Simmered in a rich and healthy coconut milk sauce, this vegan cauliflower curry with chickpeas is a simple weeknight meal, loaded with nutrients! It’s flavorful, easy to make, and family friendly!
It’s no secret that I love a good vegan curry! It wasn’t a flavor I was too familiar with growing up, but it’s something I’ve grown a taste for.
My mom didn’t make curries at home. She was all about the Armenian dishes from her family.
However, my best friend’s mom made Indian cauliflower curry regularly. Coincidentally, not only were we best friends, but our mom’s were best friend’s too.
That meant my mom and I were invited over to their house regularly to hang out and have dinner. My best friend’s mom loved to cook! They even had a restaurant for some time.
One of her easy go to meals was a vegetable curry! She made it often, and it was even featured on their menu when they opened their restaurant.
I don’t have the recipe for her vegetable curry with fresh ginger. I’ll have to get the recipe from her one of these days. But I have made several of my own curry recipes in the past.
My family loves my vegan curried lentils, and sweet potato curry! In the fall and winter months, I make my butternut squash curry. If you’re looking for a delicious curry sauce to add to your steamed vegetables, try this tomato curry sauce by Southern Kissed!
Considering my husband is crazy about cauliflower, I was surprised to realize that I had never made him a cauliflower curry! So here it is!
Tender cauliflower florets are simmered in a low-fat coconut milk curry sauce, and paired with crunchy carrots, bright green peas, and chickpeas for added protein!
I serve it with a wedge of lime, and fresh cilantro, and a brown rice with quinoa. Next time I may serve it with a side of whole wheat naan bread instead!
It’s full of flavor, and so simple to make! Dinner is on the table in less than 30 minutes! It’s a great addition to your weekly vegan meal prep! The best part is it tastes even better the next day!
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
- Super Flavorful
- Done in 30 minutes
- Easy Dinner Recipe
- Filled with vitamins and nutrients
- Family Friendly
- Good Curry Flavor
- Whole food plant-based
- Naturally Gluten-Free
Ingredients and Notes
Cauliflower and Veggies: You’ll need one whole head of cauliflower chopped into florets. You could also use frozen cauliflower if you desire. Other added veggies include carrots, and frozen peas. Feel free to add other vegetables you have such as bell peppers, or onion.
Seasoning: There are a variety of different curries on the market. This recipe calls for yellow curry seasoning. In addition, I added turmeric, coriander, cumin, and salt. If you want extra spice add some cayenne or black pepper. You could also use a red curry paste as a substitute for the yellow curry seasoning.
Coconut Milk Sauce: I use a light coconut milk to cut back on the calories and fat. However, you can use full fat if you desire. It is combined with vegetable stock.
Chickpeas: Use a 15 oz can of chickpeas that are drained and rinsed. You can also use dried chickpeas, but they will need to be pre-cooked, and this will take extra time.
Scroll to the bottom of the post to the recipe card for complete measurements and instructions.
Tools and Equipment
Instructions
Step 1: Combine coconut milk, and vegetable broth in a sauté pan over medium heat. Whisk together to combine. Add spices: curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt. Whisk until combined. Add minced garlic, and minced ginger. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Step 2: Add chopped cauliflower and carrots. Cover and simmer until tender. About 15 minutes.
Step 3: Add chickpeas. Cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add frozen peas. Stir to combine. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until peas are thawed.
Step 4: Transfer to serving dishes. Serve with brown rice, a wedge of lime, and fresh chopped cilantro.
Expert Tips
- Add the cauliflower and carrots to the pot first. They will take the longest to cook.
- Don’t add the peas until the very end. If they are added too soon, or sit in the sauce simmering they will lose their bright green color.
- If your cauliflower isn’t as tender as you like it, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Using canned chickpeas keeps the cooking time down. Be sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding them to the pot.
What makes this vegan cauliflower curry healthy?
Low in Calories and Fat: One serving of this cauliflower curry is only 244 calories and 7 grams of fat. If you choose to use full fat coconut milk that number will increase. This also does not include any rice you may serve with this dish.
