Inspired by potatoes au gratin, cauliflower gratin is essentially a cheesy cauliflower casserole with a cheese sauce base and a crispy bread crumb topping. Potato au gratin gets all the love during the holidays, but this easy cauliflower gratin paired with Kashmiri Garam is a mellow change of pace from the more robust Punjabi-style Garam Masala that most are familiar with and is a worthy and delicious substitute. We won’t go as far as to call it healthy, per se — there’s still plenty of cream, cheese, and breadcrumbs – but replacing starchy potatoes with cauliflower does lighten up the special occasion-worthy side dish significantly.

1 small yellow onion sliced into thin strips- root to tip

1 Tbs minced garlic

4 cups chopped cauliflower florets

4 cups button mushrooms cut in quarters

2 Tbs Kashmiri Garam masala

2 tsp salt

2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 cups shredded gruyere or extra sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup grated parmesan

1 cup bread crumbs

6 Tbs melted butter

1. Preheat your oven to 375F
2. While the oven is heating up, mix 2 Tablespoons butter, parmesan and breadcrumbs together and set aside.
3. Now, heat the remaining butter in a Dutch oven. 
4. Once the butter is foaming add onions and garlic and saute until just soft. 
5. Stir in cauliflower, mushrooms, salt, pepper, kashmiri garam masala and cream. 
6. Bring the mixture to a slow simmer. 
7. Remove from heat, stir in the gruyere/cheddar and pour everything into a greased casserole dish. Cover with foil and cook for 25 minutes. 
8. Uncover, sprinkle the bread crumb and parmesan mixture evenly over the top and bake uncovered for an additional 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly.
9. Allow the gratin to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.