This Indian cauliflower curry is an easy, hearty, budget-friendly and meatless meal (vegetarian and vegan friendly) to enjoy anytime and proves that pantry cooking doesn’t need to be boring or bland.
I am definitely looking at food a little differently these days. When I look at that cauliflower in my fridge now, I’m not thinking side dish, I’m thinking main course, especially with the scarcity (or crazy high prices) of chicken right now.
At first glance, you might think this cauliflower curry recipe doesn’t look like a “pantry dish”, but that’s only because I dressed it up (it’s hard to take the food blogger out of the food :)
At its base though, this easy Indian cauliflower curry is simply roasted cauliflower, canned tomatoes, onion, garlic and a few Indian spices. And you could literally stop there and have a great meal.
If you have a few extra things to add into the mix or to top it with, you can go ahead and add them in, too. I’ve included all the options below for you.
Ingredients and Substitutions
A few notes on the key ingredients …
Cauliflower – ideally, you’ll want to start with a whole head of fresh cauliflower. Fresh cauliflower florets will also work here. In a pinch, frozen cauliflower florets will work, though I find them a little soft personally.
Canned tomatoes – If you have canned crushed tomatoes, that would be the best option here. If not, take any canned tomatoes and process them down with an immersion blender/food processor. Measure out what’s needed after blending.
Spices – Cumin, coriander, paprika, Tandoori Masala (or Garam Masala) OR replace all of the dried spices and the tomato paste with a tablespoon + of Tandoori Masala Curry Paste or Butter Chicken Curry Paste or any Indian curry paste mixture you might have around.
Tomato Paste – mix the spices with 2 Tbsp of tomato paste to make your own curry paste mixture and add a bit more tomato flavour.
Chicken or vegetable broth – or simply use the water if you don’t have broth on hand.
Cream, yogurt or coconut milk – for a bit of creaminess to the sauce. Omit if you’d like a dairy-free sauce.
Brown Sugar or honey – to temper the acidity of the tomatoes. This is optional and you can omit.
Cayenne, red pepper flakes or Kashmiri Chili Powder – this is optional as well, but add if you’d like a little heat in your curry.
Dried Fenugreek leaves (Methi) – always a great addition to any Indian curry, if you happen to have dried or frozen around, it would be a great addition, but this is optional.
And some garnishes that would be nice if you have any these things on hand …
Plain yogurt, fresh cilantro and/or lime slices or wedges for garnish
Naan bread, for serving
Step by Step Photos
Step 1: Prepare your cauliflower by trimming and coring, then breaking into bite-sized florets. Scatter on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a 400F oven for about 25 minutes (20-30 minutes) or until just tender. You can do this ahead if you like. Just let cool and refrigerate to use later.
Step 2: Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook to soften.
Step 3: Add the ginger paste and garlic and cook for a minute.
Step 4: Add the tomato paste (if using) and the dried spices and cook for another minute.
Step 5: Add the brown sugar (if using) and Fenugreek leaves (if using) to the crushed tomatoes and add to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Step 6: Add the roasted cauliflower to the pan and cook, stirring, to infuse the cauliflower with flavour.
Step 7: If desired, add some chicken broth, vegetable broth or water to the pan to loosen the sauce and make a saucy-er curry (great for dipping!). If you’d like a touch of creamy in your curry, add a bit of cream, yogurt or coconut cream or milk to the pan.
Top Tip
The amount of spice in a curry is very much a personal thing. As written, this recipe is what I would call a minimum of spicing. If you are a curry spice lover, simply increase the spices as you like.
And don’t forget the salt! When you dish is finished, have a quick taste and add salt as needed, to really bring out all the flavours. Vegetable curries like this often need a generous salting.
Ideas for serving your cauliflower curry
- Leave it chunky and spoon on top of rice with vegetables for a rice bowl. Sliced cucumber or carrot always goes well with curries.
- Leave it chunky and spoon into a tortilla with vegetables for a taco.
- Make it saucy and serve over or with rice.
- Enjoy on it’s own with some Naan or other bread, for dipping (my personal favourite way to enjoy this one ;)
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Ingredients
For roasting the cauliflower:
- 1 head cauliflower, trimmed, cored and broken into bite-sized florets
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
For the curry:
- 1/4 cup onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon ginger paste, or add 1 tsp fresh minced ginger or 1/2 tsp dried ginger to the other dried spices
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, optional
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala or Tandoori masala
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- Pinch cayenne, red pepper flakes or Kashmiri Chili powder (optional – for some heat)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar, optional
- 1 teaspoon dried Fenugreek leaves, (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes, or any canned tomato processed down in a blender or food processor
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth, or water
- 2-3 Tablespoons cream, yogurt or coconut cream or milk
For garnish/serving:
- Chopped fresh cilantro, optional
- Lime slices or wedges, optional
- Naan bread, for serving
Instructions
- Roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 400F. Remove the core of the cauliflower and break it into bite-sized florets. Scatter evenly on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Roast in preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until just tender. Remove from oven and transfer to a bowl. Set aside. (*You can roast the cauliflower ahead, let cool and refrigerate until later, if you like).
- For the curry: Take a minute to chop the onion and garlic and measure out your spices and tomatoes etc., to have them handy to add to the skillet. Heat a splash of cooking oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for a minute or two, until tender. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, another 30 seconds or so. Add the tomato paste (if using) and dried spices and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar (if using) and Fenugreek leaves (if using) to the crushed tomatoes, then add the crushed tomatoes to the pan. Stir to combine. Add the roasted cauliflower to the pan and cook, stirring, for a few minutes to cook the flavour into the cauliflower. (You can stop here and enjoy these spicy cauliflower bits as they are. If you'd like a saucy-er curry, go to the next steps.)
- To thin the sauce, add 1/2-3/4 cup chicken or vegetable broth or just some water, to loosen the sauce (start with the lesser amount and use more if you want or need more). If you’d like your curry a little creamy, stir in 2-3 Tbsp of cream, yogurt or coconut cream or milk.
- Taste your sauce and season with salt, as needed. Generally some salting at the end is needed to really bring out the flavours.
Notes
More Cauliflower Recipes to Love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
Such a lovely way to enjoy cauliflower! Very much looking forward to trying the recipe, roasted florets are a favorite of mine and this curry sauce is simply irresistible.
Thanks MIlena and yes, I love roasted cauliflower, too. Really a lovely flavour :)
I’ve never made a cauliflower curry, but this recipe seems like a great way to use up some of my spices and other pantry staples. I also appreciate the many substitutions and additions you included here. Very helpful. I hope you and your family are taking good care Jennifer!
Thanks so much, Leanne and you, too!
Curry dishes are my favorite Jennifer. So flavorful! Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks so much, Mary Ann :)
I love a good curry and this one looks delicious! It’s cold here today with lots of ice around. This one would be perfect to curl up with :)
Thanks Dawn and yes, this would be just the thing to warm you up :)
Such a flavorful and healthy dish. I love everything about it!
Thanks so much, Chris :)
This must be so flavorful and delicious, a must try for us! We love cauliflower and all the ingredients listed. I’ve never tried ginger paste, but will look for it oneway :) Pinned!
Thanks Tricia, after hearing that chicken was $30-35 a pkg this week at local stores, the cauliflower came to the rescue to satisfy my Indian chicken craving :)