Vegan Cauliflower, Potato, and Chickpea Curry

This vegan cauliflower curry is hearty, filling, and comes together in just 45 minutes.

We’re ending the week off with a simple and vegan cauliflower curry! I still love this braised Indian chicken with chickpeas, but if you want a vegan vegetable curry, this dish is for you. Similarly to the chicken recipe, this dish is very weeknight friendly and makes great leftovers.

Many of you request more vegetarian recipes on the blog and I’m more than happy to oblige, because I happen to make vegetarian recipes throughout the week! They sort of outnumber the non-vegetarian ones now that I think about it.

If the title of the recipe is any indicator, this vegetarian curry just happens to be vegan as well! Oh, and gluten-free! Convenient, huh?

I’m already professed my love for gluten on this site many times (um, pasta), but I love having a recipe on hand for times when I need to serve something that is a little more dietary-restriction friendly.

Plus, labels mean nothing to me. Good food is good food. Period.

This cauliflower, potato, and chickpea curry is an adaptation from one of my favorite, relatively new-ish cookbooks, River Cottage Veg by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

If you’re looking for vegetarian recipe inspiration, I highly encourage you to check out this cookbook! It is filled with tons (200) creative, and innovative vegetarian recipes. Main courses, desserts, appetizers, soups, etc.! Plus, it just happens to be a really beautiful book filled with gorgeously styling photographs, if that is your thing.

It is one of my most highly used cookbooks for sure.

I ended up taking several creative liberties with this recipe. Inspired by a traditional Indian cauliflower dish, aloo gobi, I decided to add potatoes to the mix. It makes it a bit heartier and filling, plus the technique I used to incorporate them requires no additional steps. Yay!

I also chose to finish the curry off with light coconut milk. It just makes the dish a bit creamier and indulgent without being overly rich or heavy. My biggest cooking tip for this recipe is to not be afraid of salt. This dish contains two of the most naturally bland (yet tasty) vegetables/starches to have ever walked this earth–plain cauliflower and potatoes. They beg to be heavily seasoned!

If the dish tastes flat, it is most likely due to the fact that you haven’t added enough salt. Don’t be afraid of the stuff!

Vegan Cauliflower, Potato, and Chickpea Curry

4.4 stars (55 ratings)

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Yield: 6 Servings

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Total: 45 minutes minutes

This vegan cauliflower curry is hearty, nutritious, and comes together in just 45 minutes! Serve with coconut rice or garlic naan bread.

Ingredients

• 1 large head of cauliflower (roughly 2 lbs) trimmed
• ¾ lb Yukon gold potatoes
• kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 medium onions chopped
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger root peeled and finely grated
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• pinch dried red pepper flakes
• 2 star anise pods optional
• 1 (28 oz) can chopped tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas drained and rinsed
• 2 cups (480 mL) vegetable broth or substitute with water
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• ¾ cup (180 mL) light or full-fat coconut milk
• large bunch of fresh cilantro chopped
• kosher salt
• freshly ground pepper

Instructions 

• Cut the cauliflower into medium-sized florets. Chop the potatoes into ¾-inch chunks. Place cauliflower and potatoes in a large soup pot and fill with cold water. Season the water heavily with salt. Bring to a rolling boil over the stove. Remove from the heat and drain into a large colander. Set the colander over the pot to keep warm while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot. Add the onions, garlic, and ginger, and saute, stirring every few minutes, for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are very soft and translucent. Adjust heat if necessary.
• Add the ground coriander, cumin, cardamom, red pepper flakes, star anise, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until very fragrant. Add the tomatoes with their juices and drained chickpeas, and stir mixture together. Add the drained cauliflower and potatoes, and vegetable broth (or water, if using) to the pot. The liquid should almost reach the top of the vegetable mixture. Bring to a low simmer. Simmer the mixture for 10 minutes, stirring gently. until the cauliflower and potatoes are fork tender.
• Stir in the garam masala and coconut milk, simmer for an additional 10 minutes, and season to taste with salt and pepper. This dish requires a heavy hand of seasoning. Finish the soup by sprinkling and stirring in ½ to ¾ cup roughly chopped cilantro. Serve with rice and naan.

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 453kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 1154mg, Fiber: 20g, Sugar: 14g

Author: Laura / A Beautiful Plate

Course: Vegetarian

Cuisine: Indian