This Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry is an authentic Indian homestyle curry that is one of those rare gems that’s made with spices that are sold at local supermarkets. It is made from scratch, loaded with classic Indian spicy flavours, and it’s super healthy too.
Use this recipe for curry sauce as a base and toss in whatever veggies and proteins you want!
Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
I know most people do Meat Free Monday. It has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? But in my world, meat free meals are towards the end of the week after I’ve depleted my supply of fresh meat from weekend grocery shopping.
So for RecipeTin Eats, it’s Meat Free Wednesday, not Monday.
Let me try announcing that, see if it has the same ring to it.
Meat Free Wednesday is here!!!
Hmmm. Nope. Doesn’t sound quite the same, does it?
Oh well! Let’s blow right past that to today’s meat-free offering: This Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry. 🙂
I absolutely adore Indian food. I don’t eat Indian out as often as I want because Indian restaurant food in Australia – and I think in many Western countries – is notoriously high in fat. Delicious, but not that good for you. 😞 At least, not the popular curries – Korma, Rogan Josh etc.
As for making it at home, most Indian curries require a trip to an Indian grocery store to track down harder to find spices, like black mustard seeds, fenugreek leaves.
However, this Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry, along with my Butter Chicken, are two rare exceptions. I can make this pretty much anytime I want because I always have the spices in my pantry, a can of some sort of beans plus some kind of veggie suitable for throwing in.
It’s a standby curry!!! I love it!
When I shared my Vegetarian Mexican Lasagna a couple of weeks ago, I undertook to post a meat free meal every fortnight for the rest of 2016. When it comes to meat-free, I think many carnivores such as myself can be skeptical, worried that the meal won’t be satisfying enough, will lack flavour and oomph.
I don’t think anyone could ever think that about this Chickpea Cauliflower Curry. What do you think? 😉 – Nagi x
PS Don’t skip the yoghurt and a good handful of fresh coriander / cilantro. It really “makes” this dish. ❤️
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Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp ginger finely grated
- 3 large garlic cloves minced.
- 1 large onion chopped (brown, white, yellow)
- 3 tsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp tumeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 800 g / 28 oz can crushed tomato
- 300 g / 4 cups packed cauliflower small florets (1 small / 1/2 large cauliflower)
- 400 g / 14 oz can chickpeas drained
- Salt
- 1 tsp sugar - optional Note 1
- 3/4 cup frozen peas 75g
- 3 tsp garam masala powder Note 2
- 1/4 cup coriander / cilantro leaves chopped
- Yoghurt to serve (highly recommended)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large deep skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute. Add onion and cook for 6 - 8 minutes or until golden and caramelised.
- Add coriander, turmeric, cumin and paprika. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add chicken stock and tomato. Stir to combine, bring to simmer and cook for 5 minutes.
- Add cauliflower and chickpeas. Cook for 15 minutes or until cauliflower is soft and sauce has thickened. If sauce is thickening too quickly (Note 3), put the lid on. Adjust salt to taste, and add sugar if using.
- Add peas and garam masala. Cook for 2 minutes, then remove from stove. Stir through most of the coriander.
- Serve curry with basmati rice or plain white rice, garnished with reserved coriander and yoghurt on the side.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
LIFE OF DOZER
Memories of when he was a puppy…..You just can’t get mad when you come home and are greeted with a sight like this…. At least he didn’t get into my SHOES!
This was so simple to make and tasted very good. Not spicy but a nice flavour. I thought I had a can of chickpeas but was mistaken so I used frozen green beans and frozen peas. It worked. A nice way to use up veggies too. Thank you for another winning recipe!
great recipe. I often add other veg like potato and zucchini.
flavour and aroma plus plus love chickpeas
This is my favourite curry! (until today it was your mega flavour lentil curry 😜). The flavours are fabulous and it was a huge hit with the whole family. I added grated carrot and a bit of chopped spinach but I forgot the yoghurt (even after sending my partner back to the shop for it 😂). My daughter already wants to know when I’m making it again ☺️
Forgot to add stars!
Great vegetarian curry, easy to make and delicious.
just amazing! the flavour +++ the easy way of putting it in the pot+++ great, I absolutely loved it
What a great recipe, simple and delicious even better the next day. Whole family loved it. Thanks so much
When I think of curry, I think ‘spicy’. This curry is not spicy at all. It’s not the curry that I expected but I did enjoy the dish. 🙂
Try water instead of chicken stock and 1/4 TSP of cayenne pepper
Agree with that. I was a bit disappointed with it.
Yum!! My new fave curry!! I made a batch for my work lunches and served with rice. Didn’t have peas though so added diced potato. Definitely do not skip the yoghurt!! There was no coriander at my local Coles (ughhh) so sadly went without. I added dried mint to the yoghurt though – soooo good!! Another 5 star recipe – thank you xx
This was delicious! I did add a potato in it, as I loved the look of your chickpea and potato curry, so I incorporated the potato in this! It did make cooking time a little longer but it was absolutely amazing! Will cook this again!
Woo hoo!! I am so glad you enjoyed it Natalie!! N x
Hi Nagi! I love your recipes! Thank you for providing easy to follow with lots of useful tips! With this recipe, it turned out quite red, not the brown in your photo. I wonder if I did something wrong? Any help is much appreciated!
Mine too!
This was delicious. I froze it in takeaway containers with brown rice & got 5 good servings from it. The spices really make the dish.
It’s also really good for your gut health with all the vegetables, chickpeas and spices!
Thanks Emma! If you liked that one then try my Vegetable Tagine – https://www.recipetineats.com/vegetable-tagine/ N x
Hi Nagi,
Why the spices are added at different point of cooking in this recipe? Is there any specific reason to it?
Thanks!
I like to add the garam masala towards the end so you get it as a fresh flavour hit! N x
Another winner from Nagi! With a couple of chillies thrown in, coz we like spicy, it was absolutely delicious. Will definitely do it again.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Carol! N x
Second time I’ve made this. Great flavours and quite robust as a non meat dish. I used just 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes, bit more spices than in recipe, added a little water & lid on as suggested to ensure it didn’t get too thick. At end I added some roughly chopped baby bok choy from our veg patch. Very good with brown basmati rice with some chives (used dried) & cumin mixed through.
Tasted great! I added some red lentils and added coconut milk instead of yoghurt.
Sounds amazing Colin! N x
Delicious, Nagi!
As always, you do not disappoint with your recipes, precise instructions and very helpful notes…”Thank you”!
I was even able to find the ‘single-serve’ measurements for making Garam Masala on your site, after I ‘lost’ my home-made batch I made in the fall! I put it “somewhere to keep it fresh!” LOL! I know it is in my freezer somewhere!
What an adorable snap of a baby Dozer too…what a doll he was and is!
Looking forward to trying out your naan and samosa recipes very soon!
So easy to make and so authentic tasting. Strain the chickpeas in advance and make meringues out of the aquafaba for dessert.
Just made your cauliflower and chickpea curry for dinner. Yet another quick, easy and tasty meal. Thank you for your easy and tasty recipes
I love this recipe – so versatile and able to be adjusted depending on what is on hand. Only comment is that the cooking time doesn’t add up to the directions – you say a 20 minute cook, but 8 mins onion fry + 5 mins simmer + 15 mins cauliflower cook + 4 mins extra for spices, peas etc = 32 mins… I didn’t know if this was a mistake in the adding up, or if the times in the directions were incorrect.
Pretty tasty dish once again. Definitely a repeater 😉