Rich in Vitamins and Nutrients: Cauliflower is an excellent source of a variety of vitamins and nutrients. Some of those include vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin B6, and folate. In addition, coconut milk is a good source of manganese, magnesium, copper, and potassium.
High in Fiber: One serving includes 10 grams of fiber. That’s ⅓ of your recommended daily fiber intake!
High in Plant Protein: With the added chickpeas, and peas, this vegan dish has 11 grams of protein per serving!
How to Serve
There are many ways you can serve this curry dish. If you prefer, you can enjoy it without any additions. However, I like to add a whole grain with my curry. Here are a few of my whole food plant-based suggestions…
- Brown Rice
- Quinoa
- Whole Wheat Naan Bread
- Farro
- Whole Wheat Pita
- Baked Potato
- Baked Sweet Potato
Variations and Substitutions
Thicker Sauce: If you’d like a thicker sauce, add 2 tbsp of tomato paste. Allow the sauce to simmer and bubble before adding the cauliflower.
Different Veggies: This is a great recipe to clean out your veggie drawer! Add any veggies you like, along with cauliflower. I suggest sweet potatoes, red bell pepper, green beans, asparagus, zucchini, onions, kale, and spinach.
Spice it Up: This curry has mild flavors. It doesn’t bring a lot of heat. If that’s something that you like, feel free to add some cayenne or black pepper. Garam masala, an Indian spice mix, can also be added for additional flavor.
How to Store and Keep
Refrigerator: Allow the vegan cauliflower curry to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3- 5 days. If serving with rice, or another whole grain, store the two in separate containers to prevent the rice from getting soggy.
Freezer: You can also freeze this dish. Be sure to allow it to cool completely. Then transfer to a freezer safe container. Make sure all air is removed to prevent freezer burn. Label with the date and contents. It will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Reheat: If frozen, transfer to a pan on the stove. Allow to defrost. Bring to a simmer, and then serve. If not frozen, you can simply reheat in the microwave or stovetop until warm.
More healthy vegan dinner recipes!
- Loaded Sweet Potato
- Chickpea Curry Salad
- Pineapple Fried Rice
- Vegan Stuffed Shells
- Vegan Roast Dinner with Cauliflower, Potatoes, and Carrots
If you’ve tried this Vegan Cauliflower Curry recipe, please rate the recipe and let me know how it turned out. You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for more plant-based family recipes your whole family will enjoy!
Vegan Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas
Ingredients
- ¾ cup vegetable stock
- 14 oz can of low-fat coconut milk
- 1 head cauliflower chopped into florets
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 15 oz can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp coriander
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 lime sliced into wedges to serve
- ¼ cup cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk, and vegetable stock in sauté pan. Whisk together to combine. Add spices: curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, and salt. Whisk until combined. Add minced garlic, and minced ginger. Bring to a simmer.
- Add chopped cauliflower and carrots. Cover and simmer until tender. About 15 minutes.
- Add chickpeas. Cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes. Add frozen peas. Stir to combine. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until peas are thawed.
- Transfer to serving dishes. Serve with brown rice, a wedge of lime, and fresh chopped cilantro.
Video
Notes
- Add the cauliflower and carrots to the pot first. They will take the longest to cook.
- Don’t add the peas until the very end. If they are added too soon, or sit in the sauce simmering they will lose their bright green color.
- If your cauliflower isn’t as tender as you like it, cover and cook an additional 5 minutes.
- Using canned chickpeas keeps the cooking time down. Be sure to drain and rinse the chickpeas before adding them to the pot.
This vegan curry looks amazing. I love that it’s made in half an hour. A great weeknight meal idea!
This is a tasty vegan cauliflower curry! I’ve been trying out new vegan recipes and this is my new favorite. The dish is so colorful and filling! I can’t wait to make it again.
Cauliflower chili sounds like a wonderful fridge foraging meal and perfect for the cold winter months! Yummy!
Yummy! I can’t wait to give this a try! I’m always looking for something new and healthy to try! So excited to make this!
So delicious and quick to make!