Best Whole Roasted Cauliflower Recipe with Garlic Cream Sauce
With cheese topping, this easy and simple whole roasted cauliflower head served with garlic cream sauce is a showstopper at any dinner table.Roasted Cauliflower is one of the best meat substitutes for Thanksgiving turkey and Christmas or Holiday roast, or even as a finger food at a Super Bowl football party to serve your vegetarian and vegan family or friends.
Servings: 8
Calories: 132kcal
Equipment
- 1 Baking pan
- 1 Pot with lid
Ingredients
To steam cauliflower
- 1 Medium to Large Cauliflower head
- 2 Bay leaf
- 1 Small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 inch Ginger sliced or crushed
- 3 to 4 Garlic cloves
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Bouillion (skip if using broth)
For the spicy mix (adjust to taste, the extra seasoning can be stored in airtight conatiner)
- 1 tablespoon Onion powder
- 1 tablespoon Garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon Red chile powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Tandoori curry or Creole powder
Other ingredients
- ¼ cup Butter, softened
- ¼ cup Cheddar, optional 25 grams
For Garlic cream sauce
- 2 tablespoon Butter
- 6 to 8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes
- 1 cup Heavy cream (approx 200 ml)
- 1 teaspoon Italian pizza seasoning
- 2 to 4 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tablespoon Spring onions
- Salt, a pinch
Instructions
How to steam whole cauliflower?
- Remove the leaves, cut the bottom flat, and nicely wash the cauliflower.1 Medium to Large Cauliflower head
- Add 1.5 to 2 liters of water in a pot along with ginger, onion, garlic cloves, lemon, and bouillon, along with the whole cauliflower head. Cover and steam it for 10 minutes.2 Bay leaf, 1 Small onion, roughly chopped, 1 inch Ginger sliced or crushed, 3 to 4 Garlic cloves, Juice of 1 lemon, 1 Bouillion (skip if using broth)
- Note: If you use vegetable/chicken broth instead of water, skip the above step. Bring the broth to a boil, place the cauliflower head over the trivet, and steam for 10 mins.
Making the spicy mix
- Add onion powder, garlic powder, red chile powder, salt, and tandoori masala (or any spice mix you choose) in a bowl. Mix the spices and keep this aside. You can store this in an air-tight container in a refrigerator and use it with meat, veggies, or seafood throughout the holiday season.1 tablespoon Onion powder, 1 tablespoon Garlic powder, ½ tablespoon Red chile powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, 2 tablespoon Tandoori
- Add softened butter and the spice mix as needed from above in another bowl. Add all the spice mix from above and mix well for a strong flavor. For milder flavor, add 2 tbsp.¼ cup Butter, softened
Bake the best spicy roasted cauliflower
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Transfer the steamed cauliflower to the baking pan.
- Bake it for about 12 to 15 minutes. Next, top it with cheddar or parmesan and bake for an additional 5 minutes if desired. Adding cheese is optional.¼ cup Cheddar, optional
How to make garlic cream sauce?
- Melt butter in a pan. Add garlic cloves and saute until lightly golden.2 tablespoon Butter, 6 to 8 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
- To this, add pepper flakes and heavy cream and bring it to a simmer.¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes, 1 cup Heavy cream (approx 200 ml)
- Once the cream starts simmering, add Italian seasoning, cheese, a pinch of salt, and spring onions, and mix until the cheese is melted. Switch off the flame.1 teaspoon Italian pizza seasoning, 2 to 4 tablespoon Cheddar cheese, grated, 1 tablespoon Spring onions, Salt, a pinch
How to serve whole roasted cauliflower wth sauce?
- Transfer the roasted cauliflower head to the cutting board using a fork and spatula.
- Cut them into steaks, rounds, wedges, pies, or any desired shape and size. Drizzle the cheesy garlic cream sauce and serve!
Video
Notes
Storage Suggestions
If you have any leftovers, store them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for three days. Make ahead: You can also make this roasted cauliflower minus the cheese topping ahead of time and keep it in the refrigerator. Just reheat in the oven by following the instructions below. Then add cheese and bake for another 5 minutes so the cheese melts. Or you can even prepare the spice mix, steam the cauliflower, and keep it in the refrigerator. Next day, mix the spice powder and softened butter, spread it over the cauliflower, and bake as per instructions in the recipe. Reheating instructions: I agree it takes a lot of time, but I prefer reheating them in the oven to retain the texture of the cauliflower by covering it with aluminum foil and baking them at 350 degrees F or until heated through - it should take about 15 mins.Nutrition
Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 303mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 474IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg