India: Home-made Garam Masala & Roasted Spicy Cauliflower Salad with Almonds and Mint

By Tom Hunt

Garam masala simply means "warm spice mix": garam is Hindi for hot or warming, borrowed from Persian garm, and masala means a mixture of spices. The warmth isn't chilli heat, it's the Ayurvedic idea of foods that generate heat in the body, which is why this blend leans on cinnamon, clove and cardamom rather than capsicum.

There's no single recipe. Garam masala varies family to family and region to region across North India and the old Mughal kitchens, unlike the more standardised curry powders the British later codified and exported.

Its other defining trait is timing: classically it's stirred in right at the end of cooking, or even after, rather than bloomed in hot oil at the start, protecting the volatile oils in the cardamom and clove from cooking off. Mixing it cold into yoghurt for this marinade follows the same logic, no direct heat reaches the spice until the cauliflower hits the oven.

For the roasting method itself, I've followed Stella Drivas of Hungry Happens, swapping her Mediterranean spice mix for this traditional garam masala, and her tzatziki for a swoosh of yoghurt, toasted almonds, pickled chillies and a tamarind drizzle.

Ingredients

For the garam masala spice rub (makes about 90ml/6 tbsp - one Shadwell spice tube):

• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns
• 12 green cardamom pods, seeds only
• 12 cloves
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp flaky sea salt

For the cauliflower:

• 1 large cauliflower, cut into medium florets, leaves reserved
• 3/4 cup Greek yoghurt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 lemon, juiced (and zested if organic)
• 2 tbsp garam masala spice rub
• Salt, to taste
• Small handful whole skin-on almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
• Pickled chillies, whole or sliced
• Crispy fried onions, optional
• Tamarind sauce, to drizzle, optional
• Fresh mint leaves, to garnish

Method

To make the garam masala spice rub:

1. Grind the whole spices to a powder.
2. Stir in the preground spice and salt.
3. Store in a Shadwell spice tube or an airtight jar, labelled and dated. Keeps up to 3 months.

To make the roasted cauliflower platter:

1. Rinse and dry the cauliflower florets and leaves completely.
2. Whisk together the yoghurt, olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, 2 tbsp of the spice rub and salt. Toss the florets in the marinade until fully coated (set the leaves aside separately), leaving the leftovers on the side of the bowl for the leaves. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 210°C (190°C fan). Roast the florets on a tin lined with unbleached parchment for 20 minutes, then toss the reserved leaves through the leftover marinade in the bowl, add to the tray and roast for a further 20 minutes, or until both are charred at the edges.
4. To serve, pile the roasted cauliflower and crisped leaves on a platter. Scatter over the chopped almonds, pickled chillies, crispy onions and mint, then finish with a drizzle of tamarind sauce.

1.