Air Fryer Tandoori Gobi

5 from 9 votes

This Tandoori Gobi is a delicious, popular Indian style tandoori snack where Gobi (Cauliflower) florets are marinated in a spiced yogurt-based marinade, and grilled in the air fryer, oven, stove-top pan or grill.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Indian

Keyword air fryer tandoori cauliflower, air fryer tandoori gobi

Diet Vegetarian

Method Air Fryer, Oven

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Resting Time 15

Total Time 35

Servings

Calories 96kcal

Author Bhavana Patil

Equipment

Ingredients

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 30 minutes to 1 hour.

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 to make the Best Tandoori Cauliflower

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.
Besan Flour: I highly recommend adding besan (gram flour) to the marinade, this step ensures that the besan would help the cauliflower to coat well and not stick to the air fryer basket/pan.
Marination: Let the cauliflower florets marinate for at least 30 minutes to enhance the flavor. If you have some extra time, then let them sit for longer that way, they absorb more flavors from the marinade.

Variations

Other Veggies: You can also add onion and bell peppers to this recipe.
Don't have Besan: If you don't have gram flour (besan), use corn starch or all-purpose flour instead, or just skip it.
Vegan: Replace dairy yogurt with a vegan alternative, such as cashew yogurt, almond milk yogurt, or coconut yogurt.
Keto: If you want to make keto gobi tikka bites, then skip besan (gram flour) in this recipe.

Note: Nutrition values are my best estimates. If you rely on them for your diet, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition