Tandoori Gobi or Cauliflower Tikka Bites is a delicious, popular Indian-style tandoori snack recipe where Gobi (Cauliflower) florets are marinated in a spiced yogurt-based marinade and grilled in the air fryer, oven, stove-top pan, or grill. Gluten-free and can be made Low Carb/Keto-friendly.
Today I am sharing how to make tandoori cauliflower/gobi in an air fryer. You can also cook it in an oven, stove-top grill pan, or BBQ grill.
You can call this cauliflower snack either tandoori gobi tikka, gobi tikka, cauliflower bites, or tandoori gobi.
I used my Instant Vortex Plus 6 Quart Air Fryer for this recipe. I love this because you can get the food in a single layer all at once, and dinner is ready in 30 minutes or less. Any air fryer brand like Cosori 5.8QT, Cuisinart Air Fryer Oven, Ninja Foodi, Instant Pot Duo Crisp works here.
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What is Tikka?
Tikka is a popular Indian dish made with small chunks of meat and/or vegetables which are first marinated in a spicy yogurt marinade and then roasted in a clay oven, also known as Tandoor.
Tandoori Gobi Ingredients
- Cauliflower - also known as Gobi in Hindi. Clean and cut into bite-sized florets.
- Yogurt - Use plain full-fat hung curd or Greek yogurt for a thick creamy marinade.
- Gram Flour - also known as besan, is added to help paneer and veggies to coat well and not stick to the air fryer basket/pan. I roast it slightly in a pan on low heat until fragrant and brown, cool, and use. If you don't have besan, then use corn flour or all-purpose flour.
- Ginger and garlic: Mince them finely or use paste.
- Spices: I have used turmeric, Kashmiri red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala (or tandoori masala), chat masala, and salt.
- Oil: I used olive oil for cooking.
- Dried fenugreek leaves - Also known as Kasuri methi, give a nice flavor to the dish. If you don't have it, simply skip it.
- Lime juice: use freshly squeezed lime juice for the best flavor.
How to Make Tandoori Gobi / Cauliflower in the Air Fryer
Clean, and cut the whole cauliflower into bite-sized florets, roughly the same size for even cooking.
In a large bowl, add hung curd, besan, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chaat masala, kasuri methi, lemon juice, salt, oil, and mix everything.
Then add the cauliflower florets and mix until each piece of the cauliflower is coated well with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C). Add the marinated cauliflower florets to the air fryer basket and spread them in a single layer (cook in batches if required). Brush or spray some oil on the top. This ensures the cauliflower doesn't dry out.
Air fryer them at 360°F (180°C) for 14-18 minutes or until edges start browning and crisp. Shake the basket halfway through. Mine was cooked perfectly in 16 minutes.
Remove to a serving plate, squeeze some lime juice, sprinkle chaat masala, and immediately serve with mint yogurt chutney.
How to Make Cauliflower Tikka in the Oven
Preheat the oven to 380°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the marinated cauliflower evenly in a single layer.
Bake 15-20 minutes, or till the edges turn brown and the cauliflower reaches desired crispiness. Turn halfway through cooking time.
Serving Suggestions
Serve tandoori gobi tikka with
onion slices
lemon wedges
and a glass of mango lassi or masala chai.
Tips & Variations
- Cut them the same size: This helps for quick and even cooking.
- Work in batches. Make sure to spread the marinated cauliflower in a single layer in the air fryer basket, leaving some space between each other. Cook in batches if needed.
- Shake the basket halfway: It's important to shake it halfway through to allow the tandoori cauliflower tikka bites to be cooked evenly.
- If you don't have gram flour (besan), use corn starch or all-purpose flour instead.
- Let the cauliflower florets marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. If you have some extra time, then let them sit for longer that way, they absorb more flavors from the marinade.
- Highly recommend adding besan (gram flour) to the marinade, this step ensures that the besan would help cauliflower to coat well and not stick to the air fryer basket/pan.
- You can also add onion and bell peppers to this recipe.
- If you want to make keto gobi tikka bites, then skip besan (gram flour) in this recipe.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Cauliflower Coconut Curry
- Cauliflower Manchurian
- Potato Cauliflower Stir Fry
- Cauliflower Rice
- Instant Pot Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Upma
More Air Fryer Recipes
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Air Fryer Tandoori Gobi
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250 ml
For the Marinade:
- ½ cup thick or hung curd (or greek yogurt)
- 1 tablespoon besan (gram flour or chickpea flour)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon chaat masala powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala (or tandoori masala powder)
- 1 teaspoon kasuri methi
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or amchur powder)
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt to taste
Vegetables
- 1 medium cauliflower (about 20 florets)
Garnish
- lemon wedges to serve
- onion slices to serve
- chaat masala to sprinkle
- green chutney
Instructions
- Clean, cut the whole cauliflower into bite-sized florets, roughly the same size for even cooking.
- In a large bowl add hung curd, besan, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, garam masala, chaat masala, kasuri methi, lemon juice, salt, oil, and mix everything together.Then add the cauliflower florets and mix until each piece of the cauliflower is coated well with the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.
Air Fryer Method:
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F (180°C). Add the marinated cauliflower florets to the air fryer basket and spread them in a single layer (cook in batches if required). You can brush or spray some oil on top.
- Air fryer them at 360°F (180°C) for 14-18 minutes or until edges start browning and crisp. Shake the basket halfway through. Mine was cooked perfectly in 16 minutes.
- Remove in a serving plate, squeeze some lime juice, sprinkle chaat masala and serve it immediately with mint yogurt chutney.
Oven Method:
- Preheat the oven to 380°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the marinated cauliflower evenly in a single layer.Bake 15-20 minutes, or till the edges turn brown and cauliflower reaches desired crispiness. Turn halfway through cooking time.
Video
Notes
Tips & Variations
- Cut them the same size: This helps for quick and even cooking.
- Work in batches. Make sure to spread the marinated cauliflower in a single layer in the air fryer basket leaving some space between each other. Cook in batches if needed.
- Shake the basket halfway: It's important to shake the basket halfway through to allow the tandoori cauliflower tikka bites to be cooked evenly.
- If you don't have gram flour (besan) then use corn starch or all-purpose flour instead.
- Let the cauliflower florets marinate for at least 15-20 minutes. If you have some extra time, then let them sit for longer that way they absorb more flavors from the marinade.
- Highly recommend adding besan (gram flour) to the marinade, this step ensures that the besan would help cauliflower to coat well and not stick to the air fryer basket/pan.
- You can also add onion and bell peppers to this recipe.
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