Roasted Tandoori Cauliflower (Gobi) Steaks

Tandoori cauliflower steaks coated in a delicious and simple Indian-influenced yoghurt paste, then roasted until tender in a very hot oven.

This dish takes around 45 minutes to prepare and cook and it works just as well as a vegetable side dish as it does a vegetarian centerpiece to a meal.

Indian Roasted Tandoori Gobi

Tandoori recipes are no stranger to my website, I’ve got everything from BBQ tandoori chicken to tandoori prawns and tandoori cod to tandoori lamb chops.

The latest ingredient to get coated in my favourite Indian tandoori paste are some cauliflower steaks.

I love cauliflower, it has a wonderful flavour and texture and cutting thick slices of the stuff and roasting it with some form of glaze or sauce is always simple and delicious!

This recipe uses a technique that is very similar to my pomegranate molasses cauliflower steak recipe.

Yet the flavours are very different, it uses an easy homemade tandoori marinade that I have been tweaking and honing for nearly 30 years.

The great thing about doing this with cauliflower is that there is no need to marinate it. By all means you can, but cauliflower doesn’t “absorb” flavour like other ingredients.

As a result, you can “schlop” the tandoori marinade over the steaks and throw them in the oven, job done, and they are so very tasty!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook this in an air fryer?

Yes, but unless you have an air fryer with a double drawer or an extra large cauliflower you will struggle with size.

They work a little better in an air fryer than in the oven, cook them at 200°C or 390°F for 25-30 minutes. Just like my oven instructions, give them a drizzle of oil halfway through the cooking time.

Can use cauliflower florets rather than “steaks”?

Yes, just toss the cauliflower in the tandoori paste, give it a “massage” to get a good coating and cook it as per my instructions.

Can I use low-fat yoghurt?

I would not use low-fat yoghurt in this recipe, the very high cooking temperature risks having the yoghurt split.

Can I do this with a whole head of cauliflower?

That was my original plan for this recipe, however it disappointed me. As I mentioned further up this page, cauliflower does take on flavour like some ingredients.

I found that I get a far more pleasing balance of cauliflower and Indian flavours by cooking it as thick slices.

What can I make with the leftover cauliflower?

Cutting steaks from a large head of cauliflower will lead to you having leftover bits. Don’t worry, you can use them to make everything from my creamy cauliflower soup and of course an aloo gobi curry to my Thai vegetable curry soup or cauliflower rice.

You can also blanch and freeze cauliflower and have it on hand for whenever you need it.

Serving Suggestions

These tandoori cauliflower steaks are just as good as a main course as a side dish.

In these pictures, I have used them as the centrepiece of a light vegetarian meal. They are served with a chunky version of my kachumber salad, some mint raita and mango chutney.

I’d usually add some flatbread on the side too, either my chapati bread or some flaky paratha would be ideal.

They are also superb served on top of dal, this dal makhani recipe would be perfect.

As a side, you could easily serve these with any curry. But I think they shine with something like my Indian roast chicken legs or my chicken shashlik.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But, if you have any questions feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Oven.
• Baking tray.
• Baking/cooling grid.
• Tin foil, this will help reduce the washing up.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Grater.
• Mixing bowl and whisk.
• A combination of weighing scales, measuring cups and spoons.