These days, I’ve been leaning heavily into vegetable centrepieces, and this Tarka Roasted Cauliflower is one of my absolute favourites. It’s a dish that’s all about bold flavours and minimal effort—a recipe you can whip up in about half an hour that still feels indulgent and impressive. Perfect as a side or even the star of a veggie-forward feast, it combines roasted cauliflower with a fragrant, buttery tarka. Add some flatbreads, and you’ve got a dish that hits all the right notes: smoky, savoury, and deeply satisfying.
You can watch me make it here.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Breakdown
- What is a Tarka?
- How to Roast Cauliflower Perfectly
- Why Brown Butter Makes This Tarka Roasted Cauliflower Special
- Serving the Tarka Roasted Cauliflower
- Pairing Tarka Roasted Cauliflower with Other Dishes
- Why You Should Try this Tarka Roasted Cauliflower
- Final Thoughts on thi Tarka Roasted Cauliflower
Ingredient Breakdown
- Cauliflower: The hero of the dish. Choose a large, firm cauliflower with tight, creamy-white florets for the best results.
- Olive oil: Adds a light, crisp coating to the cauliflower during the searing and roasting stages.
- Butter: Forms the base of the tarka, lending richness and nuttiness to the final dish.
- Mustard seeds: Pungent and slightly peppery, they bring a distinct warmth to the tarka.
- Cumin seeds: Their earthy, nutty aroma complements the cauliflower perfectly.
- Garlic: Adds a savoury depth—finely minced to ensure it melds seamlessly into the tarka.
- Ginger: Fresh and zesty, balancing the richness of the butter with its bright, warming notes.
- Curry leaves: Essential for their citrusy, aromatic flavour, though fresh ones are best (frozen works too).
- Kashmiri chilli powder: Mildly spicy with a vibrant red hue, it adds warmth and colour without overwhelming heat.
- Greek yoghurt: Creamy and tangy, it provides a cooling contrast to the spiced tarka.
- Flatbreads: Perfect for mopping up every last bit of the buttery sauce.
What is a Tarka?
Tarka, also known as tadka, is a traditional Indian technique of tempering spices in hot oil or ghee (clarified butter). This method releases the spices’ essential oils, intensifying their flavours and infusing the fat with an incredible aroma. In this Tarka Roasted Cauliflower, the tarka deviates slightly from tradition by incorporating browned butter, giving the dish a nutty, caramelised dimension. It’s poured over the roasted cauliflower, soaking into the florets and pooling beautifully over the yoghurt base. The result? A vibrant, flavour-packed dish with a rich buttery sauce you’ll want to spoon over everything.
How to Roast Cauliflower Perfectly
Roasting cauliflower might seem straightforward, but a few tips can elevate your results.
- Searing: Searing the cauliflower in a pan before roasting is key to achieving deep, golden edges. The caramelisation enhances the natural sweetness of the cauliflower and adds complexity to the dish.
- Seasoning: Seasoning generously with salt and pepper before roasting ensures the flavours penetrate the florets.
- Roasting: Roasting at 200°C ensures the cauliflower becomes tender with just the right amount of bite. The contrast between the crispy, golden edges and the soft interior is what makes roasted cauliflower so irresistible.
Why Brown Butter Makes This Tarka Roasted Cauliflower Special
The browned butter base of the tarka adds an unmistakable richness to this Tarka Roasted Cauliflower. When butter is melted and allowed to bubble, the milk solids sink to the bottom and caramelise, creating a toasty, nutty aroma that enhances every ingredient it touches. This layer of flavour is what takes the tarka from good to exceptional, perfectly complementing the bold spices and roasted cauliflower. Watch the butter closely as it browns—it can quickly turn from golden to burnt if left unattended. The key is to act just as the milk solids deepen to a rich caramel colour.
Serving the Tarka Roasted Cauliflower
Presentation is part of the charm of this dish. Start by spreading the Greek yoghurt on a serving plate; its creamy texture and tangy flavour balance the richness of the tarka and the roasted cauliflower’s charred edges. Place the roasted cauliflower quarters on top, then pour the hot, aromatic tarka over everything. You’ll hear a satisfying sizzle as the butter meets the cold yoghurt, releasing a heady aroma of spices. Serve it immediately with warm flatbreads, letting everyone tear off pieces to mop up the sauce. It’s the kind of dish that encourages communal eating and leaves no drop behind.
Pairing Tarka Roasted Cauliflower with Other Dishes
While Tarka Roasted Cauliflower can easily stand on its own, it pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes. Serve it alongside dal and rice for a comforting vegetarian meal – try my Masoor Dal Tadka (Red Lentil Dal) or Coconut Red Lentil Dal. Alternatively, you can pair it with grilled chicken or lamb for a heartier spread. I’d recommend my Garlic and Chilli Butter Salmon, Grilled Garlic & Lemon Chicken Thighs or Simple Lemon Chicken.
