No-Waste Tandoori Cauli Steaks

No-Waste Tandoori Cauli Steaks

This one is a proper weeknight winner and honestly one of our favourite ways to cook cauliflower. The tandoori marinade is smoky, spiced, and just a little bit tangy from the lemon, and it clings to those thick cauli steaks beautifully. We love that it's a no-waste recipe too, because the leftover florets and leaves go into the same pan and soak up all that flavour. It comes together in about 40 minutes and it looks seriously impressive on the plate. Make this tonight and you will not be disappointed.

Cook: 40 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 200°C
  • Large roasting tray
  • Baking sheet
  • Large bowl or roasting dish
  • Blender
  • Microplane or zester
  • Frying pan

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 2 tbsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp garam masala or curry powder
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 medium cauliflower
  • 100g plant-based yoghurt
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 red onion
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 100ml vinegar - rice, white/red wine, cider are all fine
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 100ml hot water
  • chilli flakes
  • 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 5 tbsp neutral oil
  • 80g fresh coriander
  • 1 ½ lemons
  • 20g fresh ginger
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 green chillies
  • ½ tsp salt
  • pinch of sugar
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp turmeric
  • leftover cauliflower florets
  • handful of coriander leaves
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • reserved leaves from cauliflower heads
  • tbsp vegetable oil - for drizzling
  • tsp salt to taste
  • ½ Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1

Prepare your cauliflower steaks

  • Cut the cauliflower into four 3cm thick steaks, going vertically down the central part so you get a nice cross-section from the florets to stalk
  • Cut two steaks from the widest part of each cauliflower so all the steak pieces are a similar size
  • Reserve all leaves and remaining cauliflower florets for later

Make the marinade

  • Add the yoghurt, juice and zest of the lemon, and all remaining spices for the steaks into a large bowl or roasting dish, and mix well to make a smooth marinade paste
  • Adjust consistency and taste as needed
  • Add your cauli steaks to the marinade and brush all over to coat
  • Transfer the steaks to a roasting tray, and roast for 30-40 minutes, or until the steaks are charring on some edges and the thickest part of the stalk can be pierced easily with a knife but still has a slight bite
  • Cover the tray with foil if the cauliflowers are darkening too quickly
2

Meanwhile, make your pickled red onions 

  • Finely slice the onion
  • Add the sugar, salt, vinegar and hot water to a bowl and whisk to fully dissolve the sugar and salt
  • Add the sliced onions to the pickle liquid, pushing down to ensure everything is covered
  • Leave to pickle while you prepare the rest of your dish
3

Make the coriander sauce

  • Peel the garlic and ginger
  • Chop the ginger and chilli into rough chunks (deseed if you want a less spicy sauce), and tear the coriander (including stalks) into smaller bunches to fit into the blender
  • Zest and juice the lemon into the blender
  • Add the oil, salt and vinegar, and blend everything to make a smooth sauce
  • Add salt and pepper to taste
4

Prepare and roast the cauliflower leaves

  • Add the reserved cauliflower leaves to a baking sheet, drizzle over a glug of oil, salt and pepper, chilli flakes, squeeze of lemon and toss to coat all the leaves
  • When your steaks have had 25 minutes, add this tray to the oven and roast the leaves and steaks together for a further 5-7 minutes
5

Make the cauliflower rice

  • Break the remaining cauliflower into pieces into large florets, and pulse in a blender to make rice-size grains (do not overpack the blender or overblend, or they may get mushy)
  • Add the vegetable oil to a frying pan over medium heat
  • Fry the spices for a couple of minutes, until fragrant
  • Add the cauliflower rice and stir to coat until heated through, adding a little more oil if the pan is looking dry
  • Finely chop the coriander and mix into the rice
  • Add salt and pepper to taste

Time to serve

  • Plate up your steaks with the roasted cauliflower leaves and rice, and spoon over some coriander sauce across everything
  • Drain your pickled red onions and add on top of your steaks
  • Add a final squeeze of lemon juice over everything if you like

Tips & Variations

  • Get the char right: We find this works brilliantly in a really hot griddle pan or under a high grill. You want colour on the outside, so don't move the steaks around too much once they're in.
  • Use all the cauliflower: The leaves are honestly delicious when they crisp up in the oven with the marinade. Roast them alongside the florets and they go almost like crispy kale chips. Trust us on this one.
  • Make extra marinade: Henry always makes a double batch of the tandoori marinade and uses it through the week on tofu, chickpeas, or even flatbreads. It keeps in the fridge for a few days no problem.

Why This Works

The trick is cutting your steaks thick enough, a good 3cm, so they hold their shape and get that gorgeous char on the outside without going mushy in the middle. The yoghurt in the marinade is what really makes it sing, it tenderises the cauliflower and helps everything caramelise and stick. Don't skip the lemon zest either, it lifts the whole thing.