Broccoli becomes tender and charred when smothered in a creamy-cheesy marinade and grilled. We like the ease of moving skewered florets around on the grill, but you can skip skewering if you don’t mind making good use of your tongs. Chef Chintan Pandya recommends Amul cheese for the ultimate salty bite, but you can substitute with cheddar in a pinch. This marinade also works well on other vegetables like broccoli rabe and romanesco.
What you’ll need
Stainless Steel Skewers
$7 At Amazon
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Food Processor
$63 At Amazon
Brush
$3 At Amazon
Microplane Grater
$18 At Amazon
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Recipe information
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
1
1
1
1
3
3½
2
1
3½
½
2
1
½
½
2
Special Equipment
Need to make a substitution?
Preparation
Step 1
Mix 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced, 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, 1 tsp. Kashmiri chile powder or paprika, and 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt in a small bowl to combine. Let sit until ready to use.
Step 2
Pulse 3 green Thai chiles or small serrano chiles and 3½ oz. Amul cheese or sharp cheddar, cut into 1" pieces, in a food processor until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 garlic cloves, finely grated, one 1" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated, 3½ oz. cream cheese, room temperature, ½ cup heavy cream, 2 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1 tsp. ground cardamom, ½ tsp. garam masala, and remaining 1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt and pulse, scraping down sides as needed, until well blended. Add ½ cup coarsely chopped cilantro stems; pulse to incorporate. Scrape marinade into a large bowl; add 2 medium heads of broccoli (about 1½ lb.), cut into 3" florets, and massage marinade into florets until well coated.
Step 3
Prepare a grill for medium-low heat; oil grate. Thread broccoli florets through stems onto skewers. Place skewers on grill; brush broccoli with vegetable oil. Cover and grill, turning halfway through, until tender and charred in spots, 8–10 minutes.
Step 4
Slide broccoli off skewers onto a platter; top with pickled onion.