This Indian cauliflower curry recipe is a quick, simple and healthy dinner recipe that requires only one pot and an oven. It bursts with Indian spices and tastes amazing alongside some homemade naan or basmati rice.
If you're a fan of Indian cuisine (who isn't?) then this recipe is for you. This curry recipe includes some soft, roasted cauliflower florets in super creamy tomato-based sauce.
The curry consists mostly of wholefood ingredients and includes a variety of delicious herbs and spices which makes this recipe so delicious.
For more curry recipes see Tofu Curry, Sweet Potato Red Lentil Curry, Butter Bean Curry or Red Lentil Dahl.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It is dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free and can easily be made nut-free as well.
- It's a healthy main dish that consists mostly of pantry staples and is super easy to make.
- It's meal-prep and freezer friendly!
Ingredients & Substitution Notes
- Oil: Any neutral cooking oil would work. We love using olive oil but avocado oil or coconut oil also works.
- Onion: Both red onion and white onion will work.
- Ginger: If you can't find fresh ginger, you could also use ginger powder, however, the taste won't be exactly the same as if you used fresh one. Could be replaced with store-bought ginger-garlic paste.
- Cauliflower: This recipe works with fresh cauliflower as well as frozen cauliflower. To avoid all the chopping, check out our Roasted Frozen Cauliflower Recipe.
- Chopped Tomatoes: Alternatively, you could also use fresh tomatoes. It requires a bit more preparation time but works just as well.
- Cashews: They are responsible for making the sauce super creamy, without the addition of cream or butter. This recipe could easily be made nut-free if you replace the cashews with coconut milk. The taste will be slightly different but the curry will be just as creamy.
- Spices: The spice powders used are hugely important for this recipe to achieve its desired taste and cannot be omitted or replaced.
- Plant Milk: You could use any type of plant milk such as soy milk, oat milk or almond milk, make sure it's unsweetened though. I prefer using almond milk in savory recipes but soy or any other type of plant milk would work as well.
- Chickpeas (optional): They are optional but add some additional lovely texture as well as nutrients to this vegan curry recipe.
How to Make Indian Cauliflower Curry
STEP 1: Roast cauliflower. Cut cauliflower head into medium-sized florets and season with garam masala, olive oil and salt. Then roast in the oven until soft.
STEP 2: Fry Onion, garlic & ginger. While the cauliflower is in the oven, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add some oil and sauté onion and garlic until onion is soft and translucent. Add the minced ginger and fry again for about 30 seconds.
STEP 3: Add spices. Add all the spices and fry again for 10 seconds. Frying them for a little bit helps to release their natural flavors even more- just make sure not to burn them, since this might result in a bitter taste!
STEP 4: Add crushed tomatoes, give the mix a good stir and let simmer on low heat with a lid on.
STEP 4: Blend. Once most of the liquid has evaporated and the mix resembles a thick tomato puree, transfer it to the blender.
Add plant milk, cashews & salt. Blend until smooth.
STEP 5: Add veggies. Transfer the mix back to the saucepan.
Add in roasted cauliflower and chickpeas. Let simmer for 2-3 more minutes. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve with fresh naan bread and/or rice.
Variations & Add-Ins
- Veggies: Other veggies such as frozen peas or leafy greens (fresh spinach) make a great addition to this curry.
- Nut-Free: For a nut-free version, replace the cashews with coconut milk. The taste will be slightly different but the curry will be just as creamy. The higher the fat content of the milk, the creamier the curry will be. Choose full-fat coconut milk for an ultra-creamy curry or if you want to cut back on calories, choose a light version.
- Garam Masala: If you can't find garam masala, you could use double the amount of curry powder. The taste will be slightly different though.
- Chili: If you're into spicy foods then feel free to add some red chili powder or cayenne pepper.
Serving Suggestions
- Rice: This curry tastes amazing alongside some rice such as Coconut Basmati Rice or Jasmin rice. I prefer using brown rice over plain white rice because of its nutritional benefits. But feel free to use whatever rice you prefer.
- Bread: Homemade naan or pita bread makes the perfect side dish alongside any Indian recipes.
- Fresh herbs: Sprinkle with some fresh cilantro shortly before serving.
Storing
- To store: Store any leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
- To freeze: Freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight. Gently reheat in the microwave to on the stovetop. You might need to add a splash of plant milk or vegetable broth when reheating on the stovetop.
Meal Prep Option
Parts of this delicious cauliflower curry can easily be prepared in advance to save time.
- Tomato Paste: The onion-garlic-tomato mix could be prepared ahead of time. Store it in the fridge overnight. That way, you'll only need to add it to the blender, together with the cashews, the next day. It's important though to only blend the sauce shortly before serving.
- Cauliflower: You could roast the cauliflower florets ahead of time (eg. the evening before) and leave them in the oven. Simply add them to the sauce the next day. Try our Roasted Frozen Cauliflower to save more time.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Indian Cauliflower Curry
Ingredients
Cauliflower
- 1 medium cauliflower head, cleaned & chopped into equal size florets
- 1 tablespoon oil *olive, avocado, coconut...
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- pinch of salt
Masala Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 onion coarsley chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped/minced
- small piece of ginger, minced
- ½ teaspoon coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 can (14oz) chopped tomatoes
- ½-1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cashews *nut-free option, see notes
- 1 - 1⅓ cups plant milk
- 1 can (14oz) chickpeas, drained & rinsed (optional)
Naan/ Rice (see notes)
Instructions
Cauliflower
- Heat oven to 355°F/ 180°C.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread cauliflower florets evenly.
- Season with olive oil, garam masala and salt and roast for about 25-30 minutes or until florets are soft.
Masala Sauce
- In the meantime, heat a large pan over medium heat
- Add olive oil, onions and garlic and cook until slightly brown. Add ginger half way through.
- Add all the spices (coriander, cumin, garam masala, curry, turmeric) and cook for about 30 seconds to allow the spices to releas their flavors
- Add the chopped tomatoes and salt and let simmer with a lid on for about 15 minutes until the mix resembles a thick paste.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender, add cashews and plant milk and blend until smooth.
- Feel free to add a splash milk if you prefer a thinner sauce.
- Taste and adjust salt and spices.
- Pour the sauce back into the pan and add roasted cauliflower and chickpeas.
- Serve with brown rice or naan.
Video
Notes
- Garlic Naan: I highly recommend Naan as a side dish here.
- Nut-Free Option: This recipe could easily be made nut-free if you replaced the cashews with coconut milk. The taste will be slightly different but the curry will be just as creamy.
- To store: Store any leftover curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day.
- To freeze: Freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 1 month. Let thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight. Gently reheat in the microwave to on the stovetop. You might need to add a splash of plant milk or vegetable broth when reheating on the stovetop.
- Meal Prep Option: Parts of this delicious cauliflower curry can easily be prepared in advance to save time.
- Tomato Paste: The onion-garlic-tomato mix could be prepared ahead of time. Store it in the fridge overnight. That way, you'll only need to add it to the blender, together with the cashews, the next day. It's important though to only blend the sauce shortly before serving.
- Cauliflower: You could roast the cauliflower florets ahead of time (eg. the evening before) and leave them in the oven. Simply add them to the sauce the next day.
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