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My Cauliflower Curry is So Good!
This is not your desi aunty’s curry. It’s not a traditional Indian cauliflower curry, but it is one that I learned from an India friend, who modified her mom’s recipe to make it easier and quicker. Easy and quick is definitely what you’ll get from this cauliflower curry recipe, but I think you’re also going to love the fact that it’s vegan, low-calorie and packed full of flavor.
When I was first introduced to curries, I realized they were essentially the exact same way I make my Arabic stews but with slightly different spices. Even the rice that traditionally goes with the curry is pretty similar to our Arabic rice, but instead of vermicelli with the rice, its cumin with the rice seeds to make Jeera rice.
My cauliflower curry version is mild in spice, doesn’t have any hard-to-find ingredients (you just need curry powder and red curry paste) and is so easy to customize with more veggies or more protein like chicken, shrimp or tofu. This recipe has been on the site for so many years and has hundreds of 5-star reviews, so I hope you try it and love it too!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cauliflower: That’s the base of the recipe so make sure to look for a large one and cut into small florets so they are bite-sized
- Aromatics: Onions, garlic, ginger and cilantro. Sauteeing everything together is the foundation of a good curry. You can adjust these ingredients as you see fit to your liking!
- Red curry paste: This is a condiment you can buy in a small jar usually in the International isle in the thai section. It’s made from red chili peppers, garlic, lemon grass and spices and it’s a perfect shortcut starter for curries. I do not recommend skipping this, although in a bind you could use tomato paste to help add that color.
- Spices: I using curry powder, turmeric, cumin, salt and pepper. There are definitely more spices you can use in authentic curry, but to help limit the number of ingredients and keep the recipe quick, I’ve concentrated on these powerhouses.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Along with the coconut milk, this is where all the liquid in the curry comes from. You can use 2 cups of fresh cut tomatoes instead or just a can of tomato sauce if you’d like.
- Coconut milk: This adds a rich flavor and thickness to the curry and it’s very common to include in this type of recipe. You can swap it with milk or cream, but I urge you to try it with the coconut milk as written.
Popular Curry Variations to Try
- Sweet Potatoes: To bulk up the cauliflower curry, I will often add some chopped sweet potatoes to the recipe. I recommend one or two sweet potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes and you can add them to the pot when you add the cauliflower.
- Green Peas: Another great way to bulk up the curry and even add some protein is to add green peas. If you use frozen green peas or even canned green peas you you can just add them towards to the last 5-10 minutes of the cooking time so they stay bright green in the curry.
- Chickpeas: I love the combination of cauliflower and chickpeas and the older variation of this recipe used chickpeas until I decided to simplify the ingredient list (I’m trying to keep them around 10 so it doesn’t feel daunting!) I definitely recommend still adding them though and they can go in with the canned coconut milk and canned tomatoes.
- Leafy greens: This cauliflower curry would be so good with spinach or kale. Like the green peas, I recommend adding them towards the last 5-10 minutes of cooking so they can soften without completely wilting down.
- Lentils: I haven’t tried making this curry with cauliflower and lentils but you can use green or red lentils here. I would try ½ a cup of lentils when you add the cauliflower, and add an extra ½ cup of water
How to Make Cauliflower Curry
Cauliflower Curry
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (1-inch) thumb fresh ginger peeled and finely grated
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into small florets
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (15-ounce) canned diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups water
- Basmati rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they're soft and translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and cilantro; and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the cauliflower, red curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, cumin and salt and cook until the cauliflower is well coated with the curry paste and fragrant, about 5 more minutes.
- Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is fork tender and the sauce thickens.
- Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Notes
1 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 inch fresh ginger peeled/finely grated
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped (plus more for garnish)
1 small head cauliflower cut into florets
3 cups sweet potatoes cubed and peeled
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1 tablespoon curry
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 ½ teaspoon coriander
1 ½ teaspoon cumin
14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
14 ounces can chickpeas drained and rinsed
14 ounces coconut milk full fat
2 cups water
Lime wedges for serving
Instructions
Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. Add the onions and cook until they’re soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, and cilantro; and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the cauliflower and potatoes along with the red curry paste, curry, turmeric, coriander and cumin. Season with salt and pepper and saute for 5 more minutes until the vegetables are well coated with the curry paste and dish becomes very fragrant.
