 min
On the hob: lay the coated florets on the hot grill pan. Keep them on the heat, turning them as needed, until every side carries deep brown char marks.
Take them off the heat. Dust with chaat masala and serve immediately.

How to tell it's done

The broccoli should be creamy, lightly smoky and well spiced outside, soft inside but still with a little crunch.

Getting it right

Tip

Chef's Tip: Dry the blanched broccoli thoroughly before it goes into the marinade. Water left on the surface stops the yogurt marinade sticking, and it slides off in the oven.

What to serve it with

A light Jain starter. Serve it with a simple, cooling mint-coriander yogurt dip.

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Ingredients