This Roasted Whole Cauliflower 65 is a rendition of the classic fried version, but just as delicious. Instead, we use a whole cauliflower head that is marinated in chilis, spices, curry leaves, and yogurt before it's baked at high temperatures until crispy. The result is an easier buttery, flavorful South Indian appetizer that is ready to share in 45 minutes.
You all asked for a vegetarian version of the popular South Indian appetizer Chicken 65, so here is Cauliflower 65! It's also known as Cauliflower Fry and Gobi 65, which is simply cauliflower translated into Hindi.
This version is a bit unique, because instead of frying cauliflower florets we are baking a whole head of cauliflower at a high temperature! The result is a buttery, spicy, and boldly flavored appetizer that's perfect for sharing.
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Why You'll Love Baked Cauliflower 65
I can't deny that fried food is absolutely delicious, but here's why you'll love this healthy cauliflower roasted at high temperatures instead:
- No greasy, hot kitchen! Okay, who actually enjoys frying food? It's tedious and hot and gets grease everywhere. The roasted version is just as flavorful!
- Baking vs. frying. Baking the cauliflower whole is significantly easier with less dishes than all the steps that come with frying - marinating with dry ingredients and a wet batter, frying, and then tempering or tossing with an additional yogurt-based sauce. By then, they're just soggy.
- It's easy. Baking just requires boiling the cauliflower, marinating in two easy wet marinades with no wait time, and then roasting it. There's no need to cut down the cauliflower into individual florets.
- It cuts down on fat. We only use 2 tablespoons of ghee as our fat for the whole cauliflower versus a lot of oil from frying.
- A main dish or appetizer. It can be served as a main dish for vegetarians or for someone that's gluten-free. It can also be an impressive appetizer to share. The garlic yogurt is especially delicious and cooling.
What is Cauliflower 65?
Gobi 65 is a spicy, South Indian fried cauliflower dish which is served as an appetizer on Indian restaurant menus. The flavor mainly comes from mild red chilis and curry leaves. It's most commonly enjoyed as a snack, shared amongst friends.
The "65" has a funky origin story - most of them attributed to the creation of the Chicken 65 dish in 1965 at Hotel Buhari in Chennai, India. But some of them say that the 65 comes from being the 65th dish on the menu, or it was marinated for 65 days, or even that it uses 65 ingredients.
Gobi 65 vs. Gobi Manchurian - Gobi 65 is marinated in a very different subset of spices and South Indian flavors and can be served dry. In contrast, Gobi Manchurian uses Chinese-inspired sauces and flavors and is typically saucier or served in a gravy.
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
- Yogurt - I use dahi, an Indian curd yogurt, to marinate the cauliflower. Another substitute is plain whole milk yogurt.
- Spices - For the spices, we are using garam masala, ground cumin, ground turmeric, and Kashmiri chili powder which is a mild Indian red chili that gives it a natural red color.
- Ginger garlic paste - Ginger garlic paste is very common to Indian cuisine. Substitute it with finely minced garlic and ginger in a 1-to-1 ratio.
- Curry Leaves - Curry leaves, also known as kadi patta in Hindi or sweet neem leaves, are an aromatic herb found on tropical curry trees which are native to Asia, specifically the Indian subcontinent. There's no substitute. Curry leaves can easily be found fresh at Indian grocers and even come in bundles on Etsy. Dried curry leaves also work.
- Ghee - Ghee is a type of clarified butter and is what makes the cauliflower deliciously buttery. You can also use a neutral oil.
How to Make Cauliflower 65
Preheat the oven to 450℉.
First, prep the cauliflower by remove all the extra leaves and stems to expose the florets. Cut the stem on the bottom so that the cauliflower can lay flat. Rinse off any excess dirt.
Step 1 - Bring a large pot filled with salted water to a boil. Carefully submerge the cauliflower head in the water. Boil for 7-10 minutes.
Once the cauliflower is fork tender, carefully remove it from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and place it in a baking sheet to steam off.
Step 2 - Mix the ingredients for the first marinade in a mixing bowl. Brush the marinade all over the cauliflower head.
Step 3 - Mix the ingredients for the second marinade in the same mixing bowl. Brush it all over the cauliflower head.
If you have extra marinade, scoop it into the middle of the cauliflower head as much as possible so the inside can get some flavor too.
Step 4 - Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Step 5 - The cauliflower is done roasting when it's formed a crispy crust. Pull the sheet tray out of the oven.
Step 6 - To make the garlic yogurt, mix together the lemon zest, grated garlic, salt, and dried mint with yogurt.
Serving Suggestions
Scoop the garlic yogurt into a shallow bowl. Lay the cauliflower head on top of the yogurt. I like to garnish it with a few crispy curry leaves fried in vegetable oil.
To serve, your guests can dig in with their forks around the table or you can cut cauliflower steaks for them to serve themselves. For more vegetarian appetizers, they'll also enjoy Pinwheel Aloo Samosas and Nachos Chaat.
Variations
- For a chicken version, try Chicken 65. Alternatively, you can absolutely apply the same marinade to a whole chicken and roast it in the oven for an hour.
- For a main dish, you could add more protein with crispy chickpeas and more volume with a salad.
- For a baked cauliflower fry, cut the cauliflower into florets and toss the florets in the first marinade at 350℉ for 15 minutes. Remove it from the oven and toss it in a second marinade, carefully returning it back in the oven to finish roasting for another 20 minutes.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- Be sure to get the water as salty as the sea! That way the salt can permeate the entirety of the cauliflower head and the whole dish will be flavorful.
- Don't boil the cauliflower head for more than 10 minutes - it'll be very mushy at that point since it continues to cook once it's out of the water. Check on it around 7 minutes.
- If the cauliflower is smaller, check on it in the oven around 25 minutes for doneness.
FAQs
I don't recommend doing so. Boiling in salt water ensures that the salt is dispersed throughout the cauliflower for maximum flavor. It also cuts down on roasting time by half an hour.
If anything, I'd recommend cutting the cauliflower head into florets.
Store the leftover Cauliflower 65 separately from the garlic yogurt in airtight containers for up to 2-3 days.
I recommend staying at 450℉, otherwise the high temperature will burn the curry leaves into a crisp.
More Appetizers to try
Recipe
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Roasted Whole Cauliflower 65
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower, 1.5-2lbs
- 1 tablespoon salt
- water, for boiling
First Marinade
- 2 tablespoons ghee, melted
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 tablespoon curry leaves, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 teaspoon green chilis, finely sliced
Second Marinade
- ¼ cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 2 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1-2 green chilis, sliced
Garlic Yogurt
- 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- ½ teaspoon dried mint
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Trim the cauliflower head of leaves and stems. Cut the stem on the bottom so that the cauliflower head can lay flat.
- Fill a large 5-quart or bigger pot with water. Carefully place the cauliflower head in the pot. Bring the water to a boil. Boil the cauliflower for 7-10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is fork tender.
- Carefully remove the cauliflower head with a slotted spoon and place it in the baking sheet to steam off for 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450℉.
- Prepare the first marinade by mixing the melted ghee, ginger garlic paste, chopped curry leaves, ground turmeric, ground cumin, garam masala, Kashmiri chili powder, and finely sliced green chilis in a mixing bowl. Brush the marinade all over the cauliflower head.
- In the same mixing bowl, stir together the plain whole milk yogurt, Kashmiri chili powder, curry leaves, and sliced green chilis. Brush the marinade on to the cauliflower head.
- Transfer the cauliflower to the hot oven and let it roast for 30-35 minutes, or until it's nicely cooked through with a bit of a crust on the outside.
- While the cauliflower roasts, mix together a cup of plain whole milk yogurt, lemon zest, dried mint, a grated garlic clove, and salt.
- When you're ready to serve, layer the yogurt on the bottom of the serving dish and top it with the roast cauliflower. Dig in!
Notes
- Store the leftover Cauliflower 65 separately from the garlic yogurt in airtight containers for up to 2-3 days.
- Reduce the amount of green chilis to suit your spice tolerance.
Abha Garg says
Great Recipe!