Cauliflower in Korma Sauce
For Thanksgiving, I love to make this vegetarian showstopper as I like to call it. Roasted Cauliflower in Cashew Korma Sauce. Vegetarian dishes can also make a great main dish for gatherings. Ofcourse, our Thanksgiving table would have Indianized food. This Gobhi dish is an ode to that both cultures.
The reason I love this dish when friends or family is coming over as it is whole roasted cauliflower and perfect for large gatherings. It makes prefect showstopper dish for the table and for bigger gatherings. This is dish is famous in Uttar Pradesh in India also called Gobi Mussalam.
Gobi is blanched in water for few minutes and then roasted and a roasted with a rich cashew-based sauce until it takes up the flavors of the sauce and becomes soft. I serve extra sauce on the side. This dish of roasted cauliflower is served with rich and creamy cashew sauce. It elevates cauliflower to another level.
The sauce is creamy, buttery, and delicious. Serve it with some rice, rotis or naan. With a side of raita and papad, it can make a good meal in itself.
What I love about this dish is that if you end up with leftovers then, you can literally convert them in tacos, drizzle some leftover raita or add some pickled onions. So good.
The recipe is in two parts.
Blanching and roasting the cauliflower –
I blanch the cauliflower for 10 minutes while the oven is pre-heating. Blanching makes sure the cauliflower is cooked thoroughly and stays soft in the middle too. Roasting adds nice flavor to it. Who doesn’t love roasted vegetables. While it is blanching oven also pre heats. So, we are not wasting any time. Once it is blanched, brush some oil and roast the cauliflower.
Sauce –
Sauce is made by sautéing cashews, onions, tomatoes and spices which are then blended to smooth creamy base. It is simmered and once the cauli is roasted. The sauce is brushed on it and put to bake for another few minutes. Few minutes in oven is enough as the sauce and cauliflower both are cooked. There is no need for overdoing it either.
Serving –
I reserve some sauce to serve. If anyone wants more sauce. I will serve it on a platter, put the cauliflower and pour the extra sauce on the sides. You can also add some roasted potatoes, peas, roasted carrots on the side too.
I love to serve it with naan, roti or rice.
If you are vegan, you can easily swap it with non-dairy yogurt.
Cauliflower in Korma Sauce
Ingredients
Blanching the Cauliflower
- 1 big head of cauliflower
- pinch of salt
- pinch turmeric powder
Roasting the Cauliflower
- 1 tbsp Neutral Oil
Korma Sauce
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 big onion, diced
- 1 inch piece ginger grated approx. 1 tbsp
- 2 -3 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 big tomato, diced
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chili powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 2 tbsp cashew nuts soaked in water
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp Kasuri Methi
- 2 tbsp yogurt
- 1/4 tsp cardamom powder
- cilantro for garnish
- sultanas, pomegranate arils, cashews, pickled onions
Instructions
Cauliflower
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 F.
- Cut the stem of the cauliflower in a way that it remains whole.
- Boil some water in a big pot on medium heat. Add pinch of salt and turmeric. Put the cauliflower also in the pot and blanch it for 10 minutes. Cauliflower should be completely immersed in water to cook over all. It should retain the shape. Remove it in colander and carefully place it in a baking tray. Lightly brush it with some oil all around the cauliflower.
- Roast it for 30-45 minutes or until it done. You should be able to see some charred spots. It depends on the size of the cauliflower how much longer you need to keep it in the oven.
Korma Sauce
- While that’s roasting, make the sauce.
- Heat some oil in a pan on medium heat, add onions and saute them for some time until they are translucent and caramelized. Add in the tomatoes, grated ginger and garlic and cook until they soften up and release their juices. Take them off the heat, let it cool down.
- Take the soaked cashews, fennel seeds, the cooled onion mix and blend it until smooth creamy paste.
- Heat some oil in a pan. Pour the paste into the oil. Saute it for few minutes, add ½ cup water. One by one, add the dry spices and salt. Add the kasuri methi too.
- Let it simmer for some time until the sauce thickens up. Add yogurt and whisk it quickly. Take it off the burner.
- Once the cauliflower is roasted, turn down the oven to 350 F. Take the tray with cauliflower and glaze some sauce (with the help of brush or spoon) over the cauliflower carefully. Use a spoon and try to also drizzle sauce in crevices of the cauliflower to make sure it reaches inside those gaps too. Don’t break the cauliflower. Just try your best to drizzle or pour.
- Take the tray back to the oven and bake it for 7-10 more minutes.
- Remove it in a platter with all the sauce that’s sticking on the tray.
- Add more sauce while serving and garnish it with some lightly roasted cashews, pomegranate, sultanas, and pickled onions. Top it with some chopped cilantro/ mint too.
- Serve it with side of steamed jeera rice or naan.
Notes
- Be careful in handling the cauliflower. Do not over blanch it.
- You can add few tablespoons of cream to the dish.
- To make it Vegan , use dairy free yogurt.
XO, Devangi