Sometimes, you just need a showy roast. Holidays are a good example. But these dates are traditionally not very vegan oriented, so you need a recipe that’s equally irresistible to non-vegans. Vegan Cooking Ninjas Chelsea and Jake @VeggiesDoItBetter, a gorgeous cauliflower head and Indianlife Tandoori Masala to the rescue!
This recipe presents beautifully at the table. It’s a loving vegan version of the hearty, satisfying comfort food that makes a special meal. It’s surprisingly easy — and surprisingly healthy!
Cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable, like broccoli, cabbage and kale. With its taste, texture and ability to absorb flavors cauliflower is a popular vegan meat substitute. And it’s sooooo nutritious: Like all cruciferous veggies, cauliflower is high in the plant compound sulforaphane. Sulforaphane helps reduce inflammatory damage, protects cells from DNA damage and is key to the power cruciferous veggies have earned as cancer and heart disease fighters. Cauliflower is brain-healthy too! It’s a source of choline, an essential nutrient for mood, memory and the central nervous system.
Vegan Tandoori Cauliflower Roast
Ingredients Creates 2 to 4 servings (depending on size of cauliflower head used)
One jar Indianlife Tandoori Masala Spice
One Whole Cauliflower Head, trimmed and dried
3 Carrots, coarse-chopped or cut into roasting size pieces
1 Large Yellow Onion, coarsely chopped
2-4 Red Potatoes, cut into quarters, eighths or your favourite “roasting size” pieces
8 Oz. Container of Vegan Sour Cream or Vegan Unsweetened Plain Yogurt
3 T Filtered Water (Drinking Water)
1/2 tsp Salt (Sea Salt, Himalayan or other)
For a spicier roast, add 1/2 tsp Indianlife Red Chili Powder
Optional: Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro Serve with vegan raita or tzatziki sauce
Optional: Serve with homemade Garlic Naan as a side (see recipe below)
Cauliflower Roast Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (204 C). Prepare your pot too: grease a Dutch Oven (or similar roasting pot wth lid). TIP: For even more flavor, marinate your cauliflower head in the sauce overnight before baking.
Wash and prep veggies. The carrots and potatoes can be cut/chopped at your discretion into roasting-size pieces (see photo of finished dish), coarse chop the onion.
Lay veggies on a clean towel (Carrots/potatoes can dry in a mesh colander). Allow the veggies to dry while you prepare your sauce. Important: Make sure your washed cauliflower is placed on a towel, face down, so the moisture can easily drain out.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, tandoori masala, olive oil, and sea salt. Add 1/2 tsp red chili powder if you’d like more spice.
Place the prepped carrots, potatoes, and onions in the bottom of your greased Dutch oven pot.
Clear some space in the center. Place your whole cauliflower in the center of the dutch oven upside down (core side up). Arrange the other veggies in a circle around it. pot
Drizzle 1/3 of the sauce over the cauliflower and let it drip down into the core.
Now turn the cauliflower right side up and use a basting brush to completely cover the rest of the cauliflower.
Coat the rest of the veggies with the leftover sauce.
Cover with a lid and bake until the cauliflower and other veggies are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork. About 35-45 minutes.
Remove the lid and boil for 5 minutes or until the cauliflower top is golden brown.
This versatile dish can be served with rice and vegan raita or tzatziki sauce (add a pinch of Indianlife Ground Cumin and Indianlife Garam Masala.)
Or serve with a side green vegetable dish and homemade garlic naan using Indianlife Naan bread. Or can enjoy this meal with other Indianlife flatbreads too! Try it with Indianlife Roti.
Garlic Naan Ingredients Creates 2 to 4 servings
Indianlife Naan bread (1 to 4 pieces, to taste)
Indianlife Ghee for vegetarians who can have dairy, or melted vegan butter of your choice for a 100% vegan meal
Fresh or Dried Parsely, Finely chopped
Garlic Naan Instructions
Take a piece of naan and set on a large piece of foil, Brush the top with melted vegan butter or ghee, then sprinkle some chopped garlic (to taste) and parsley on top.
Fold the foil over the naan so it doesn’t touch the top and air fry at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes or bake in a preheated oven at 375 for 5-6 minutes.
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