Name: Coconut Cauliflower Curry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 yellow onion; 1 pound sweet potato (4 cups chopped); 1 head cauliflower (5 cups chopped); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided; 2 tablespoons curry powder*; 1 tablespoon garam masala; 1 teaspoon cumin; ¼ teaspoon cayenne; 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, San Marzano if possible; 15-ounce can full-fat coconut milk*; 15-ounce can chickpeas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked); 4 cups spinach leaves; Cilantro, for garnish; Brown or white rice, for serving

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Everybody loves this cauliflower curry! This easy dinner recipe is warm-spiced, nutrient packed, and ready in just over 30 minutes. Dinnertime win.

You know that feeling when you’ve had too much cake and cookies? Alex and I were feeling it one day, so we put our heads together and invented the perfect antidote: this cauliflower curry. It’s easy to make and full of all the good stuff: sweet potatoes, spinach, chickpeas, cauliflower and tomatoes. A bowl of it tastes positively transcendental. It’s warm-spiced, cozy, and nourishing all at once. And, it’s gone on to become a fan favorite! When we ask readers what recipes they make the most, at the top of the list is cauliflower curry. Ready to get cooking?

Another great curry? Vegetable Curry or Chickpea Curry

How to make cauliflower curry

When people ask us how to eat more vegetables or get started eating plant-based recipes, this is one of the recipes we share. Curries are over the top delicious due to the incredible amount of flavor in the curry powder spice blends. They’re also a great way to eat a wide range of nutritious veggies without even realizing it. This cauliflower coconut curry is stuffed with all sorts of delicious veggies: cauliflower, tomato, spinach, sweet potato, and chickpeas. Smothered in a curry sauce, vegetables taste positively delightful!

For this easy cauliflower tomato curry recipe, you’ll need these ingredients:

Yellow onion
Sweet potatoes
Cauliflower
Olive oil
Spices (curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and cayenne)
Canned tomatoes
Coconut milk
Chickpeas
Spinach

The basic method: chop all the veggies. Saute the onion, sweet potato and cauliflower, then add the spices, tomatoes and coconut milk. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then add the chickpeas and spinach for a few minutes until the spinach is wilted. That’s it! (If you need a sub for coconut milk, head to our substitutes for coconut milk in curry.)

Tip: Wondering the best way to cut cauliflower? We have a video that shows a trick for how to cut florets quickly without getting crumbles all over the counter. Here’s How to Cut Cauliflower.

How to serve coconut cauliflower curry

The best way to serve this Indian cauliflower curry? Here are some ideas:

Rice. Pile that curry atop of rice with a sprinkle of cilantro. Here’s our favorite method for how to make brown rice: and it’s much quicker than most methods! Or if you have an Instant Pot, here’s our Instant Pot brown rice or Instant Pot jasmine rice.
Naan. Another way to serve this coconut milk curry is with naan bread. Many groceries these days carry naan; you can heat it up in the toaster for a minute or so. Or if you have time, try our Garlic Naan or Vegan Naan. Use the bread to sop up all the curry sauce stuck to the plate — it’s absolutely delicious!
Dollop of yogurt or raita. For an extra garnish, dollop some plain or Greek yogurt on top of the curry to cool it down a bit. It’s a simple spin on the traditional Indian dish called raita.

Reheating and storage info

This vegetable cauliflower curry reheats surprisingly well in the microwave! We recommend reheating it in 1-minute increments and giving it a good stir each time the timer goes off (this will help it reheat evenly). If you don’t have a microwave, you can also reheat it in a saucepan. Reheat it with the lid on and turn the heat to medium-low. If the curry seems a bit thick, feel free to add a tablespoon or two of water to loosen it up.

What is curry powder?

Did you know curry powder is not traditionally Indian? It was actually invented by the British to try to approximate the spices used in Indian curries! They used the term curry to refer to the complex spices used in any Indian meat and broth based dishes. There are many curry powder blends sold in stores all over the world, but the recipes all vary. So, not all curry powders are created equal! Many blends use ginger, garlic and turmeric, but every blend varies.

When we made this cauliflower curry, we used a fancy curry powder we received as a gift from a dear friend. This blend was an incredible mix of flavorful spices and I don’t think I’ve tasted anything more delicious! After cooking with this one we realized that the quality of the curry powder matters. Find the highest quality that you can for this recipe. Try experimenting with different brands available at your grocery until you find one you love.

What is garam masala?

Garam masala is a more standard mix of spices that is used by Indian cooks. Garam masala typically is stronger than curry powder and might taste sweeter. This cauliflower curry recipe calls for both curry powder and garam masala. You should be able to find both at your local grocery.

Want to use up that curry powder?

You’ve bought a jar of curry powder for this recipe: how to use it up? Here are a few great curry recipes and soups to use it up:

This cauliflower curry recipe is…

Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, and refined sugar-free.