Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

This Cauliflower Chickpea Curry recipe features cauliflower, chickpeas, and potatoes cooked in a curry tomato sauce. Hearty, warming, and packed with flavor. Also gluten-free and vegan!

Why Make This Recipe

• Satisfying, Delicious Vegetarian Dinner: I’m always on the lookout for satisfying vegetarian main courses—you know, the ones even my husband doesn’t miss the meat in? This curry absolutely fits the bill, and it's even vegan!
• Packed with Nutrition: This recipe is packed with cauliflower, potatoes, chopped tomatoes, onion, and peas. Super flavorful and so healthy.
• Streamlined Process but Full Flavor: This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite Cook’s Illustrated recipes, Indian Style Curry with Potatoes, Cauliflower, Peas, and Chickpeas. I adore that recipe, but it includes a few steps that make it a difficult recipe to pull off on a regular weeknight. I streamlined the process here, in the hopes that more of you will get this on your table for dinner on a regular basis.

🥗 Ingredients

• Yellow onion: You can replace this with a red onion or even a white onion in a pinch. Or, use the white and light green parts of chopped green onions and slice the dark green parts for a garnish. 
• Yukon gold potato: You can replace this with another type of potato, such as red potatoes or small white potatoes. Russet (baking) potatoes would not be the best in this dish due to their high levels of starch. You can also replace with a sweet potato, if you prefer. 
• Curry Powder: A good curry powder is key to the flavor in this dish. To start, check that your curry powder isn’t expired. My favorite brand is Penzey’s Curry Powder, which you can order online if you don’t have a store near you. If you don’t have curry powder, try using a combination of cumin, coriander, and turmeric. You can also add in some garam masala if you have it. 
• Red Pepper Flakes: Feel free to adjust the heat level by reducing or increasing the amount of red pepper flakes. Just be warned, a little goes a long way! You can also replace this with a chopped jalapeño or serrano pepper (add when you are cooking the onions and potatoes). 
• Diced tomatoes: You can also use a can of whole plum tomatoes in this dish, and break them up with a wooden spoon as you are cooking. Note that canned tomatoes differ quite a bit in their sodium levels. When I can find them, I like to use no-salt-added tomatoes, so that I can control the salt level of the final dish.
• Coconut milk: You can use low-fat or full fat coconut milk for this dish. Low-fat coconut milk is thinner, and will give you a soupier final product. If you don’t have coconut milk, try adding ¼ cup (or more) of heavy cream instead. Or, leave it out and serve the curry with a dollop of plain yogurt on top. 

🥣 Instructions for Cauliflower Chickpea Curry

Begin by preparing your vegetables. Chop 1 yellow onion into small dice. Peel 1 medium Yukon gold potato, and cut into ¾-inch chunks. Mince two cloves of garlic. Peel a 1-inch chunk of ginger, and mince or grate. (You should have about 1 tablespoon.)

Rinse a small head of cauliflower, and pat dry. Cut out core, and then cut the remaining cauliflower into bite-sized florets. Drain and rinse 1 can of chickpeas. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large saucepan, wok, or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chopped onions and potatoes, and sauté until softened and caramelized on the edges (about 15 minutes).

Lower heat to medium, and add garlic, ginger, 1 tablespoon curry powder, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 tablespoon tomato paste. Stir for 2 minutes, then add cauliflower florets. Stir and cook for 1 minute—cauliflower should be coated with spices.

Now, pour in 1 can of diced tomatoes, and refill empty can with water. Add can of water to the saucepan (you can add less if you want a less soupy curry). Add chickpeas.

Heat to a boil over medium-high heat, stir well, then reduce heat to medium and cover. Simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 15-20 minutes.

Add 1 cup frozen peas and ½ cup coconut milk. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, until peas have defrosted and warmed through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

🧐 Recipe FAQs

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

You can control how chunky this cauliflower chickpea curry is with how much water you add to the dish. The result of this recipe gives you the consistency of a thick soup or stew. If you'd prefer less liquid, you can leave out some of the water in the recipe.

Or let it cook for about 10 minutes longer to evaporate more liquid. Just keep in mind that the less liquid in the recipe, the more you'll taste the spices! And also note that the curry will thicken a bit as it cools. 

If you're looking for ideas on what to serve with this dish, I have plenty! You can serve this chickpea curry with a piece of naan on the side for dipping. Or serve it over a bed of white rice or brown rice. Even better, try it with this fragrant Indian saffron rice recipe.

You can also keep this dish entirely gluten-free and double down on the cauliflower by serving with cauliflower rice. If you want to gild the lily with a garnish, try adding a sprinkling of slivered almonds, pumpkin seeds, or cilantro. 

Got extra cauliflower or chickpeas? How about trying this Cauliflower Potato Soup next? Or check out these delicious vegan Chickpea Tacos filled with spiced bell peppers too!

Other Vegetarian/Vegan Dishes 

If you’re looking for some other vegetarian dinner options, I’ve got you covered. I love this Creamy Spinach Artichoke Pasta dish featuring a to-die-for spinach-artichoke cream sauce, or this Red Lentil Bolognese. Or how about these Corn Tortilla Quesadillas with a black bean/caramelized onion filling? If grain bowls are your thing, I’d highly recommend this Ramen Egg Rice Bowl, this Warm Pearl Barley Grain Bowl, and this Vegan Buddha Bowl with Lemon Tahini Dressing. 

Main course salads are also some of my go-tos for easy vegetarian meals, like this Quinoa Chickpea Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette and this Orzo Pasta Salad with Black Beans and Corn. For another vegan chickpea curry option, don’t miss one of my favorite dishes of all time: Vegan Chickpea Curry with Spinach. Finally, this Tofu Fried Rice is on repeat in my house, for how easy it is to throw together at the end of a long day. 

If you try this Cauliflower Chickpea Curry recipe, I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment below—I read them all, and your feedback is invaluable to me. And please follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook or subscribe to my newsletter. I'd love to inspire you with more delicious, healthy, and seasonal recipes!

Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!