Cauliflower Roast Bengali Style is one of those dishes which can turn out to be special with the right mixture of curd, poppy seeds, cashews and whole spices. This is a great option for me when I feel the need to treat myself to something special but still want to keep things familiar and comforting. The cauliflower is marinated prior to being gently roasted until the masala clings to every little floret, making for a fabulous main course.
At a Glance:
- Cauliflower roast is a tasty recipe.
- It is best paired with pulao, paratha, naan etc.
- The taste of this aromatic dish is mildly spicy, tangy and umami.
- In total, I take an hour to make this dish which includes preparation, resting and cooking time.
- A few close alternatives to Bengali Style Cauliflower Roast could be aloo gobi made with cauliflower and potatoes, cauliflower curry, cauliflower bhaji, and cauliflower pakora.
The Ingredients:
- Cauliflower: 2 Large Sized Cauliflowers
- Curd: 4 tbsp
- Poppy Seeds: 2 tbsp
- Cashew: 2 tbsp
- Green Chilies: 4
- Ginger: 1 inch
- Cinnamon Sticks: 2
- Green Cardamom: 5
- Cloves: 2
- Black Pepper: 4
- Bay Leaves: 1
- Dry Chilies: 3
- Turmeric Powder: ½ tbsp
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: 1 tbsp
- Coriander Powder: ½ tbsp
- Cumin Powder: ½ tbsp
- Garam Masala: ½ tbsp
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
- Refined Oil: 3 tbsp
- Salt to Taste
- Water as much as required (warm)
How to Cook Cauliflower Roast Bengali Style (Step by Step Images)?
1. Make a paste with curd, poppy seeds, cashew nuts, green chilies and ginger.
2. Curd, poppy seeds, cashew nuts and ginger paste is ready to be mixed with turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, ½ tsp of salt and ½ tbsp of sugar to the paste. Mix well.
3. Add cauliflower to the mixture for marination. Add 1 tbsp of refined oil. Mix well. Keep the marinated cauliflower aside for 30 minutes; also save a little masala mixture to use during cooking.
4. Heat a kadai or cooking pan. Pour the remaining 2 tbsp refined oil into it.
5. Add bay leaf, dry chilies, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black peppers. Stir for 1 minute.
6. Add already marinated florets. Fry them for a few minutes.
7. Add the masala mixture.
8. Cook for some time. Add enough warm water to boil the florets.
(Pro Tip: Add warm water gradually; too much can make the rich masala thin and watery.)
9. Put a lid on the kadai and cook for 10 minutes.
10. Remove the lid and add ½ tbsp of sugar, the garam masala and the ghee.
11. Add a little salt. Give it a stir.
12. Cook for another 2 minutes with lid on. Cauliflower Roast Bengali Style is ready.
Variations to Try
- When I want some sweetness in the dish, I do add in a few fried raisins into it.
- For more heat, I would go for more green chilies instead of chili powder. It gives a different taste and feel to the dish.
- I have occasionally replaced cashews with blanched almonds. It looks just as good.
- Once I added a handful of peas into the dish. It turned out to be more of a hearty roast, but still managed to stay itself.
Cauliflower Roast Bengali Style Recipe Quick Fixes
Q: My curd mixture looks slightly grainy after blending due to the poppy seeds. Is that a problem?
A: Not at all. The poppy seeds can retain a little texture. They will soften nicely while cooking.
Q: The cauliflower is browning too quickly while frying in Step 6. What should I do?
A: Lower the heat slightly and turn the florets gently. This way it will get enough time to cook without scorching.
Q: My whole spices burnt during cooking. Why? Can I still use them?
A: It happens to me as well when the flame is high, and the oil is too hot. It is better to discard them and redo Step 5 with a low flame this time. This will prevent the dish from becoming bitter.
Recipe Card
Cauliflower Roast Bengali Style
Ingredients
- Cauliflower: 2 Large Sized Cauliflowers
- Curd: 4 tbsp
- Poppy Seeds: 2 tbsp
- Cashew: 2 tbsp
- Green Chilies: 4
- Ginger: 1 inch
- Cinnamon Sticks: 2
- Green Cardamom: 5
- Cloves: 2
- Black Pepper: 4
- Bay Leaves: 1
- Dry Chilies: 3
- Turmeric Powder: ½ tbsp
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder: 1 tbsp
- Coriander Powder: ½ tbsp
- Cumin Powder: ½ tbsp
- Garam Masala: ½ tbsp
- Sugar: 1 tbsp
- Ghee: 1 tbsp
- Refined Oil: 3 tbsp
- Salt to Taste
- Water as much as required warm
Instructions
- Make a paste with curd, poppy seeds, cashew nuts, green chilies and ginger.
- Curd, poppy seeds, cashew nuts and ginger paste is ready to be mixed with turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, ½ tsp of salt and ½ tbsp of sugar to the paste. Mix well.
- Add cauliflower to the mixture for marination. Add 1 tbsp of refined oil. Mix well. Keep the marinated cauliflower aside for 30 minutes; also save a little masala mixture to use during cooking.
- Heat a kadai or cooking pan. Pour the remaining 2 tbsp refined oil into it.
- Add bay leaf, dry chilies, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
- Add already marinated florets. Fry them for a few minutes.
- Add the masala mixture.
- Cook for some time. Add enough warm water to boil the florets.
- (Pro Tip: Add warm water gradually; too much can make the rich masala thin and watery.)
- Put a lid on the kadai and cook for 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and add ½ tbsp of sugar, the garam masala and the ghee.
- Add a little salt. Give it a stir.
- Cook for another 2 minutes with lid on. Cauliflower Roast Bengali Style is ready.
