Name: Tandoori Gobi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ⅔ medium Cauliflower, gobi, cut into large florets, blanched and bone-dry; ⅓ cup Strained Yogurt, thick yogurt without whey; 1⅓ tbsp Roasted Gram Flour, bhuna besan, essential for binding the marinade to the slippery gobi; ⅔ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; ⅔ tbsp Kashmiri Chili Powder, for color; ⅓ tsp Red Chilli Powder, spicy; ⅛ tsp Ground Turmeric; ⅓ tsp Roasted Cumin Powder; ⅓ tsp Garam Masala; ⅔ tbsp Dried Fenugreek Leaves, crushed; ⅓ tsp Carom Seeds, ajwain, crushed (helps digestion); 1 tbsp Mustard Oil, heated and cooled; ⅔ tbsp Lemon Juice; ⅔ tsp Salt, to taste; 1⅓ tbsp Butter, melted, for basting

1 hr 35 mintotal

35 min hands-on1 hr hands-off

Prep 10 min · Cook 25 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Medium
Spice: Medium

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Method

Check that the blanched cauliflower is thoroughly cold and completely dry. Pat it with kitchen paper if there is any moisture; water stops the marinade sticking.
Tandoori Emulsion Synthesis: Within a vast mixing vessel, relentlessly whisk the hyper-dense hung curd until a silken texture is forced. Introduce the roasted besan, ginger-garlic paste, Kashmiri chilli dust, spicy red chilli powder, turmeric, cumin powder, garam masala, crushed kasuri methi, pulverized ajwain, acidic lemon juice, and salt.
Pour the heated and cooled mustard oil over the spice mixture. Whisk hard to make a very thick, bright red paste.
Add the dried cauliflower to the red marinade. Using your hands, massage it in firmly so the thick paste works into every crevice of the florets.
Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, so the firm cauliflower takes up the spiced marinade.
1 hr
Preheat a conventional oven to 200°C (400°F), or heat a heavy grill pan to steady medium-high.
Methodically skewer the heavily armored gobi fragments, applying calculated spatial awareness to prevent structural fracturing of the florets.
Oven method: lay the skewers across a wire rack and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the outer edges are well charred and deeply roasted.
20–25 min
On the hob: lay the skewers on the oiled pan. Turn them every 4-5 minutes so they roast evenly and char on all sides.
4–5 min
In the last 3 minutes, baste the whole thing generously with melted butter. This crisps the outside and gives it a glossy finish. Slide it off the skewers, finish with chaat masala and serve hot.
3 min

How to tell it's done

Demand a profoundly smoky, deeply spiced, and heavily charred crimson crust that surrenders entirely to a structurally intact, tender, and gently sweet vegetable core that retains a microscopic snap.

Getting it right

Tip

Cauliflower has a slick surface that yogurt slides straight off. Adding roasted besan (gram flour) to the marinade is what makes it stick through the high-heat roasting.

What to serve it with

Serve it on a bed of finely shredded cabbage, with a sharp mint chutney and lemon.

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Ingredients