Spicy Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas and Potatoes

Excuse me while I dive face first into this pot of thick, creamy, spicy, plant-based curry (that’s made in just 30 minutes with simple pantry ingredients and is easily as good as take-out!).

For real though, I’ve been on a serious curry kick lately.

Even our landlord noticed, since the aroma of everything I make in the kitchen eventually wafts its way upstairs into her apartment; instead of the usual stream of baked goods making their way into her nostrils, she was smelling curry for like two weeks straight.

Luckily, she didn’t mind, and instead found herself ordering takeout to satisfy the craving for curry that I inadvertently planted in her brain.

This Indian-inspired dish is a fusion of two of my favorite restaurant orders: aloo gobi and channa masala. I borrowed the cauliflower and potatoes from aloo gobi and the chickpeas and tomato-based sauce from the masala, added coconut milk for richness and creaminess, and plenty of bold flavor from fresh ginger and warming spices like cumin, turmeric, and cinnamon.

It’s wildly inauthentic, but so easy to make, and perfectly warm and cozy on these chilly nights (which, frankly, is the main motivation for most of the dinners I make this time of year).

Come, let me tell you all about it.

First, we are going to build our flavor base by sautéing onion, garlic, and ginger together in a large pot. Then, spices get added to the pot along with a can of crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, and chickpeas.

An entire head of cauliflower and a few Yukon gold potatoes get cut up then nestled into the sauce and boiled for 15 minutes, or until tender.

Other than cooking some rice or warming up some naan to go on the side…that’s all there is to this recipe.

It’s saucy, spicy (a little or a lot, depending on how much heat you can handle!), ultra hearty, and so very satisfying.

If you’re a fan of aloo gobi, channa masala, or really any saucy, veggie-loaded curry, you are going to OBSESS over this inspired take on Indian take-out.

If you make it, let me know what you think. Leave a comment below, or take a picture of your Spicy Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas and Potatoes and share it with me on Instagram so I can see!

Spicy Cauliflower Curry with Chickpeas and Potatoes

Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil or ghee
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 inch knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 4 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely diced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more or less, to taste)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
• 28oz can crushed tomatoes
• 14oz can full-fat coconut milk
• 14oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 small head cauliflower
• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Place a large pot on the stove over medium-low heat. Add ghee or oil, diced onion, ginger, and garlic to the pot, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
2. Add all spices to the pot and stir to coat the onion mixture in spices. Then, add the cans of tomatoes, coconut milk, and chickpeas to the pot and increase the heat to high.
3. Remove the core from the cauliflower and cut into large bite-sized pieces. Dice the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Add both to the pot, stir, cover, and cook on high for 15-20 minutes, or until tender.
4. Turn off the heat and let sit for 2-3 minutes (just so you don’t get splattered with boiling curry!), then taste and add more salt, if needed. Roughly chop the cilantro and stir it in right before serving
5. Serve immediately, or let cool completely and store leftovers in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat with an extra splash of water or coconut milk, to help rehydrate the curry.

NOTES:
Any hearty vegetables you love (sweet potatoes, butternut or kabocha squash, halved Brussels sprouts, broccoli, etc) can be used in place of the cauliflower and potatoes, if you’d like.
If serving with rice on the side, I recommend starting the rice before the curry, so that everything is finished and ready to eat at the same time.

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