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    Home » gluten free

    Gobi Musallam – Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Makhani Sauce. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe

    Published: Jun 18, 2013 · Modified: Nov 17, 2018 by Richa 177 Comments

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    Gobi Musallam (cauliflower that has been roasted whole) is a fantastic centerpiece for any occasion. The whole cauliflower head is lightly blanched then drenched with the luscious Mughlai-inspired makhani sauce and baked. The makhani sauce is decadent, creamy, buttery, and fantastic. You can serve the cauliflower as is, or sliced with some sauce on the side, or with naan or other flatbread, salads, rice, or quinoa. Pin this post for later!
    Jump to Recipe  
     
    Gobi Musallam - Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Makhani Gravy | Vegan Richa
     

    More Cauliflower you say. Well Cauliflower is the new Kale right now. So as well use the popularity right 🙂 And on top of that this is too delicious to not share!

    The whole head of the cauliflower is blanched, then roasted drenched in a creamy Mughlai gravy, and served whole with some gravy on the side. It seems like a long recipe but it is fairly simple:). You can serve it as is sliced, or with the usual Indian food fix-ins of flat bread or rice, or over other cooked grains and greens. We ate it with Chapatis, Naan, filled up some sandwiches with the leftovers, added some to quinoa. It was a load of food to finish between the 2 of us.

    The sauce is makhani style. Makhani means butter-y and the makhani/butter sauce you get restaurants usually has butter and cream. This sauce has coconut milk and cashews for the rich creamyness and the same spices and taste. You can add chopped veggies, roasted cauliflower florets, baked Tofu or Tempeh to the sauce. Make your restaurant style Tofu “Paneer” Makhani or Butter Seitan Chickun. Fenugreek Leaves or Kasuri methi can be found in Indian stores or online on amazon. 

    For a quicker cook time, chop the cauliflower into florets and blanch for 3-4 minutes, then cook in the blended sauce on stove top for 15 minutes. That will be Gobi Makhani. 

    Sure its not thanksgiving yet. but hey this can be the center piece for any party any-time. Blanch the cauliflower, make the sauce and store for a day or so, then bake and serve on the event day. You can use whatever spices you have on hand. The sauce will still be delicious.

    Video!

    Jump to Recipe

    Gobi Musallam - Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Makhani Gravy

    You can carve this beautiful cauliflower any which way you want! More sauce served on the side. That sauce I tell you. Make it and add anything to it, but make it! 

    The creamy sauce is very rich and fatty with the full-fat coconut milk and cashews,(it is called Makhani-butter-y for a reason). You can make it lower fat by using a different non dairy milk and reducing the cashew flour.  The sauce also stores very well. Make a larger quantity, Blend and store in the refrigerator for a few days or freeze in individual serving containers. thaw and use.

    More Indian or Indian inspired main dishes here. 

    Gobi Musallam - Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Makhani Gravy
    Steps:
    Blanch the cauliflower. The cauliflower should be immersed in the water. The picture is for picture purposes:).



    Place blanched cauliflower in baking dish.



    Prepare the sauce. Cook onions, ginger, garlic till golden brown.



    Add tomatoes, spices, salt and fenugreek leaves. 



    Cook until tomatoes are tender.



    Blend tomato mixture with coconut milk and pour over cauliflower. keep some sauce to serve on the side later. 

    Gobi Musallam - Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Makhani Gravy

    Bake until tender. Serve hot.


    This week I leave you with this amazing Share your Dabba video.

    This is a video about how wasted food is being used to feed the less fortunate. Share My Dabba/Tiffin/Lunchbox is an initiative to get food left uneaten in dabbas/tiffins to hungry street children in India, using just a Share sticker and the dabbawala(people who deliver the Tiffins) network. Please do watch.

    This popular recipe is also my cookbook! Now available internationally!

