Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

Why You’ll Love Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

The recipe features chickpeas with cauliflower, carrot and bell peppers in a creamy coconut curry sauce. Here are a few reasons to love it:

• The delicious yellow curry sauce.
• It’s vegan and gluten-free and can be oil-free.
• It’s ready in one pot in just 30 minutes.
• It’s a good source of plant-based protein and fiber.
• It’s meal prep-friendly.
• It’s a flexible recipe you can customize with different veggies.
• It’s amazing over your favourite rice with naan for dipping!

Quick and easy to make with simple ingredients and lots of flavour, what’s not to love! For similar recipes, try Vegetable Korma, Kabocha Squash Curry, Vegetable Curry with Tofu or Vegan Panang Curry, Vegan Thai Red Curry Vegetables with Tofu.

Ingredient Notes

The complete list of ingredients with measurements is located in recipe card at the end of the post. This section provides an overview of ingredients and possible substitutions, variations and addition.

Here’s what you’ll need and possible substitutions:

• Olive Oil: Substitute another cooking oil of choice such as avocado oil. For an oil-free recipe, you can omit and use water or vegetable broth to cook.
• Chickpeas: Canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans) work well. Drain and rinse them before use.
• Vegetables: The recipe calls for cauliflower, carrot and bell pepper. We’ll cover suitable swaps and additions below.
• Curry Paste: The recipe uses yellow paste but you can substitute red curry paste if needed.
• Coconut Milk: Full-fat canned coconut milk is best for a creamy curry but you can substitute light coconut milk to reduce the calorie and fat content.

Variations & Additions

There are many ways to customize this recipe. From extra protein to veggies and spice, here are some ideas:

• Adding More Protein: To increase the protein, I’d suggest using the tofu portion of this curried tofu recipe, though any tofu you enjoy works, either mixed in or as a topping. You can cook any other proteins you enjoy and mix them in at the end as well.
• Additional Vegetables: Alternative or additional veggies that work well in this recipe are green peas, broccoli, snow peas or snap peas, zucchini, spinach, sweet potato, and eggplant. I suggest keeping it simple with no more than 4 different vegetables.
• Thai-inspired Flavors: Try incorporating lemongrass, lime, and Thai basil. The lemongrass would be added with the garlic and ginger, the lime and Thai basil would be stirred in at the end.
• Turmeric: Enhance the color by adding up to 1 tsp turmeric to the curry. Turmeric can be added with the curry paste.
• Lime: Grate some lemon or lime zest over the curry or serve with lemon or lime wedges.
• Roasted Nuts: Top the curry with chopped roasted almonds, cashews, or peanuts for added crunch and nutty flavor.
• Crushed Tomatoes: You can add a 15 oz can of crushed or diced tomatoes for a flavour variation.
• Cashew Cream: For an alternative to coconut milk, you can soak 1 cup cashews for a few hours, drain and blend with 1.5 cups water to make cashew cream.
• Spice Level: The curry is not overly spicy. To add heat, add 1 minced jalapeno or serrano pepper, or up to 1 tsp red chili flakes with the garlic and ginger. You could also stir in a little sriracha sauce or serve with a drizzle of sriracha or spinkle of chili flakes.

How to Make Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

Step-by-step photos for a visual reference you can review before making the recipe. When you’re ready to proceed, use the written instructions in the recipe card.

Step 1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium heat then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.

Step 2. Stir in the tomato pate and curry paste and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 5. Season with salt and pepper, and if desired, add chili flakes for additional heat. Remove the pan from heat and stir in the cilantro. Serve over a bed of your favourite rice and enjoy!