Name: Cauliflower Curry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 530 min
Ingredients: 1 pound cauliflower florets ((about 1 head)); 7-ounce container plain greek yogurt ((Note 1)); 1 tablespoon garam masala ((Note 2)); 1 tablespoon lemon juice; 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1 cup canned tomato sauce ((Note 3)); 1 cup heavy whipping cream ((Note 4)); 5 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tablespoon garam masala ((Note 2)); 1/2 teaspoon paprika; 1/2 teaspoon turmeric; 1/2 teaspoon table salt; 1/4 teaspoon cayenne ((Note 5))

Summary:

This vegetarian Indian curry combines oven-roasted cauliflower florets with a spiced tikka masala sauce.

Cauliflower Curry

5 from 6 votes

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Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Marinate: 8 hrs

Yield: 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

Cauliflower Marinade:

▢ 1 pound cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
▢ 7-ounce container plain greek yogurt (Note 1)
▢ 1 tablespoon garam masala (Note 2)
▢ 1 tablespoon lemon juice
▢ 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
▢ 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Sauce:

▢ 1 cup canned tomato sauce (Note 3)
▢ 1 cup heavy whipping cream (Note 4)
▢ 5 cloves garlic, minced
▢ 1 tablespoon garam masala (Note 2)
▢ 1/2 teaspoon paprika
▢ 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
▢ 1/2 teaspoon table salt
▢ 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (Note 5)

INSTRUCTIONS

Marinate Cauliflower: Stir together yogurt, garam masala, lemon juice, pepper, and ginger in large bowl until well-mixed. If any cauliflower florets are larger than 2 inches, cut into smaller florets. Toss florets in bowl with marinade until well-coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight (Note 6).
Roast Cauliflower: Preheat oven to 400 F. Spread out marinated cauliflower florets in single layer on baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Reserve any leftover marinade in bowl. Bake until cauliflower is tender and marinade looks dry, about 20 minutes (Note 7). While waiting for cauliflower to bake, proceed to next step to prepare sauce.
Make Sauce: Stir together all sauce ingredients and any leftover marinade in large pot. Bring to simmer. Stirring frequently, simmer until sauce thickens and reduces by one-fourth, about 10 minutes. If cauliflower is still baking, keep sauce warm over low heat.
Serve: Add roasted cauliflower florets to sauce in pot, stirring for a minute until cauliflower is coated with sauce. Serve hot (Note 8).

NUTRITION

Makes 3 Servings

Amount Per Serving:

Calories 400 (69% from fat)
Total Fat 31g	47%
Saturated Fat 19g	96%
Cholesterol 96mg	32%
Sodium 490mg	20%
Net Carb 13.5g
Total Carb 21.5g	7%
Dietary Fiber 8g	32%
Sugars 10.5g
Protein 13g

Vitamin A 38% · Vitamin C 111% · Calcium 18% · Iron 8%

PHOTOS

cauliflower curry served in stoneware bowl

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Greek Yogurt. Greek yogurt is used because of its thick consistency; don’t use American yogurts, which would result in a watery marinade. Select one with at least 2% fat, plain flavor, and unsweetened. I use the Fage brand. This can’t be substituted with sour cream.

(2) Garam Masala. This is one of those spices that can’t be easily substituted because it gives a characteristic taste to Indian dishes like chicken tikka masala. It’s a blend of ground Indian spices including pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cumin. You can easily buy garam masala online, or you can find it at many U.S. supermarkets.

(3) Tomato Sauce. I use plain tomato sauce, sold in cans. Avoid flavored varieties with herbs and other additions. Don’t substitute with pasta sauce.

(4) Heavy Whipping Cream. I haven’t used anything other than dairy-based cream, but readers have told me that they have successfully substituted some or all of the cream with half and half or coconut milk. I think the taste of coconut milk would go wonderfully with the flavors in this dish, especially if you use full-fat coconut milk. For a thicker, luxurious sauce, a better substitution might be coconut cream.

(5) Cayenne. Also known as red pepper, ground cayenne is used to add a bit of heat to the dish. It’s only mildly spicy, so the amount listed in the recipe should be suitable for most people. If you prefer your curries more or less spicy, adjust to taste.

