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Whole Cauliflower with Makhani Sauce

Whole Cauliflower with Makhani Sauce

Active time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min
Serves: 4–6
Saffron Nola is a Vilkhu family business that incorporates local New Orleans ingredients and flavors into traditional Indian cuisine. It received a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant in 2018.

Steps

1

Making the Dish

Making the Dish

Ingredients

  • FOR THE CAULIFLOWER:
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon red chili powder
  • 1 head cauliflower
  • FOR THE MAKHANI SAUCE:
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 dried red chili
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 teaspoon garlic paste
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 cup tomato puree
  • 3⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄2 cup cashew paste
  • 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, for garnish
To blanch the cauliflower, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the salt, turmeric, and chili powder, followed by the whole cauliflower. Cover the pot and cook for about 8 minutes, flipping the cauliflower if needed, until it is tender. Remove cauliflower from the pot and cool in an ice bath. To make the makhani sauce, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the dried chili and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the tomato puree and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cashew paste and fenugreek leaves and remove from the heat. If using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. If you are using a countertop blender, set aside to cool. Once the sauce is cool, transfer it to the blender and puree until smooth. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) Place the blanched cauliflower in a baking dish and pour half the pureed sauce over the top. Bake for 20 minutes. While the cauliflower is in the oven, heat the remaining sauce in a saucepan. Put the heated sauce in a serving bowl and add the cauliflower to the bowl after removing it from the oven. Serve hot, garnished with cilantro.