After a few tries, I came up with this cauliflower curry recipe. It is simple to make, and it’s full of vegetables and protein. The dish is ready in 45 minutes, which is perfect for weeknights.
COOKING NOTES FOR CAULIFLOWER CURRY RECIPE
WHAT CURRY POWDER TO USE
The curry broth consists of vegetable broth, coconut milk, curry powder, and spices. I often get questions about the type of curry powder that I use. It is nothing special—a mildly spiced curry blend from the supermarket will work. I like Frontier Co-Op’s curry powder as well as the curry powder sold at my local spice shop, Allspicery. If you have a curry powder that is fairly spicy, use 2 to 3 teaspoons of it. That said, you’ll probably need to add more of the other spices that are typically found in these spice blends (coriander, mustard, fenugreek, cumin, etc.) to ensure the broth still has good flavor.
CURRY BROTH
The broth in this recipe is pretty thin because I wanted to keep this recipe simple and gluten free. I could have added more coconut milk, but that would have meant too much saturated fat in the dish. When I pour the broth over my rice, the rice absorbs the broth, so the thinness is not an issue for me. However, If you want a thicker curry sauce, here are several things you can do. First, you can mix 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour with about 1/4 cup of room temperature water or vegetable broth. Then, add this flour slurry into the pot the same time that you add the vegetable broth. The broth should thicken by the time the cauliflower is cooked. I tested a small batch with tapioca starch for a gluten-free option, but the broth turned viscous. So, I don’t recommend using tapioca starch. You can also cook the curry with 1/2 to 3/4 pound of potatoes (diced), which you add at the same time as the cauliflower and chickpeas. The potatoes will absorb some of the liquid and the starch from the potatoes will help thicken the broth. Note that you may need to add several minutes to the cooking time to ensure that the potatoes are fully cooked.
COCONUT MILK
The brand of coconut milk that I use most is Chaokoh Coconut Milk. The coconut milk is thick and well blended, so there aren’t any large chunks of coconut cream or pulp in there that I often find in other brands. Shake the can before you open it. There’s always a tiny bit of cream that sticks to the lid of the can.
CAN I PREP THE CURRY BROTH AHEAD?
Yes! The broth tastes even better the next day because the spices have a longer time to develop flavor. Make the broth the day ahead and refrigerate it in a large container. When you are ready to cook the coconut curry, add the broth to the pot along with the cauliflower and chickpeas. Bring the broth to boil and then reduce to a simmer for an additional 5 to 7 minutes, until the cauliflower is fork tender.
MORE CURRY RECIPES
Butternut Squash Curry with SpinachPaneer Tikka MasalaPalak Paneer