Next, add the canned tomatoes with their juices, chickpeas and coconut milk along with 2 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower and potatoes are fork tender and the sauce thickens.
Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro and lime slices, if desired
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
My Best Cauliflower Curry Tips
- Finely chop onions for best flavor. The finely chopped onions along with the canned diced tomatoes are crucial for creating the base sauce for this cauliflower curry. Many curry recipes will even recommend blending the onions and tomatoes in a food processor.
- Don’t be overwhelmed with the amount of spices used. When you add the spices in, it will look like it’s too much, but I assure you that you’ll need it all to bring out the best curry flavor.
- Fry the spices long enough until they become fragrant. This is essential to bringing out the best taste in all those spices you’re adding along with the red curry paste.
- Make it more spicy by adding fresh chili when you sauté the ginger, garlic and onions. You can also double up on the red curry paste if you’d like.
What to Serve
Cauliflower curry is a full meal on it’s own, but it’s often served over rice or with bread. Check out my recommendations below.
- Flatbread: I don’t have a naan recipe yet on my site, but this is pretty close to it if you’d like to try making your own homemade flatbread.
- Yogurt Flatbread: This is similar to the flatbread recipe but actually easier and has yogurt in the recipe for a boost of protein.
- Basmati Rice: This is what I served the cauliflower curry with in the photos. It’s sweet and fragrant and is just so tasty with curry.
- Quinoa: If you’re looking for a low-carb option to serve with the cauliflower curry, just cook some quinoa on the side. Bonus points for the added protein to the meal!
Recipe Help & Common Questions
This curry will keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. It will also freeze well, simply defrost it in the fridge and slowly reheat on the stove top.
If your curry is too runny, you can thicken it by simmering it uncovered to reduce the liquid. Or you can also dissolve a tablespoon of cornstarch in two tablespoons of cold water and stir it into the curry, letting it simmer for a few more minutes until it thickens.
Yes the curry freezes well. Just make sure to completely cool it before freezing it and keep in mind to leave some extra space in the freezer container since it’s going to expand when it freezes.
More Curries & Stew Recipes:
- Green Thai Curry
- Red Lentil Curry
- Coconut Curry Chicken
- Eggplant Stew
- Vegetable Stew
- Lamb Stew
- Peas and Carrots Stew
- Easy Butter Chicken
- Peanut Stew
If you try this Cauliflower Curry recipe or any other recipe on Feel Good Foodie, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe. I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some shots, share it on Instagram so we can repost on Stories!
This cauliflower curry recipe was originally published on March 23, 2019 and has recently been updated with a more traditional style curry, new photos, tips, and step-by-step images to help make the recipe. If you loved the original recipe with chickpeas and sweet potatoes, you can still find it in the notes section of the recipe card below!
Had cauliflower that needed to be used and this fit the bill. Added jalapeno to the aromatics since I like the heat. Tip I learned years ago: I skim the fat from the coconut milk as my oil for sautéing the aromatics. Loved the time-saver of using jarred red curry paste!
So smart!! Oh I love that tip, I’ll have to try that out. Thanks so much for sharing, Nita! Glad you like the recipe!!
Used 1 cup of water not 2. Also used yellow curry not red curry. It was delicious. What did I do wrong? Soupy
Curry can end up more soupy, which is totally fine! If you want it to be thicker next time, you can let it evaporate while simmering on the stovetop or add a thickening agent like cornstarch or arrowroot starch. Hope that helps!
Easy recipe and very delicious. The spices do seem to be too much but they are not and the end result is so good. I added some spinach and Greek yogurt towards the end of cooking time.
Yay, so glad you liked it! Love the tweaks you made. Thanks, Jean!
Loved this curry, added 2 cans coconut milk, just right for me.
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the curry!
2 cups of water way too much. Dilutes the spices and taste
Sorry to hear this didn’t turn out as you expected. I prefer the consistency with 2 cups of water, but you can always use less if that is your preference.