This spicy vegan cauliflower curry with chickpeas is tasty, nutritious and quick to make. It is hearty, full of fiber and protein, and the mouth-watering sauce brings the heat and a bold flavor! I love how quickly this one comes together with items I always have in the fridge and pantry. Nobody will know that dinner took less than 30 minutes to make!
What is Chickpea Cauliflower Curry?
This simple curry requires a few veggies, some pantry staples, and a host of spices for the most incredible aromatic, delicious flavor ever.
We start this recipe the same as most of my curry recipes: by frying the aromatics. Always heat the oil first and then add that holy trinity of garlic, onion and ginger.
The smell of these three perfect ingredients getting toasty will make you home smell heavenly. All we need is about 5 minutes to get some color and intense fragrance and you may move on to the next step.
Then, we'll add the cauliflower and zucchini to get a little color and some major flavor from the aromatics.
After that, we need to toast the spices. Push the vegetable mixture to one side and making room in the pan. Add all the dry spices and seeds and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then stir the toasty spices into the vegetable mix.
Finally, add the tomato paste, chickpeas and coconut milk. Bring it to a boil then simmer until a thick gravy forms and all the flavors meld.
Add the spinach and cilantro last and let them wilt by stirring. Serve over a bed of steamed rice with fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes, and enjoy!
Note: If you do not like things very spicy use only half of the cumin seeds and red pepper flakes. I made this recipe quite spicy which is why I make it a point to use the word spicy in the title. You can easily adjust the heat and make it milder, if you prefer.
If you enjoy this Spicy Vegan Cauliflower Curry, check out a couple of my other recipes Saucy Curry Potatoes and Chickpeas or Chana Saag Aloo Curry or Vegan Coconut Curry Dal.
Why you’ll love this vegan cauliflower curry recipe
- Ready in just 30 short minutes
- Packed with fresh veggies like cauliflower, zucchini, and spinach
- Layered with aromatics in every single bite
- The leftovers taste even better the next day!
- Quick enough for an easy weeknight dinner but tasty enough to make every week
- No curry paste here - we're making our own delicious curry gravy from scratch
Vegan Cauliflower Curry Ingredients
Although the ingredients list looks long, trust me, most of those ingredients are just spices! The curry itself uses just a handful of veggies and pantry staples, and couldn't be much easier.
- Extra virgin olive oil - The first step is to fry the garlic and ginger, and for that, you need a good cooking oil. It's crucial for flavor.
- Aromatics - We're going to build flavor with garlic, fresh ginger, and onion.
- Cumin seeds - Toasting the cumin seeds and dry spices brings out so much more flavor, and is an essential step of making a good curry.
- Chickpeas - Chickpeas are packed with plant-based protein and fiber, and will keep a nice bite even as the curry steeps together.
- Unsweetened coconut milk - For a luscious creaminess and to give the spices full-bodied flavor.
- Fresh cauliflower florets - We're using a fair amount of fresh cauliflower here. Caramelizing it at high heat gets you a golden brown color on the edges while bringing out its natural sweetness and nuttiness.
- Fresh zucchini - I love the soft bite you get from zucchini and acts like a sponge, soaking up all those glorious warm spices.
- Baby spinach - For a dose of greens. The spinach will wilt almost instantly and it's an easy way to add more to your diet.
- Cilantro - Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro for a colorful, aromatic finish.
- Seasonings - We're raiding the spice cupboard for this one! You'll need the works: smoked paprika, ground cumin, garam masala, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, black pepper, and salt.
- Tomato paste - For a concentrated tangy, umami flavor that will really bring this curry together.
How to Make Vegan Curry with Cauliflower and Chickpeas
There are a few basic steps here. First, we're going to fry the aromatics, then add the fresh veggies. Once those start to caramelize, bloom the spices in the hot pan, and quickly add the sauce ingredients. Let it simmer together and serve over a fluffy bed of basmati rice for the most deliciously fragrant cauliflower curry.
- First, heat the oil over medium heat then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes stirring often.
- Make some space by pushing the vegetables to one side and add cumin seeds, smoked paprika, cumin, garam masala, curry powder, coriander and red pepper flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then distribute throughout the vegetables.
- Add the coconut milk, tomato paste, chickpeas, and salt and bring to a boil. Then let simmer for 5 minutes for flavors to meld and form a delicious spicy curry gravy. Taste for heat and salt and adjust by adding more red pepper flakes if spicier is desired.
- Last add the spinach and ½ of the cilantro and cook until all is wilted.
- Serve with rice and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Storing Suggestions
Allow the curry to cool to room temperature, then store the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, I recommend either microwaving for a few minutes or warming the leftovers in a small pan on the stove until heated through.
Tips for Making the Best Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Adjust the veggies. Replace the zucchini with sweet potatoes during the colder months of the year. You can also add some green peas for a little extra sweetness, fresh red bell peppers, and more.
- Heat it up. Add serrano peppers, jalapenos, or cayenne pepper for a fiery sauce.
- Play with garnishes. Instead of cilantro or in addition to, you can serve each bowl with sliced green onions, bean sprouts, a drizzle of full-fat coconut milk, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
FAQs
I like to pair this veggie-rich cauliflower curry with steamed white or brown rice, roasted veggies, and fresh naan bread for a satisfying meal. It's filling enough to be enjoyed as a main dish, but you can also pair it with your favorite Indian sides for a true feast.
This vegan curry already has a fair amount of protein thanks to the chickpeas. For even more, serve it with pan-fried tofu.
Nope! You do want to cook the cauliflower before adding to it to the curry, as that will help give it the perfect, tender texture and bring out its distinctly nutty, slightly sweet flavor. But, that can easily be done in a hot skillet instead of needing to dirty a separate pan. This recipe has you cook the ingredients in a specific order, moving some items to the side at times, to get the very best texture and flavor. Just follow the recipe exactly as written and enjoy!
Other Delicious Vegan Curry Recipes
- Vegan Potato and Chickpea Curry
- Vegan Chickpea Coconut Curry
- Easy Chickpea Eggplant Potato Curry with Spinach
- Chana Saag Aloo Curry
- Squash and Chickpea Masala
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Spicy Vegan Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry
Equipment
- Deep Sauté pan or wok
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 15 oz chickpeas
- 15 oz coconut milk unsweetened
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 cup zuchinni diced
- 2 cup baby spinach cut small
- ½ cup cilantro chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 pinch ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch black pepper
- 3 tbsp tomato paste
Instructions
- First heat the oil over medium heat then add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower and zucchini and cook for 5 minutes stirring often
- Make some space by pushing the vegetables to one side and add cumin seeds, smoked paprika, cumin, garam masala, curry powder, coriander and red pepper flakes and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Then distribute throughout the vegetables.
- Add the coconut milk, tomato paste, chickpeas, and salt and bring to a boil. Then let simmer for 5 minutes for flavors to meld and form a delicious spicy curry gravy. Taste for heat and salt and adjust by adding more red pepper flakes if spicier is desired.
- Last add the spinach and ½ of the cilantro and cook until all is wilted.
- Serve with rice and garnish with fresh cilantro
gail
delicious! even my vegan-phobic kids liked it 😄
Sara Tercero
That is wonderful! Thanks for the feedback and 5 stars.