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This Cauliflower and Chickpea Coconut Curry is pure comfort in every bite! The mouth-watering sauce is made with tomatoes, garlic, onions, ginger, serrano peppers, curry powder, and coconut milk. It's a little spicy and zesty with a hint of sweetness!
The weather is finally getting warmer and I'm slowly adding lighter meals like my Black Bean Corn Salad to our weeknight rotation.
However, comfort food is still happening around here and we can't get enough of this Chickpea Coconut Curry! If you haven't made curry at home before, you really should give it a try. It's really easy to make and SO full of flavor.
My favorite thing about making curry is that almost anything goes! Once you make the curry base, you can pretty much add anything your heart desires. It's impossible to get bored!
- Start by roasting the cauliflower. Place florets on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Combine together with your hands. Roast for 15-20 minutes at 450° F (230° C) until tender and lightly browned. Toss at the halfway mark.
- Heat oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Now add serrano peppers and sauté until slightly softened.
- Add garlic and ginger. Sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Now add the curry powder and sauté until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Add diced tomatoes, agave, and salt. Cook for a few minutes to soften and marry flavors.
- Pour in coconut milk and lightly simmer for a few minutes to reduce.
- Carefully transfer the sauce to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour sauce back into the pan along with chickpeas and lime juice. Lightly simmer to warm throughout.
- Add roasted cauliflower and gently stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Remove from heat and sprinkle with cilantro.
What can I serve with chickpea coconut curry?
The options are endless! I usually serve it with rice or quinoa and a side of naan. You can enjoy it by itself or with bread, couscous, cauliflower rice, veggies, potatoes, or even salad. Anything goes, just ask your taste buds!
Topping Ideas
This chickpea coconut curry is so flavorful as is and you don't need toppings, but it's fun to add them for extra flavor and texture. Here are some tasty suggestions: raisins, currants, toasted nuts, bean sprouts, vegan bacon, avocado, pineapple, mango, chutney, hot peppers, green onion, red onion, cilantro, basil, coconut shreds and so much more. Have fun with it!
What curry powder should I use?
I used a quality store-bought curry powder to keep this recipe simple and delicious. However, if you'd like to make your own, I highly recommend this Curry Powder Recipe by Vegan Richa. It's amazing!
More comfort food recipes to enjoy
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Cauliflower and Chickpea Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 1 large cauliflower , cut into bite-sized florets
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil , or preferred oil (plus more for roasting)
- ½ medium red onion , diced (sub yellow onion)
- 1 small serrano pepper , sliced (sub jalapeño or ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
- 4 cloves garlic , minced or chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger , grated (sub frozen or paste)
- 1 tablespoon curry powder , more if desired
- 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
- 2-3 teaspoons agave nectar (or any sweetener)
- 1 14 ounce can coconut milk , full-fat
- 1 15 ounce can chickpeas , rinsed and drained well
- 1 lime , juiced
- ⅓ cup cilantro , chopped (more for serving)
- ¾ teaspoon salt , more to taste (more for roasting)
- Fresh cracked pepper , to taste
For Serving (Optional)
- Naan
- Rice (about 3 cups cooked)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450° F (230° C). Place cauliflower florets on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Combine together with your hands. Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender and lightly browned. Toss halfway.
- To make the curry sauce (I usually start this after the cauliflower has been roasting for 5 minutes). In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Now add serrano peppers and sauté for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Now add the curry powder and sauté until fragrant, about 30-60 seconds.
- Add diced tomatoes, agave and salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes to soften and meld flavors. Pour in coconut milk and lightly simmer for 3-4 minutes to reduce (don't boil - lower heat if needed).
- Transfer to a blender and blend on high until smooth (you can skip blending if you want a chunkier sauce - just simmer a few minutes more to thicken). Pour back into pan along with chickpeas and lime juice. Gently simmer to warm throughout and soften chickpeas.
- Now add roasted cauliflower and gently toss to combine well (heat longer if needed). Taste for seasoning and add more if needed. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cilantro. Top over rice and serve with naan, lime wedges, and cut cilantro if desired. Enjoy!
Suee33
This again was easy and very tasty. Was not too hot, would lie some ideas of how much of the extra spices you suggest. Thanks
Peggy
Made this for dinner today. I was great
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it. Thank you so much! 🙂
Sylvie Côté-Nace
I made this recipe today, it was outstanding. I added some cumin and coriander. One of the best curry I made so far. It’s a winner recipe. Yum. Bon Appétit!
Support @ Vegan Huggs
Hi Sylvie! Yum those spices sound delicious! So happy to hear that you loved the recipe 🙂
Denise
Loved it. I've made it a couple times. I agree left overs are awesome! I think adding kale or spinach is a great idea and will do that next time. Thanks for sharing!
Melissa Huggins
Hi Denise, I'm happy you liked it! Thank you for trying it out. 🙂
AJ
Delicious! I think it actually tasted even better when we reheated the leftovers!
Melissa Huggins
Thank you so much! So glad you liked it. I love the leftovers too. 🙂
Debra Meier
I had most of the ingredients on hand, except for the Serrano pepper, so I went with the red pepper flakes. This was absolutely delicious! I'm going to the store tomorrow to "restock" so I can whip up your Cauliflower Tikka Masala later in the week. This is everything that a vegetable-based recipe should be, tasty and satisfying, without the meat.
Melissa Huggins
Hi Debra, thank you so much! I'm so glad it worked out for you. It's one of our favorites over here. 🙂
Elizabeth
This sounds delicious and fairly easy to make. I'm concerned about the peppers. I don't care for spicy things. How does everyone think it would taste without? Or is there a less spicy substitution so I can still have the flavor without the hi spice. Thanks
Melissa Huggins
Hi Elizabeth, the peppers do add heat, but I don't feel it's overly spicy (Although everyone's spicy meter is different). Instead, you can omit them altogether and use 1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes. This dish is still delicious without the heat, too. I hope this helps. Thank you for stopping by:)
Andrea
Super easy and delicious recipe to make! Can't wait to eat leftovers tomorrow!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so glad you liked it! Thank you for giving it a try 🙂
Anais
Just did the recipe for tonight, it was delicious!!!
Melissa Huggins
I'm so happy to hear this! Thank you for giving it a try! 🙂
Ji
Just made this and added some spinach, so yummy!!!! Definitely on my regular dinner menu now
Melissa Huggins
Thank you for giving it a try! Sounds perfect with the spinach 🙂
Renee T
I'm making this for guests this Friday. I have been waiting for some Indian dishes.