This creamy cauliflower curry is bursting with flavor and studded with hearty chickpeas. Delicious, comforting, and easy enough for a weeknight!
Curries are in constant rotation in my house. They're one of those meals that can be so easy and so flavorful! This cauliflower curry in particular is full of spices, so it tastes like it took a long time to make, but it really comes together in a cinch.
There are so many ways to cook up a curry, but for this one I went with Indian-inspired spices, although the recipe is far from authentically Indian. The method is simple and involves briefly sautéing your spices and aromatics, followed by a longer simmer for your veggies and liquids.
Let's talk about how how it's done!
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What You'll Need
- Olive oil. Feel free to substitute any high-heat oil.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Ginger.
- Spices. We're using garam masala, cumin, paprika, and turmeric.
- Coconut milk. Use full-fat coconut milk from a can. Light coconut milk might work, but your curry won't be as creamy. I don't recommend using coconut milk beverage (the stuff that's sold in cartons near the soy and almond milk).
- Diced tomatoes.
- Cauliflower.
- Chickpeas. Use canned or precooked chickpeas.
- Frozen peas.
- Cornstarch.
- Water.
- Salt & pepper.
- Fresh cilantro. Feel free to leave this out or substitute with scallions if you're not a fan of cilantro.
- Cooked rice. Just about any variety of rice (or even another grain, like quinoa) will work, but I really like basmati rice for this dish.
How to Make Cauliflower Curry
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you'd like to skip right to the recipe!
- Heat up your oil in a large pot, the add diced onion. Sweat the onion for about 5 minutes, until it starts to soften up.
- Now add minced garlic, grated ginger, and spices. Cook everything very briefly — for about 1 minute. Keep stirring the whole time. Be careful not to burn your spices or they can turn bitter.
- Now stir in your coconut milk, tomatoes, cauliflower florets, and chickpeas. Raise the heat and bring the liquid up to a boil.
- Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let your curry simmer for a while, until the cauliflower is tender. Be sure to check on it every now and then to avoid burning or overcooking the cauliflower.
- Now stir your cornstarch together with some cold water in a small container. Remove the lid from your pot and stir the cornstarch slurry into the curry.
- Bring the curry back up to a simmer. It should thicken up pretty quickly.
- Stir in the peas and take your curry off of the burner. Season the curry with some salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve your cauliflower curry with cooked rice and a sprinkle of cilantro. Dig in!
Leftovers & Storage
This curry makes for excellent leftovers! Store them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is!
Probably, but I haven't tested the recipe this way. Since frozen cauliflower is actually precooked, my recommendation would be to thaw it out and add it at the end of cooking — right before the cornstarch slurry.
More Easy Curries
- Sweet Potato Curry
- Thai Yellow Curry with Potatoes & Tofu
- Potato Spinach Curry
- Thai Lentil Curry with Cauliflower
- Vegan Green Curry with Tofu & Vegetables
📖 Recipe
Creamy Cauliflower Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can diced tomatoes in juice or sauce
- 1 large cauliflower head, broken into florets (about 6 cups florets)
- 1 (14 ounce or 400 gram) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons chilled water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup frozen peas, thawed
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Fresh cilantro
- Cooked rice
Instructions
- Coat the bottom of a large pot with the oil and place it over medium heat.
- When the oil is hot, add the onion. Cook it for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
- Stir in the garlic, ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika, and turmeric. Continue cooking everything while stirring constantly for about 1 minute, until the mixture is very fragrant.
- Stir in the coconut milk, tomatoes, cauliflower, and chickpeas. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Lower the heat and cover the pot. Let the mixture simmer for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is tender.
- Stir the cold water and cornstarch together in a small bowl or cup.
- Remove the lid from the pot and stir the cornstarch mixture into the curry. Let it continue simmering for about 1 minute, until it thickens slightly.
- Stir in the peas and remove the pot from heat.
- Season the curry with ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste.
- Serve the curry over rice, with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top.
Notes
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This recipe sounds amazing! I’m guessing the high saturated fat comes from the full fat coconut milk. Is that correct?
Thank you😊
Thank you! And yup, that's where most of it comes from!
Any ideas for a good coconut milk substitute? I have high cholesterol and have to avoid coconut milk/fat like the plague.
Sorry for the late response! You could use pretty much any non-dairy milk with a neutral flavor, but the thicker and creamier ones will work best. I think cashew milk would be a good bet!