When we decided to stop eating meat, one of the most popular meals I made in those first few months was this curry. This Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry is a warming, comforting curry, perfect for when the weather turns and you need a quick tasty dinner after work or school. My family loves this and even though it was little more on the spicy side they still couldn't get enough of it.
This cauliflower and chickpea curry is ready in under an hour and can be made the day before if you need a super quick dinner. This tastes even better the next day, so making it a day head can actually be a good idea. Just store it in the fridge in an airtight container. Make sure you heat it fully before serving. We like to have this with basmati rice, however, I have had this with quinoa too. If you want to go all out, naan and popadom with a good mango chutney is the way to go for a better than take out weekend treat.
So this curry is full of warming spices with a little kick of heat, you can adjust the heat if you wish by adding more or fewer chilli flakes. If you are serving this to the kids then a little less heat is best. I always use full fat coconut milk for this recipe as it results in a nice and creamy curry if you wish to go low fat then please be aware you may not get the same results. You may also add in more veggies if you wish, spinach works great, but anything bulkier and you will need a bigger pan.
What's so great about this cauliflower and chickpea curry?
- It's creamy, tasty and full of warming flavours
- This is naturally gluten-free
- Vegan
- High in fibre
- Chickpeas - good fats, protein and heart healthy
- Cauliflower - high in vitamin C, vitamin K, heart healthy
- Ready in under 1 hour
- Family friendly
Can I freeze this curry?
Yes! You can. Don't add the fresh coriander, then leave the curry to cool completely. Once cooled pour the curry into freezer proof bags or containers, label then freeze for up to a month. Thaw fully before reheating then add the coriander before serving.
Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion (160g) chopped finely
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 piece of ginger (36g) peeled and finely grated
- 10 green cardamom pods optional
- 1 medium head of cauliflower (460g) leaves and stalk removed then cut into medium size florets
- 1 green bell pepper (160g) pith and seeds removed then roughly chopped
- ½ heaped tsp dried red chilli flakes
- 2 heaped tsp ground cumin
- 1 ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 2 heaped tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 15.5oz can of cooked chickpeas (1 x 400g can) rinsed and drained
- 1 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes (1 x 400g can)
- 1 13.66 fl oz can of full fat coconut milk /(1 x 400ml can)
- A small handful of fresh cilantro/coriander, leaves removed and chopped plus more for serving
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large saute pan over a medium heat. Use a pan with a tight-fitting lid. Add the onion and cardamom pods and cook for about 10 minutes. Until the onion is translucent and a little springy and the pods have popped open.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the spices and salt. Stir well and cook for about a minute, until the spices release their flavour.
- Now pour in the chopped tomatoes plus about 50 ml of water added to the empty can. Stir well, then add in the chickpeas, cauliflower and pepper. Cover the pan, reduce the heat then simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so the sauce doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. This will also steam the cauliflower.
- After 10 minutes, pour in the coconut milk stir well then simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens. Check the seasoning.Finally, stir in the chopped coriander and serve immediately.
- Serve with basmati rice, toasted flaked almonds, more coriander leaves and naan.
Notes
- Nutritional Information is approximate and does not include rice or naan. It is calculated by using an online nutrition tool
- Coconut Milk. I always use full fat coconut milk for this recipe. If you want to use reduced fat coconut milk please be aware you may not achieve the same results. The sauce may be thinner.
- Cardamom Pods. If serving this to small children you may want to fish out the cardamom pods before you add the tomatoes.
- Heat. You can adjust the heat of this curry to suit your own tastes, by adding more or less of the chilli flakes. This curry was made as a family-friendly meal, suitable for children.
- Freezing. This curry can be frozen. Don’t add the fresh cilantro/coriander, then leave the curry to cool completely. Once cooled pour the curry into freezer-proof bags or containers, label the bag or container then freeze for up to a month. Thaw fully before reheating then add the coriander before serving.
- Cauliflower. I always use fresh cauliflower. The smaller the cauliflower florets are the quicker they will cook, I like to keep them small.