    Print Recipe
    5 from 33 votes

    Gobi Musallam - Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Makhani Sauce. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe

    Gobi Musallam (cauliflower that has been roasted whole) is a fantastic centerpiece. The whole cauliflower head is lightly blanched then drenched with the luscious Mughlai-inspired makhani sauce and baked. This is a main dish to serve during the holiday season. When roasted, the whole cauliflower looks gorgeous and smells divine. The makhani curry is decadent, creamy, buttery, and fantastic. You can serve the cauliflower as is, or sliced with some sauce on the side, or with naan or other flatbread, salads, rice, or quinoa.
    Prep Time15 mins
    Cook Time1 hr 10 mins
    Total Time1 hr 25 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: Indian
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 141kcal
    Author: Vegan Richa

    Ingredients

    • 1 Cauliflower head leaves and tough stem removed and washed
    • Water to blanch
    • 2 teaspoons salt
    • 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) turmeric
    • 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) chili powder optional

    Sauce/gravy:

    • 2 teaspoons oil
    • 1/2 (0.5 ) medium red onion chopped
    • 1 inch ginger chopped
    • 5-6 cloves (5 cloves) of garlic chopped
    • 1 dry red chili or chili flakes to taste
    • 3 medium tomatoes chopped
    • 1 teaspoon garam masala
    • 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) cumin powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) coriander powder
    • 1/2 teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) turmeric powder
    • 1 Tablespoon dried Fenugreek Leaves kasuri methi
    • 3/4 cup (169.5 ml) coconut milk from can
    • 1/4 cup (59.15 g) ground cashew or 1/3 cup soaked cashews
    • 3/4 teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) raw sugar or 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

    Instructions

    • Bring a large pot of water to boil. Use enough water so all of the cauliflower can be immersed in it.
    • Add salt, turmeric and chili and blanch/cook the whole cauliflower.
    • Cover and cook for 4 minutes on each side(top and bottom. Flip after 4 minutes)

    Sauce:

    • In a pan, add oil and heat over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until golden, 6-7 minutes
    • Add ginger, garlic chili and saute for another 2 minutes.Add the spices and mix.
    • Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, fenugreek leaves, mix and cook covered until tender. Mash the larger pieces. 8-10 minutes.
    • Cool slightly, then blend with coconut milk and cashews into a smooth thick puree.Taste and adjust salt, spice.

    Bake:

    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F / 200ºc. Oil the baking dish if desired. Place the blanched cauliflower in a baking dish. Slowly drop the puree on top to cover the entire head of the cauliflower. Some sauce will fall on the side.
    • Keep about a 1/3 of the sauce to serve on the side later.
    • Bake in pre-heated 400 degrees F / 200ºc for 40-45 minutes till the cauliflower is dry to touch and sauce thickens a bit. Turn the dish around after 30 minutes.
    • Heat the remaining sauce to just about a boil so it thickens and serve on the side.Serve hot with flat breads(Naan/Roti), or salads or quinoa.Chop and fill up wraps or a hoagie roll(to make gobi meatball sub).

    Video

    Notes

    For a nut free version, Use 2-3 Tablespoons powdered sunflower seeds or use 1/4 cup coconut cream + 1 Tablespoon cornstarch.
    You can also stuff/pour some of the sauce into the florets by separating them and bake.
    Variations:
    Gobi Makhani:
    Cut up the cauliflower into florets and blanch in boiling water or roast in oven until half cooked.
    Add blended sauce puree, 1/4 cup water and cauliflower florets into a pan and cook covered on low-medium heat, for 15-20 minutes or until sauce thickens to desired consistency.
    Serve hot drizzled with cashew cream/coconut cream and a slice of earth balance on top.
    You can also add baked Tofu or braised Tempeh or Seitan to the sauce.
    Nutritional values based on one serving

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Gobi Musallam - Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Creamy Makhani Sauce. Vegan Glutenfree Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 141 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 3g19%
    Sodium 585mg25%
    Potassium 386mg11%
    Carbohydrates 12g4%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 3g6%
    Vitamin A 845IU17%
    Vitamin C 27.7mg34%
    Calcium 28mg3%
    Iron 1.4mg8%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

     

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    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ If you Love the Recipe, Please consider rating it using stars in comments! It helps readers and helps more people find the recipe online! I love hearing from you all! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

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    1. Sally

      October 21, 2022 at 5:58 pm

      5 stars
      Fab delish recipe idea low cal and cauliflower is always filling it can also be cut into steaks with sauce on top

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        October 24, 2022 at 8:44 am

        Yay!