For something lighter, a simple cucumber salad with lemon and dill works well, offering a refreshing contrast to the richness of the tarka. And don’t forget the flatbreads—they’re essential for enjoying the sauce to its fullest.
Why You Should Try this Tarka Roasted Cauliflower
This recipe is perfect for anyone who loves bold, spiced flavours but doesn’t want to spend hours in the kitchen. The combination of roasted cauliflower and aromatic tarka creates a dish that feels special yet requires minimal effort. Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or cooking for a cosy weeknight meal, Tarka Roasted Cauliflower delivers on flavour, texture, and visual appeal. Plus, it’s versatile enough to adapt to your preferences—swap out the cauliflower for other vegetables like broccoli or courgettes if you fancy a change.
Final Thoughts on thi Tarka Roasted Cauliflower
Tarka Roasted Cauliflower is more than just a side dish—it’s an invitation to embrace bold flavours and experiment with new techniques. The balance of smoky, roasted cauliflower, tangy yoghurt, and buttery, spiced tarka is a testament to how simple ingredients can transform into something extraordinary. So grab a cauliflower, heat up your pan, and get ready to savour this veggie centrepiece. Don’t forget the flatbreads—you’ll want every bite of that buttery sauce. Once you’ve made it, I’m sure it’ll become a regular in your rotation.
Tarka Roasted Cauliflower
I’m all about a veggie centrepiece these days and this one does not disappoint. It’s packed with flavour and is so simple to make. Once you’ve seared and roasted the cauliflower, you make a quick, non-traditional tarka, which gets poured over the top. Serve with flatbreads to mop up that delicious sauce and you’ve got yourself a belter of a side.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower head
- olive oil
- 100g butter
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 inch fresh ginger root, minced
- 30 curry leaves
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 5 tbsp Greek yoghurt
- Flatbreads, to serve
Instructions
- Heat your oven to 200°C / fan 180°C.
- Quarter your cauliflower, then drizzle lightly with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat a frying pan over medium heat then sear the cauliflower until browned on both sides, around 4 mins per side.
- Transfer the cauliflower to the oven and roast for 15 minutes, or until tender with a slight bite.
- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. It will bubble for a couple of minutes. As the bubbles die down, the milk solids will sink to the bottom and turn brown as they caramelise. When it gets to this stage, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds and cook for 1 minute, then add the garlic, ginger, curry leaves (watch out, they’ll spit!) and kashmiri chilli powder and cook for another minute. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Time to assemble. Spread the greek yoghurt onto a plate and top with the cauliflower. Pour the tarka over the top then serve and enjoy! I recommend serving it with flatbreads to mop up those delicious juices.
71 Responses
Didn’t work- try baking for 35 minutes at 400F. Also don’t substitute vegan butter. I really wanted to love this but alas.
I’m so sorry it didn’t quite work out for you! The roasting time depends entirely on the size of the cauliflower. The produce we get here in the UK is much smaller than you get in the US (which is presume is where you’re based given your use of Fahrenheit). If we were to cook outs for that long, it would turn to mush. As for the vegan butter, it can’t be used as a replacement here as you can’t brown it – it’s the milk solids in regular butter that enable you to achieve this. Again, I’m so sorry this didn’t work for you. If you’d like any recommendations on vegan recipes, I’ll send you some 🙂
I made this last night bc I saw it on TikTok and OMG BEST cauliflower dish I’ve ever made. My husband loved it and my 15 year old slurped up the sauce on his plate. I had to order some of the seeds and chili powder from Amazon and it was worth every penny! I’ll be coming to your blog on the regular.
Awww bless you! Thank you so, so much! I’m so glad you and your family enjoyed it so much 🙂
Superb! So flavorful and all the wonderful textures. It was easy to make.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for giving it a go 🙂
Are the curry leaves fresh?
They are indeed!
An absolutely delicious recipe. I would recommend cooking the cauliflower for a bit longer. Otherwise, insanely delicious.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Yes, the exact roasting time will depend on the size of the cauliflower at the end of the day 🙂
I saw your recipe on Tiktok and found your website. I cannot thought enough how much I love this dish, I tell everyone about it. I’ve also subbed cabbage which is also delicious and added coriander. I could eat it every day.
All bless you! What a kind comment – thank you! I’m so, so glad you enjoy it so much 🙂
Girl Yes! I loved this! I forgot about the chilli so then I ended up finely chopping up a birds eye towards the end and just sprinkling it over the top, I needed my heat!!! all in all, my man loved this! will be making it again 🙂
I’m so glad you Bothe enjoyed it! Love that you added the bird’s eye at the end – extra spice is always nice 🙂
Absolutely loved this dish! It was easy to make, beautiful to look at and so tasty to eat. Looking forward to making this for friends!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as I do!