- Stir. Stir often to make sure the sauce doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and that the coconut milk doesn’t split.
Nutrition
More tasty veggie curries:
- Mushroom Curry with Spinach and Chickpeas
- Aubergine, Spinach and Chickpea Curry
- Vegetable Korma
- Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry
- Thai Red Curry with Veggies and Crispy Tofu
If you’ve tried this or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe. Let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest to see more delicious food.
I’ve just read that it freezes well.
Can you freeze this curry .Also if making it in the morning for an evening meal, should I add the coconut milk and coriander just before serving or when I’m making the curry ? TIA
Hi Annette, yes this curry freezes very well. If I was making this in the morning I would add the coconut milk but add the coriander just before serving in the evening. Hope this helps, Michelle x
Thank you so much . I’ve just made it and it tastes delicious . Don’t thinkI’ll be leaving it for the evening . It will be all gone .
That's great Annette! I'm so glad you liked it 🙂
This was delicious. Even better the next day. I thought the spice ratio we perfect. I did salt and pepper when I ate but I always do that. Will make again. Yum hum!?
Thanks so much Madelynn, I'm, so glad you liked it 🙂
I tried this recipe tonight. unfortunately it came out extremely bitter.. any suggestions? did i burn the spices? too much Garam Masala?
Hi Diana, I'm so sorry that it turned out bitter. I've made this many times and that has never been an issue for me. It may be that you did burn the spices, they only need a minute or two to cook. I don't feel like there is too much garam masala in this and I don't think that the amount would cause this curry to be bitter. You could have overcooked the cauliflower, this would cause a bitter taste.
Love this recipe and found it easy to follow recipe
Following on from the Butternut Squash and Chickpea recipe, I made sure I had some Coconut Milk in (full fat) for this recipe. Another winner! Not only am I playing around with new vegetarian menus, but I'm also getting used to an induction hotplate. Anyway, followed recipe to letter then tried the cauliflower. I thought it was 'harder' that what I was used to. Everything else was spot on...and then the penny dropped! This was how cauliflower is supposed to be in terms of texture and taste. What an eye-opener to discover that I've always overcooked cauliflower in every meal. Your site is a treasure trove for the vegetarian. Thanks so much!
Hi Graham, I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe too. I think we've all grown up eating vegetables that were slightly overcooked, and have been so used to certain veggies being soft. I know I definitely have. But if you prefer your cauliflower a little softer then I would pop a lid on the pan and cook this for a bit longer. Thank you so much for your kind words, I'm so glad you are finding lots of veggie inspiration here. Best wishes, Michelle.
Made this for the first time yesterday. My 2 year old daughter loves it too.
Thanks Stuart, I'm glad you both enjoyed it 🙂
Love this recipe. I added an extra onion and added half the cauliflower leaves sliced up. Would be tempted to add a handful of spinach or kale.
Hi Denise, I'm so glad you're enjoying it. I love the idea of adding the cauliflower leaves, that's such a great idea! I have added spinach to this a few times and it works really well. I've not tried kale though, will have to give that a go 🙂 Xx
Delicious and easy. I used to buy canned chickpeas but now cook them myself and always have them in the refrigerator. This is one recipe I didn’t have to tinker with. It is perfect as written.
Hi Gayle, thank you so much for your lovely comment! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hi Can I freeze this and I know you’ve used fresh cauliflower but does frozen work ok?
Hi Viki, you can freeze this. I would leave out the fresh coriander adn add that when you reheat it. You can freeze it for up to a month. You can use frozen cauliflower to make this, it may make the sauce slightly more watery though. I hope that helps x
Hi this looks really good we're just beginning our journey into meat free my daughter is allergic to chickpeas, what can we substitute them with please? Would really like to try this. Many Thanks Kate
Hi Kate, you could substitute the chickpeas for cannellini beans, butter beans or haricot beans I think would work well too. Best wishes, Michelle x
So delicious!