A delicious Indian inspired side dish with thick cut cauliflower steaks drizzled with a refreshing mint chutney.
I’m writing this as I’m in Thailand, Samui Island to be exact! I hope you’re all having some fun following along with my adventures over here for the next week while we finish our trip. I’ve been posting so many fun videos and behind the scenes on Snapchat (@mckelhill) so follow me there for some fun things- otherwise, before I come back home and dive into the kitchen full of Thai food inspiration, I’m going to share this Indian inspired side dish Cauliflower Steaks with Mint Chutney.
I think by now you all know I love cauliflower; it’s one of the most versatile vegetables to use in cooking, runner up if not lead to sweet potatoes and zucchini. This recipe is no exception; utilize cauliflower in a unique yet pretty straightforward way. When I think of vegetables having a hearty texture, hearty enough to warrant the descriptor “meaty”, cauliflower never came to mind, it was always the famous portabella. Cauliflower however needs to get some attention for this “meaty” category and by meaty I just mean heartiness and ability to change flavors easily. These cauliflower steaks showcase both of these qualities, the heartiness due to the thick cut, coupled with grilling them or roasting them until just fork tender (with a little al dente/bite to them), and golden brown on the outside bringing out the flavors and rubs.
Enough about the cauliflower though, we HAVE to talk about this Mint Chutney. I first made a variation of this Mint Chutney for my cookbook (which is out early 2016!) and I can’t wait for you to see how I utilize it in the book- but until then, you have a glimpse of my favorite condiment…ever. At it’s simplest form Mint Chutney is a beautiful blend of fresh cilantro, mint, ginger, garlic, green chili, olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. It’s sublime when drizzled over a hearty roasted piece of curry infused cauliflower. Seriously, this combination is out of this world and I could easily eat an entire head of cauliflower to myself…but I digress.
Mint Chutney is perfect just like this, as a condiment or drizzle on roasted vegetables but don’t feel limited there, there’s so many things you can do with it. My other favorite is to add a bit of raw apple cider vinegar and make an amazing green dressing out of it, or top it on chickpeas and toss it around for a chilled salad, as a dip for eggs or grilled fish, and even spread on Nourishing Nut & Seed Bread or hummus spread on a cracker with fresh cucumber and tomato. SO good, I promise! You all can pick up my recipe and cooking style, a fusion of global flavors mixed in with American classics, transformed into a gluten free and dairy free whole food recipe. I have so much fun utilizing my love of travel and cultures with my recipes and this one is a great example of a good ole’ steak (American classic) sans meat, infused with Indian spices.
- FOR THE CAULIFLOWER STEAKS
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into thick slices
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- FOR THE MINT CHUTNEY
- 1 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup fresh mint
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger root
- 1-2 small green chilies, adjust to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Juice of 1 lime
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cut the head of cauliflower in thick slices, about 2 inches wide, being gentle while cutting as you want to retain the “steak” shape. Sprinkle spices and seasoning on the cauliflower.
- Lay the cauliflower steaks on a lined baking sheet with foil or parchment, bake for 30 minutes or until tender.
- In the meantime, in a food processor or blender combine all ingredients for the mint chutney and blend until smooth. Adjust for any seasonings, I find that I’ll add more pepper or citrus to bring out the flavors.
- When the cauliflower steaks are tender yet golden brown and roasted, serve on a platter with the mint chutney drizzled on top. Also use the mint chutney for a dip throughout serving. Store for up to 1 week in the fridge.
I hope you all enjoy this playful recipe and find uses for this Mint Chutney besides this recipe- I swear by it! It’s my favorite and can’t wait to see how you recreate this recipe #nutritionstripped.
More recipes I have a hunch you’ll enjoy, using cauliflower:
- You Won’t Believe It’s Not Alfredo, Alfredo
- Cauliflower Rice…a million ways
- Cauliflower Potato Mash
- Cauliflower Pizza Crust
- Curry Cauliflower Cashew Soup
- Brown Rice Macro Bowl, roasted cauliflower is so lovely here
I can’t wait for you to try this recipe! Let me know what ways you find yourself using the Mint Chutney in!
x McKel
