Preparation time : 30 minutes
Cooking time : 1 hour 10 minutes
Serves : 6-8 members
Description
Having to entertain vegetarian guests is always a ride over a rocky road for me as I know very little vegetarian gravies or dishes. With the hype of me being addressed as a great cook and entertainer through food (no self praising please..), I have to push myself to keep up to the demands. This dish was made for a gang of friends that I got to connect through the new age world wide net getting to see each other for the very first time with most of them being vegetarian’s. I always wanted to do a whole cauliflower dish. This time I wanted it to be a whole tandoori cauliflower. Prepped and did so but last minute, I was short of any veggie or panner to be added to a butter gravy. The whole grilled cauliflower was sitting right next to the gravy in the kitchen counter. My brain sparked with an idea and I just placed the whole cauliflower tandoor over the gravy and there was the dish that happened with in a fraction of a second in my mind. This dish was vanished with five star rating from all. I had to pat myself for this genius idea (self praising again… Please stop it) so my two individual dishes got attracted to each other, fell in love and got married finally…giving way for all of us to relish their sweet little love story too.
Cheesy stuffed Whole gobi tandoori with butter masala
Step -1
Ingredients for the cauliflower tandoori
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Whole Cauliflower | 1 medium size |
| Chaat masala powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Cream | 1 teaspoon |
| Garlic paste | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Ginger paste | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Lemon juice | 2 teaspoon |
| Red chilli powder | 1 teaspoon or to taste |
| Salt | to taste |
| Cumin powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Garam masala powder | 1/2 teaspoon |
| Oil | 1/ 4 teaspoon |
| Hung curd | 1/2 cup |
| Red food color | little ( optional) |
Method for the cauliflower
- Clean the whole cauliflower by removing the side stalks, leaves and the stem to a level that the cauliflower remains whole and when place on a plate stands straight with out tilting over to the sides.
- Drop the whole cleaned cauliflower into a bowl of boiling water (not over the flame) with salt. Let it remain for ten minutes, helping worms and other impurities come out. Remove and wash well. Cool completely and wipe with a cloth to remove excess water and dampness.
- Grind all the ingredients mentioned above except for the cauliflower to a smooth paste. Check seasoning. Apply and rub all over the whole cauliflower and marinade for four hours in the refrigerator.
- Pre heat oven to 180 degree Celsius for ten minutes. Place the marinated cauliflower over a baking tray lined with foil paper that’s greased with oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes until a nice crisp crust is formed. Remove and set aside.
Step -2
Ingredients for stuffing
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Panner | 250 grams crumbled |
| Cashew nuts | 2 tablespoons chopped |
| Raisins | 1 tablespoon |
| Poppy seeds (khus - khus) | 2 tablespoons |
| Grated cheese | 2 tablespoons |
| Green chillies | 2 chopped |
| Salt | to taste |
| Mozzarella + Parmesan cheese grated | 1/2 cup |
Method
- Mix all the above ingredients together. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Turn the roasted whole cauliflower up side down. Stuff it with the planner filling tightly in between the stalks of stem. Top with half the grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Grill for 5 to 8 minutes in a pre heated oven or microwave for 1 minute in the microwave to melt.
- Remove and cool completely. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the top of the cauliflower and grill again for 5-8 minutes or microwave for a minute until the cheese melts. Keep aside.
Step -3
Ingredients for the butter gravy
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| cashew nut | 50 grams |
| melon seeds | 50 grams (Soak together in warm water for 30 minutes and make fine paste.) |
| Finely chopped onions | 1/2 kg |
| Oil | 1/ 4 cup |
| Ginger garlic paste | 2 tablespoons |
| Tomato paste | 1/4 kg ( blanch the tomato ,remove the skin and mark it into paste. ) |
| cardamom | 3 |
| cloves | 3 |
| cinnamon | 1/2 inch stick |
| Chilli powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Coriander powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Cumin powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Turmeric powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Tomato sauce | 2 teaspoon |
| Butter | 2 tablespoons or less |
| Cream | 1/4 cup |
| Dry fenugreek or kasuri methi | 1 teaspoon |
| Garam masala powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Cardamon powder | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Red colour | 1/4 teaspoon |
Method
In a non stick pan add oil, cardamom, cloves & cinnamon. sauté for a minute. add chopped onions, sauté till golden brown.
Add ginger garlic paste, sauté till the raw smell goes then add tomato paste, cook in slow flame and keep stirring to avoid burning, (this step is very important). Add cashew & melon paste, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, cardamom powder and tomato sauce. Mix well and sauté until oil floats on top. Add water to get the desired gravy consistency and boil with butter. Sprinkle dry fenugreek, red colour and garam masala powder. cook for another two minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat.
Step -4
How to assemble and serve
- Pour the butter gravy on to a flare shallow large plate. Drizzle cream all over.
- Place the cheesy stuffed grilled whole cauliflower in the center of the butter gravy.
- Garnish with coriander greens and serve hot with rotis or pulao’s.