Yum this was delicious!
(although I swapped out the curry leaves with a couple tbsp of kasoor methi (fenugreek leaves) and also did vegan butter and vegan yogurt . )
I’m so glad that you enjoyed it! And that the substitutes worked 🙂
Tried this & it was delicious even though I think I cooked the sauce for too long so ended up having less of a drizzly sauce & more of a paste like consistency. I also used dried curry leaves – 30 seemed like loads so used fewer. Didn’t look as great as yours but tasted delicious! Thanks
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
We’ve been trying to have more plat-based meals, and this recipe is made at least weekly at our house. I have to set to-go containers for the following day’s lunches when I take it out of the oven so we don’t eat it all in one sitting. Superb.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was next level delicious! Thank you! Love all your recipes! Please keep them coming!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It’s my absolute pleasure 🙂
Amazing! How much yogurt for each serving? Or is it 5 tbsp total for all 4 servings?
It’s 5tbsp total for 4 servings 🙂
Hell yeah lol just made it. I want it every week!
Thank you Zena xoxo
So glad you enjoyed it! It’s my absolute pleasure 🙂
This was so good, will definitely be making it again! Made some modifications though, just threw in a sliced green chilli with the garlic and ginger instead of the chilli powder, sprinkled pomegranate seeds over the top at the end, and served it with pan fried broccolini. 10/10
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I love the sound of your modifications – especially the addition of the green chilli 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I made this to the letter and it was wonderful, and then again with a hodge-podge of approximate spices as I’d run out of some, and it was still delicious – so a forgiving recipe too!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I don’t usually do reviews but this was so delish I couldn’t not!!
I’m so grateful for it! Very happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I love mustard seeds but I can’t use them because my daughter is highly allergic. Any suggestions to substitute? Thanks! 🙂
It’s not a direct substitution but I think caraway seeds would work quite nicely 🙂
Love this cauliflower recipe. Yes, it takes much longer to roast it and yes, I got impatient and took it out too soon but next time will adjust. I didn’t have curry leaves so I used ground, used jalapeño infused olive oil and added cayenne to the yogurt. It was delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Roasting time will depend on the size of the cauliflower, which can differ greatly. I’m hoping the non-time indicators (colour and texture to expect) were helpful!
Can the sauce be made ahead? Thanks!
I’m so sorry I’d missed this! I have tried making it ahead and while it does technically work – the curry leaves do love some of their vibrance when the sauce is reheated (I recommend reheating it gently over the stove until just melted again)
Outstanding.. packed with flavour and a hit with vegetarian and carnivores alike!
I’m so happy to hear it! Thanks so much for reviewing 🙂
Outstanding! And such a quick, simple recipe. I roasted the cauli in the air fryer, after searing in the pan, which was very successful. I only had dried curry leaves but looking forward to trying it with fresh when I can get some.
This is definitely going to be a regular favourite. Thank you.
It’s my absolute pleasure 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for you review.
Pure OMGoodness! I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited about eating leftovers. It was yummy and easy to make,
Yay, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for you review 🙂
Friggin delish. Used ghee instead of dealing with clarifying the butter.
I’m so happy to hear it!
This was SO good!! Made it for the first time last night and will definitely make it again.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you so much for your review 🙂
I regularly make this as a starter for dinner parties, deceptively easy to make for such a special dish. Definitely five stars!
I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you so much for your review 🙂
Super easy to follow,delicious and simple for a weekday dinner. Has fast become an almost weekly staple.
I’m so happy to hear it! Thank you so much for your review 🙂
Absolutely delicious!
Thank you!
Delish! Used ghee instead of butter, otherwise recipe is great.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is SO GOOD!!!!!
Thank you 🙂
This dish is just so WOWWWW. I suggest making extra as I could not stop myself from eating it !
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for you review 🙂
Made it three times at this point. So so good, delicious for vegetarians and meat eaters alike! Thank you!
Bless you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Just made this, and it was DIVINE! Will keep in my regular rotation!
Yay! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
This is an amazing recipe, quite straightforward and a total showstopper!
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
omg so good. I do think we had a much bigger cauliflower though, b/c when I quartered it the portions were huge so I 1/8th’d it, it took quite a lot longer to roast than suggested, and then it wasn’t quite enough sauce. No biggie, easy adjustments to make next time, and everybody in my house loved it. This one is a keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Ah yes, cauliflower sizes can differ greatly! I’m so glad you still think it’s a keeper 🙂