A perfect appetizer for the holidays, these Tandoori vegetables are jam-packed with flavors from all the spices and finished over direct flame for that smoky aroma and flavor!

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 190 minutes
  • Yield: 6
  • Category: Appetizer
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cauliflower florets ([adjustable] 225 grams [/adjustable], make sure to cut into large florets, around 2-inches)
  • 1 & ½ cup potato cubes ([adjustable] 230 grams [/adjustable] with skin on, big cubes, 2-inches)
  • 9-10 white mushrooms ([adjustable] 225 grams [/adjustable], stalk removed, choose big size mushrooms)
  • 1 large red pepper (cut into big cubes)
  • 1 large green pepper (cut into big cubes)
  • 1 large onion ([adjustable] 215 grams [/adjustable])

Marinade

  • ¾ cup plain yogurt (whole milk, use thick yogurt)
  • 2 & ½ teaspoons sattu (or use roasted besan)
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoon tandoori masala
  • ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder (add more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon coriander powder
  • ½ teaspoon chaat masala (+ more to sprinkle before serving)
  • ¼ teaspoon amchur
  • 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons mustard oil (smoked then cooled)

Method

  1. Before you begin, chop all your vegetables as mentioned, they need to be cut into big pieces. Now, heat water in a pot and add 1 teaspoon of salt to it. Bring it to a boil, once water starts boiling, add 2 cups cauliflower florets and boil for 3 to 4 minutes until partially cooked, remove with a spatula and let the cauliflower air dry (place on a paper towel).
  2. Similarly, add 1 & 1/2 cup diced potatoes (with skin on, 2 inches) to boiling water and boil for around 5 minutes until half cooked. Let them also air dry.
  3. To make the marinade, take a large bowl and to that add ¾ plain yogurt. It needs to very thick. Whisk the yogurt using a wire whisk. To that, then add 2 & ½ tablespoons sattu (or roast some besan and use that).
  4. Now, add the spices: 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons tandoori masala (see note 1), ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 teaspoon coriander powder, ½ teaspoon chaat masala, ¼ teaspoon amchur (see note 2), and 1 teaspoon kasuri methi. Also add 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste.
  5. Add ¼ teaspoon salt (remember tandoori masala already has salt in it) and 2 tablespoons mustard oil (I heated the mustard oil first until it was smoky and then let it cool down and then used in the recipe). Mix everything well with a wire whisk.
  6. Now, add in all your vegetables- the parboiled cauliflower and potatoes along with 9-10 white mushrooms (whole mushrooms with stalk removed), 1 large red pepper (1-inch cubes), 1 large green pepper (1 inch cubes), and 1 large red onion (1-inch cubes). Mix everything using your hands so that each every vegetable is well coated with the marinade.
  7. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, you can also do this overnight. Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.
  8. After 2 hours take the vegetables out of the fridge and arrange them on skewers. If you don't have skewers, you can skip this step and place them directly on the baking sheet.
  9. Bake at 400 F degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Take them out of the oven, hold the skewer (see note 3) using a pair of gloves and just rotate the skewer over direct flame, which will give the vegetables that charred look and also infuse smoky flavor into them. Do this only for a few seconds, you don't want to burn the vegetables.
  10. Brush them with melted butter and sprinkle some chaat masala all over them before serving. Serve with mint leaves and lemon wedges with a side of cilantro or mint chutney.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.