Vegan Cauliflower Tikka Masala

Craving a satisfying comfort meal? Try this creamy and flavorful Cauliflower Tikka Masala recipe. Made with aromatic Indian spices and cauliflower, this delicious vegan and gluten-free delight will satisfy your taste buds. Enjoy this easy budget-friendly dish in just 35 minutes.

Course entree, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Servings people

Calories 230.47kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

To make the masala paste

1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon garlic paste chopped
1 tablespoon ginger paste
3 green chilies
1 onion roughly chopped
2 tomatoes roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper roughly chopped
¼ cup cilantro chopped
13.5 oz coconut milk

To parboil cauliflower

1 head cauliflower
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
Salt
water

To prepare the curry

2 tsp cooking oil
1 cup green peas
1 tablespoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon chilly powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoon cilantro chopped
2 tablespoon Kasuri methi
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

To make the masala paste

In a pan, heat oil. Temper cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add garlic paste, ginger paste, and green chilies. Saute for 2 minutes.
Then add the chopped onions. Continue to saute till the onions turn translucent.
Add roughly chopped red bell pepper, tomatoes, and cilantro to the pan. Continue to saute for 3-4 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and let this cool.
Then transfer this mixture to a blender along with half the can of coconut milk. Blend it to a smooth puree.
Once done, keep this masala base aside for now.

To parboil cauliflower

Chop the cauliflower into bite-sized florets. You can also slice them as cauliflower steaks. Add water to a pan, along with turmeric and salt. Once it comes to a boil, add the cauliflower florets. Let it cook for 8-10 minutes or till the cauliflower turns soft.
Drain and keep the parboiled cauliflower florets aside for now. Reserve the water to prepare the gravy.

To prepare the curry

Heat oil in the same pan, and add green peas. Cook for 2 minutes.
Add the prepared masala base to the pan and bring it to a boil. Add half cup of the reserved water to adjust the consistency. Cook this for 6-7 minutes.
Then add the spices like coriander powder, garam masala, chilly powder, turmeric powder, sugar and salt. Give it a mix so that the dry spices get mixed into the gravy. Cook for another minute.
Next, add the parboiled cauliflower florets.
Then and the remaining coconut milk. Add half cup of the reserved water. Mix. Cover the pan and cook on a medium flame for 8-10 minutes.
Once the florets are fully cooked, garnish with chopped cilantro and crushed Kasuri methi. Add lemon juice. Mix and take the pan off the flame.

Notes

Cook the cauliflower just until it holds its shape—parboil only to that point. Overcooking will make the cauliflower mushy, causing it to lose its crunch and affecting the texture of the gravy, making it soggy. If you consume dairy, you can replace the coconut milk with cream or whole milk. Alternatively, coconut milk can be substituted with cashew cream or vegan yogurt. If you don't have tikka masala spices, you can use a tablespoon of curry powder instead.

Nutrition