These cauliflower tacos blend Indian and Mexican flavours to create a really lovely vegetarian dish. The florets are coated in a tandoori-spiced yoghurt marinade before being roasted until they’re tender inside and slightly charred outside. This dry heat cooking method creates rich, complex flavours while keeping the cauliflower nice and crispy.
The marinade does most of the work here – yoghurt tenderises the cauliflower while the aromatics and spices bring warmth and depth. A bit of chilli adds heat without overwhelming the other spices. The whole thing comes together in about 45 minutes, not counting marination time, and most of that is hands-off while the oven does the cooking.
I serve these in warm tortillas with some sharp pickled cabbage to cut through the spices, creamy avocado, and a fresh yoghurt sauce that ties everything together. The final flourish of fresh coriander and a good squeeze of lime brightens it all up.
It’s satisfying for a meat-free dinner and you can prep most components ahead of time if you’re organised. The leftovers keep well in the fridge – just reheat the cauliflower in a hot oven to crisp it up again before serving.
Tandoori Cauliflower Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
- 250ml plain yogurt, divided (125ml for marinade, 125ml for sauce)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice, divided (2 for marinade, 1 for sauce)
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt and pepper, to taste (for marinade and sauce)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 small tortillas
- 1 cup pickled red cabbage, drained
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- Fresh coriander, divided (2 tablespoons chopped for sauce, extra for garnish)
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
Directions
- In a large bowl, combine 125ml yogurt, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix until smooth to create the marinade.
- Add the cauliflower florets to the marinade, ensuring each piece is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Arrange the marinated cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until the cauliflower is tender and slightly charred.
- Meanwhile, prepare the yogurt sauce by whisking together yogurt, chopped coriander, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.
- Warm the tortillas according to package instructions.
- Assemble the tacos: Place a portion of roasted tandoori cauliflower on each tortilla, top with pickled red cabbage, sliced avocado, and quartered cherry tomatoes.
- Drizzle with the coriander yogurt sauce, garnish with fresh coriander leaves, and serve with lime wedges on the side.