        Reply
    2. Janet

      October 20, 2022 at 7:41 pm

      5 stars
      What exactly do you mean by red pepper
      There are so many different red peppers in the stores and they vary from hot to sweet, big to little, etc.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        October 24, 2022 at 8:42 am

        are you referring to these: 1 dry red chili or chili flakes to taste?

        Reply
    3. Sarah

      October 19, 2022 at 3:29 pm

      Can you use tinned tomatoes? Tomatoes are out of season here so expensive!

      Reply
      • Richa

        October 19, 2022 at 7:02 pm

        Yes

        Reply
    4. Lynne stanleigh

      August 06, 2022 at 6:38 am

      5 stars
      Yummy! Thank you

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        August 08, 2022 at 1:13 pm

        thanks for your star \🌟 rating!

        Reply
    5. Kelly

      December 27, 2021 at 4:13 pm

      5 stars
      This was fantastic! I didn’t have fenugreek but otherwise followed the directions. Thanks for a delicious recipe!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        December 28, 2021 at 11:36 am

        thank you Kelly

        Reply
    6. Sarah

      November 01, 2021 at 12:54 pm

      Hi, I’m going to make this this evening and didn’t see that I should have gotten dried fenugreek leaves. I bought fresh. Can I still use them? Perhaps instead of 1T, maybe half a cup chopped fresh? TIA

      Reply
      • Richa

        November 01, 2021 at 1:36 pm

        Yes 1/2 cup loosely packed leaves. Don’t use the hard stems. Chop up the leaves and very tender stems

        Reply
    7. Cynthia

      October 13, 2021 at 8:51 am

      5 stars
      I made this to have at our Thanksgiving dinner, and it was a big hit!! The sauce is phenomenal!!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        October 13, 2021 at 11:13 am

        ❤️❤️❤️❤️

        Reply
      • Rajeev Mathur

        November 14, 2022 at 3:54 am

        5 stars
        Made this twice. Followed the recipe fully. Amazing taste.

        Reply
        • Vegan Richa Support

          November 14, 2022 at 2:21 pm

          Thank you!

          Reply
    8. KS

      August 24, 2021 at 3:41 am

      My curry has this ‘milky’ fragrance. How can I get rid of that fragrance?

      Reply
    9. Ks

      May 14, 2021 at 3:41 am

      Any substitute for canned coconut milk? Can I use non-canned coconut milk? Or some other non dairy milk?

      Reply
      • Richa

        May 14, 2021 at 10:19 am

        Yes or use cashew milk

        Reply
    10. Tina Stokes

      March 02, 2021 at 12:33 pm

      5 stars
      This has to be one of your very best recipes! That’s saying a lot because your recipes are so delicious. I doubled the curry sauce. AMAZING! Looking forward to using this curry sauce with other vegetables and tofu as well.

      Reply
    11. R. Stephen Gracey

      February 14, 2021 at 1:53 pm

      5 stars
      I make this recipe A LOT. Completely reliable and rich. Depending on the size of the cauliflower, you can end up with quite a bit of “gravy” left over, but is that really a bad thing?? 😉

      Reply
      • Katharina Dulckeit

        May 15, 2022 at 1:57 pm

        Wow!!!!! I can taste this before trying. My one heartache, I cannot do coconut milk. Would soy milk and coconut flavor ruin the whole thing? I just might cheat once. Yikes.

        Reply
        • Vegan Richa Support

          May 16, 2022 at 8:46 am

          you could try – just simmer after boiling until its get thick as you like

          Reply
    12. Laura

      December 31, 2020 at 11:31 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely delicious! So much flavour. Will definitely make this again.

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        January 01, 2021 at 7:08 pm

        Hooray! thank you

        Reply
    13. shapeless journeys

      August 16, 2020 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious! I chopped up the cauliflower in big chunks and cooked it on the stovetop for about 30minutes. Added some spinach and doubled the spices, delicious!

      Reply
      • Vegan Richa Support

        August 18, 2020 at 12:41 pm

        perfect !! ooooo doubled the spices – adventurous – I love it

        Reply
    14. Jaime

      July 26, 2020 at 10:03 am

      Can you sub walnuts for the cashews?

      Reply
      • Richa

        July 26, 2020 at 10:23 am

        Yes

        Reply
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