Want a Bada-Boom presentation for your next dinner party? This whole roasted Cauliflower Tandoori is a great way to go; plus, it’s healthy, easy and mildly spicy; who could resist?
Tandoori marinade is one of the softest on the heat level Indian sauces but still super aromatic. Cauliflower Tandoori works wonders with it, and this presentation would suit an Indian-style BBQ perfectly; you could cut slices of it and make it grill slightly on the grill!
Tandoori Marinade/Paste

I know… Tandoori means the Tandoor oven they cook with; in India, it’s not an actual sauce… But in our globalized world and adjusting India’s spice level to the Westerners’ fragile tongues, the “tandoori” marinade is the solution. Tandoori marinade comes in a paste, sold worldwide, and it’s a great way to experiment with Indian food at home. Plus, it gives a nice red colour to food. You could also make it yourself with spices, but I like it best in its paste form. You’ll have to mix the paste with natural yogurt; I like it extra tasty and red, so I always use the same quantity of yogurt as a tandoori paste.

No Marinating
For this recipe, we won’t need to marinade the cauliflower for hours, although we’ll cover the whole cauliflower with it and put it directly in the oven after boiling it. Add a tablespoon of Ghee (clarified butter) to the boiling water if you want a tad more flavour to your cauliflower. The butter will slide through the cauliflower and give it a special touch.

Serve with
In India, they like to serve this with a green Raita, a sauce made of yogurt and mint. You might serve it as a side dish or a main meal, as I did by adding rice, baby spinach leaves and pineapple pieces. I love to pair tandoori with juicy sweet pineapple; it’s a divine combination!
Other Indian Recipes
- CURRY POPCORN
- TANDOORI CHICKEN-PINEAPPLE SKEWERS
- INDIAN-FLAVORED CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS

Cauliflower Tandoori
Instructions
- In a big pot, boil the cauliflower in salted water for 5 minutes.
- Mix the yogurt and tandoori paste.
- Cover the cauliflower with the tandoori sauce (make those hands dirty!).
- Cook in the oven lower level with a sheet of aluminum paper on top at 180°C (350F°) for 45 minutes.
7 Comments
I’ve been LOVING roasted cauliflower lately (I’m actually working on a recipe of my own) — crazy how hearty and satisfying it can be! Beautiful recipe. 🙂
thanks Justine!
This is so simple and effective! I love how it looks like a “roast” of some kind but it vegetarian
Thanks Amanda!
I’m a spice wimp too!! My body just does not have the tolerance or liking for it. But I LOVE Indian food. The presentation of this dish is seriously bababoom! Thinking I need to have a dinner party just to serve this 🙂
Great to here Meaghan;)
This is truly inspired! I love tandoori and roasted cauliflower! I can’t wait to try it!