(6) Marinating Time. I prefer to marinate overnight or for at least 8 hours. If you’re short on time, you can reduce the marinating time without a substantial loss in flavor.

(7) Roasting Time. The roasting time for cauliflower florets will depend on your oven, size of cauliflower florets, and taste preferences. If you prefer your cauliflower to be extra tender, bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes, or until it reaches your desired tenderness.

(8) Serving. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro or parsley. This curry is great alongside creamed spinach or mashed turnips, or wrapped in a low carb tortilla.

(9) Related Dishes. This roasted cauliflower curry is a vegetarian version of my chicken tikka masala recipe, which I have in three versions: stovetop, slow cooker, and pressure cooker. They share the same delicious sauce made with tomato, cream, and spices.

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newest oldest most voted

Ashley

This was excellent! We strive to be weekday vegetarians, and this recipe is definitely going into our rotation. Really, really tasty. Thanks!

Jeanine

My husband and I loved this! We’ll definitely be making this again. One of the easiest meals I’ve made in awhile too. Thanks!

Meetali

Can I use plain yoghurt instate of greek yoghurt?

I see that you say that the marinated cauliflower must be kept overnight but what if I want to make it for supper and I marinate the cauliflower in the morning, how long must I let the cauliflower marinate? or is it best to marinate the night before?

Julia

I recommend marinating the night before, for maximum flavor. If that doesn’t work for you, you can marinate in the morning. I don’t think it’ll be a huge difference in the end.

Don’t use plain yogurt because it’s usually too thin and runny. You want a thick yogurt, which is why I recommend Greek.

Caroline

This is by far one of the best recipes I’ve made! I now make it all the time. It’s so wonderfully easy. I don’t always have time to marinate the cauliflower, so I just roast it without the marinade. I also add a teaspoon of sugar at the end which works well.

Nina

This is a fantastic recipe!! Very easy to make and full fat coconut milk worked super well – it was creamy, just a bit spicy and totally delicious!

Marnie

Hi, Julia, I’m planning to make this for my husband who is on a low carb diet. One question: Why is there no salt in the marinade?

There is sufficient salt in the sauce, so there is no need to add it to the marinade. If you prefer, you can add some salt to the marinade and use less in the sauce.

Frances

Sounds lovely,I’m in uk,what is tinned tomato sauce? Thanks

“Tinned tomato sauce” is pureed tomatoes sold in cans, sometimes with added salt.

Thank you, just marinated the cauliflower 😁

Jennifer

This was our Christmas meal and it did not disappoint! We LOVED it and I plan on making this dish over and over; thank you

Stephanie

This sounds wonderful, and I can’t wait to make it, but I am wondering where the sugar grams are coming from. The recipe says that there are 10.5 grams of sugar, but I do not see where this would be in any of the ingredients. Thanks for any info, and thanks for sharing this recipe. 🙂

Hi Stephanie! There are no added sugars in this recipe (as you can see in the ingredients list), but almost all foods have intrinsic natural sugars. This includes tomato sauce, heavy whipping cream, etc. That’s where the 10.5 grams of total sugars per serving comes from. Hope that clears it up.

Emily Ramey

Can I substitute almond milk for the cream? I have a medical condition which will not allow high fat dairy products.., Thanks!

That could work, but might taste a bit thin. You can try low-fat coconut cream, coconut milk, or any suitable half-and-half substitutes that are available at your grocery store.

Shan

I made this with canned coconut cream. For the marinade portion I used the separated cream from two cans of chilled coconut milk, reserved the water on the side, adding a little at a time as I mixed to the consistency I wanted for the amount of cauliflower I had. I used the separated cream from one can of coconut milk for the sauce.
I eat paleo and found this recipe so versatile. It’s easy to make substitutions for restrictive diets.

That’s very helpful. Thank you for sharing your paleo substitutions!

Trish

So two cans in total of the coconut cream; one for sauce and one for marinade?

Karen Dean

YUMMMMMMMMMY! Served this as a side dish with my Roasted Chicken. Loved it!

Leonie

Tried this recipe today and I must say it’s amazing!
My boyfriend said he could eat cauliflower everyday if it’s like this. 🙂

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