20 June 2015

Tandoori Gobi: A Vegan Cauliflower Meal Baked Whole


Cauliflower is one of our favorites and Tandoori Gobi was the first cauliflower recipe I tried making when we got an oven. This is also the first "veganized" dish I made since we went vegan. The second one is Vegan Longganisa, which is a Filipino breakfast favorite.

Anyway, this recipe is a keeper. Trust me! In fact, we've already made Tandoori Gobi 5 times prior to this posting and we will be making it again and again.

So give this one a try at your home!


What are needed?

1.  Garlic - 2 heads, peeled
2.  Ginger - an inched, chopped into a smaller size, made into a paste together with garlic using a
     blender or a ready-made ginger-garlic paste is also fine
3.  Onions, 3 medium size, made into paste
4.  Tomatoes, 4 medium size, made into puree
5.  Fresh cauliflower, whole, 500 to 700 gram
6.  Red chili powder, 1/2 tsp. or as you prefer
7.  Turmeric powder, 1 tsp.
8.  Tandoori masala, 1 tbsp. (Kitchen King or Garam Masala can be used instead though I am using Tandoori Masala)
9.  Coconut oil or other vegetable oil
10. Coriander powder, 1/2 tsp.
11. Amchur or mango powder, 1/2 tsp.
12. Salt to taste
13. Lemon, 2 pcs.
14. Coconut oil or other vegetable oil

Then,

How to do it?

1. Wash the whole cauliflower thoroughly especially in between florets. You can even keep it in a
    deep pan covered with water for 2 minutes to make sure no insect is trapped.
2. Using the same deep pan, par boil gobi. Make sure that the entire gobi is covered with water. Turn
    sides if needed. This is to make sure that the whole gobi is cooked. Do NOT overcook, though!
3. Remove and let the water drain.

In the meantime....

Prepare all the ingredients. Make all the paste first for easy and quick cooking later on.

Then....

4.  In a shallow kadai or pan, heat 2 tbsp. oil (more later) and stir-fry ginger-garlic paste till it turns
    little brown.
5. Add onion paste. You can add salt, too. It helps in cooking the onion quicker.
6. Pour in tomato puree. Mix well. Stir-fry till oil separates from the mixture or till it becomes drier.



7. Add the masalas: chili powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, tandoori masala, amchur, and
    salt (if required). Check the taste.
8. Saute' and mix until the mixture becomes a smooth dry paste.
9. Keep aside to cool or use immediately.

Next:



10. When gobi is waterless, slowly cover or coat the entire gobi with the masala mixture. Begin at the bottom of the gobi where inserting masala paste is easier. Fill in the gaps of each floret as much
      as possible. (Shown above)
11. When the whole gobi is fully covered/coated, you can either preheat the oven for 10 minutes at 200-degree Celsius immediately or let it stay soaked with masala for around 30 minutes then do the
      preheating.
12. When done, bake it at 200 degrees for 30 minutes.


13. When gobi is removed, use a knife and cut it into 4 or 8 parts and add lemon juice on top, in
      between cuts, and in between florets.
14. Serve hot. It can be eaten alone or with cucumber, roti, rice, or chapati.


My Notes:
~For a 500 gm or 700 gm gobi, my husband and I had a good fill. An ideal for a family of 3 to 4.
~The bigger the cauliflower you use, the more paste you should make so just add 1 or 2 more onion, tomatoes, and a little bit more of ginger and garlic. Adjust the spices, too!
~We tried a vegetable fried rice combination which was good but can be skipped.
~It is best eaten with mint chutney, a recommended combination.

Do try this recipe, come back and share your experience! Enjoy!