Tandoori Vegetables (Smoky Flavor!)

3 veggie skewers arranged on a white oval serving plate

5 from 1 vote

Tandoori Vegetables (Smoky Flavor!)

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!

Prep Time30

Cook Time40

Resting Time2

Total Time3 10

Course: Appetizer

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Author: Manali Singh

Ingredients

2 cups cauliflower florets 225 grams , make sure to cut into large florets, around 2-inches
1 & ½ cup potato cubes 230 grams with skin on, big cubes, 2-inches
9-10 white mushrooms 225 grams , 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 215 grams

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

melted butter, to brush on the vegetables before serving

Instructions

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).
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, you can also do this overnight. Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.
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.
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.
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.

Notes

I have used Shaan brand tandoori masala here but you can use any brand tandoori masala that you like.
If you don't have amchur (dried mango powder), you can squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the marinade.
I have used steel skewers here which obviously become hot in the oven and need to be handled carefully over the flame using gloves. Steel skewers are sturdy and it's easy to do this step using them. If you use bamboo skewers , do not do this step over direct heat. The bamboo skewers will burn and break down. Simply use a pair of tongs and char each vegetable direct over heat for a seconds in that case.

Nutrition