Hairy Bikers' cauliflower tikka masala recipe
David Myers and Si King, aka The Hairy Bikers, are making a warming cauliflower masala with a recipe from their new book, Veggie Feasts.
Cauliflower tikka masala recipe
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower, broken into florets
400g can of chickpeas, drained (optional)
Marinade
150ml Greek yoghurt
1tbsp olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp nigella seeds
Sea salt and black pepper
Sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
15g fresh root ginger, chopped
1 tbsp coconut or olive oil
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
800ml passata or 2 x 400g cans of tomatoes pureed until smooth
50g butter (optional)
50ml double cream
Pinch of sugar (optional)
To serve
Coriander leaves
Lemon wedges
Naan bread or basmati rice
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Add the cauliflower florets and turn them over in the marinade until completely coated. Place them, well spaced out, on a baking tray and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning them over halfway through, until lightly browned and tender to the point of a knife.
2. To make the sauce, puree the onion, garlic and ginger together in a food processor until smooth. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the puree. Fry for a few minutes, stirring regularly, until it thickens, then sprinkle in all the spices and fry for another couple of minutes.
3. Pour in the passata or pureed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce has reduced by about a third.
4. Add the butter, if using, and whisk to make sure it combines with the sauce. Stir in the cream, then taste. If the sauce tastes acidic, add a pinch of sugar. Add the cauliflower and the chickpeas, if using, and cook for a few minutes to make sure everything is piping hot but don’t let it boil. Garnish with plenty of coriander and lemon wedges and serve with naan bread or basmati rice.
BIKER VEGAN TIP: For a vegan version, use plant-based yoghurt in the marinade. Then for the sauce use vegan cream sauce instead of the butter, and plant-based yoghurt instead of cream. This gives a lighter, sweeter result.