Spiced Cauliflower with Cool Cucumber Sauce

Bringing a little more spice to your life with my Spiced Cauliflower with Cool Cucumber Sauce. It’s been years since I’ve eaten chicken, but I’ve always been drawn to the beautiful rich color and flavors as described in Tandoori Chicken. Years ago I remember seeing that dish on a blog that Tanvi Srivastava (also referred to as @sinfullyspicy, please check her beautiful feed out) previously had, which inspired me to make this. It’s not Tandoori, but damn it’s goooood! If you didn’t know this about me already, I loooove North Indian food, South Indian food and all in between.

For this dish I chose to use cauliflower because of it’s heartiness in size and texture. I used a myriad of different spices, which totally lends to the aromatic depths of this flavorful Spiced Cauliflower. Typically Kashmiri Red Chili Powder is used in Tandoori, which gives you a deep red color, but I realize that that may not be readily accessible to a lot of people, so I chose to use paprika(regular) and a little cayenne instead. If you tend to like foods with a little more heat, then you may want to add just a little more cayenne pepper to your blend. Surprisingly, the yogurt in the spice blend gives this dish a slight crunch once cooked, which I really like.

I’ve also paired it with a zingy cucumber sauce that I feel compliments the cauliflower so well. This cauliflower can be roasted in the oven and it can also be put on skewers and placed on the grill. Both ways are equally as good. Personally, I like my cauliflower with a little char on mine. 🙂  I recommend pairing it with basmati rice and/or maybe some fresh naan. 

If you like this, then you may want to also try my Parmesan Cauliflower Steaks with Romesco Sauce.

Get the Recipe: Spiced Cauliflower with Cool Cucumber Sauce

Yield: 2 servings, with leftovers

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 30 minutes mins

Marinating Time: 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Bringing a little more spice to your life with my Spiced Cauliflower with Cool Cucumber Sauce. For this dish I chose to use cauliflower because of it’s heartiness in size and texture. I used a myriad of different spices, which totally lends to the aromatic depths of this flavorful Spiced Cauliflower.

5 from 2 reviews

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Leave a Review

Ingredients

For the Spice Blend:

• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon garam masala
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 pinch nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cloves

For the Cauliflower:

• 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
• olive oil or neutral oil cooking spray, for the sheet pan

For the Marinade:

• ½ cup Greek yogurt, plain or dairy-free plain yogurt (not the silk brand, it’s too sweet)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ inch knob ginger, finely grated
• The juice from ½ of a medium lemon
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For the Cool Cucumber Sauce:

• 2 inch long piece of a medium English cucumber, cut in half, grate, and then squeeze as much water/moisture out either with your hand or a clean towel
• The juice from ½ of a medium lemon
• ½ cup Greek yogurt or sour cream, plain or dairy-free plain yogurt (not the silk brand, it too sweet) or non-dairy sour cream
• salt and pepper, to taste

Optional Toppings:

• melted ghee or butter/vegan butter
• A squeeze of lemon
• fresh cilantro

Equipment

• 1 sheet pan

Instructions

Make the spice blend:

• In a small bowl, mix all of your spices together.

Prepare the cauliflower:

• In a large plastic ziplock storage bag or mixing bowl, add the cauliflower, spice blend, yogurt, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, and olive oil. Mix or massage all together well and store in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.
• Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper or foil. Spray it lightly with cooking spray. Transfer the seasoned florets onto the sheet pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, flipping each piece over half way through until golden and tender.

Meanwhile, make the sauce:

• Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl, cover, and set in fridge.

Assemble:

• Once done, add cauliflower to bowl with your favorite grain or stuffed into a flatbread, top with sauce, and then I recommend drizzling a little melted ghee or butter/vegan butter over the top along with some fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lemon.