Years ago, I had a good run at making vegan Indian food at home. The dishes tasted pretty good but I could never quite replicate the smooth sauces like those at Indian restaurants. It was rather discouraging, considering the amount of time to cook each dish.
More than a decade later, for some odd reason, I wanted to give making Indian food another try. I see different bloggers crafting their versions of butter chicken. Their photos and videos convince me that the smooth sauciness I’ve yearned for in my own homecooking may be possible.
I like eating Indian vegetable dishes when I eat out. There’s a lot of butter chicken recipes out on the web, but it was so heartwarming to find Dishing Out Health’s butter cauliflower recipe. Marinating the cauliflower florets is genius. Doing so gives the hearty vegetable so much flavor. And the spices and their proportions in her recipe for the sauce are simply on point.
Time efficiency is my M.O. though. So I cook the sauce and the cauliflower simultaneously in two pans in order for the dish to come together quicker.
This recipe gives me new hope that cooking restaurant-quality Indian food is possible at home. I’m excited to craft more Indian dishes and share them with you in the future!
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Butter Cauliflower
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Mains
- Cuisine: Indian
Description
Marinating the cauliflower florets is genius. Doing so gives the hearty vegetable so much flavor. And the spices and their proportions in her recipe for the sauce are simply on point.
Ingredients
MARINADE
- 2 tablespoons of lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
CURRY SAUCE
- 2.5 teaspoons of garam masala
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1/2 of a medium-sized yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1.5-inch knob of ginger, grated
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 8 ounces of tomato sauce
- 1 cup of heavy whipping cream
- Neutral-flavored cooking oil
OTHER INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, cut into florets
Instructions
- Whisk together the marinade in a large bowl.
- Place the garam masala, salt, paprika, turmeric, chili powder and cayenne pepper in a small bowl and mix well.
- CURRY SAUCE PAN: Add the butter and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil into a large pan on medium heat. Add the onions and cook them until translucent, around 6 minutes.
- CAULIFLOWER PAN: While the onions are cooking, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in another large pan over medium-high heat. Add the cauliflower, tossing occasionally, until browned in places and begin to soften, 7 to 8 minutes.
- CURRY SAUCE PAN: Stir in garlic, ginger and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant. Add the small bowl of spices into the pan, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and stir as you bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and stir in the heavy whipping cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and allow it to thicken, around 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- CAULIFLOWER PAN: Reduce the heat to medium and transfer the cauliflower to the marinade bowl. Coat the florets with the marinade. Return the seasoned florets to the pan and cook 7 to 8 minutes until the florets are charred in spots and crisp-tender, tossing occasionally. Transfer the cauliflower back into the marinade bowl as you wait for the sauce to thicken.
- CURRY SAUCE PAN: When the sauce is ready, add the cauliflower into the sauce and toss continuously until the cauliflower is tender to your liking. Serve and enjoy immediately.
Notes
If you’re a multi-tasker, to save time, you can measure out the spices and marinade while the onions and cauliflower are cooking.
