This makes for a wonderful centrepiece in a vegetable-focused feast. It's both visually dramatic and quite delicious, with the cauliflower taking on a gutsy, meaty flavour that works wonderfully with the spices. And those flavours are sharpened with an ample dousing of lime juice just before serving. Serve this with a range of salads – a grain one or pilaf would work well – or make it a lovely companion to grilled spiced chicken or lamb.
Ingredients
1 large cauliflower
120g butter
2 tsp white mustard seeds
2 sprigs of curry leaves
1½ tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt flakes
juice of 2 limes
For the yoghurt crust
200g thick, natural yoghurt
1 large ripe tomato, coarsely grated
2 tbsp of your favourite curry powder (I used a rogan josh spice blend)
2 tsp finely grated turmeric (or 1 tsp ground turmeric)
2 tsp finely grated ginger
2 tsp sriracha-style chilli sauce
2 tsp salt flakes
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
2. Combine all the yoghurt-crust ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
3. Trim the base of the cauliflower so it will sit flat, leaving on some of the leaves. Smear the yoghurt mix over the cauliflower, then sit it on a rack over a roasting tray. Add about 3cm of water to the tray and roast for 1 hour.
4. After an hour, increase the heat to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional) and roast for a further 15 minutes to colour, then transfer the cauliflower to a serving plate.
5. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Once melted, add the mustard seeds and cook until they pop (about 20-30 seconds). Add the curry leaves and fry for about 30 seconds; they will pop a little and lighten in colour. Stir in the garam masala and salt, then spoon the mix over the cauliflower. Finish by pouring over the lime juice and serve immediately.