Tandoori Veg Tikka Platter

About this recipe

Tandoori veg tikka platter is the vegetable showcase: thick chunks of cauliflower, broccoli, capsicum, onion, and zucchini, each one marinated in a yogurt-spice coating and grilled until the exterior chars while the interior stays tender and juicy. This is the dish that shows you can make vegetables exciting without burying them in cream or tomato. The hung curd marinade prevents them from drying out in the fierce heat of the grill. The critical step is size: cut your vegetables into large chunks, not small dice. A floret of cauliflower the size of a golf ball will develop a charred exterior while the florets inside stay tender; if you cut them small, by the time the outside catches, the inside is mushy. Blanch the cauliflower and broccoli for exactly 90 seconds so they're barely tender before marinating—this head start means they finish cooking through on the grill without going soft. The capsicum, onion, and zucchini go raw into the marinade. Tandoori masala with Kashmiri chilli powder creates the characteristic pale orange color, while roasted besan adds body to the marinade so it clings rather than sliding off. The common mistake is not getting the grill hot enough or moving the vegetables too often. You want 230°C in the oven or a smoking-hot flat pan. Lay them out once, let them char for 7 minutes, flip once, and let them sit another 7 minutes. Toss them hot with chaat masala and lemon the moment they come off the heat, so the seasoning sticks while the surface is still dry. You'll end up with vegetables that taste almost grilled-vegetable-stand-worthy but made at home without any special equipment. Tandoori veg tikka is complete on its own—no sauce, no side needed. Serve warm as a appetizer or plate it alongside a bowl of rice or roti for a light main. It keeps refrigerated for 2 days and actually works cold from the fridge the next day, tossed with a bit of lemon dressing.