Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Tikka Masala
It’s no secret that cooking and eating Indian food are two of my favorite activities – especially when the dish in question is my cauliflower tikka masala.
In my opinion, perfectly tender, roasted cauliflower combined with a lusciously creamy, spicy, and tomatoey sauce makes up the ultimate Indian comfort food dish!
When I’m hosting an Indian dinner party, I like to pair this dish with my Vegan Palak Paneer and Vegan Chickpea and Potato Curry – both are easy to make and people pleasers!
“Irresistible” is a word I’d use to describe my Vegan Cauliflower Tikka Masala. And the aroma. Oh, how I wish you could smell it through the computer screen…
Are you ready? Because I can’t wait for you to try my tikka masala with cauliflower recipe!
Here’s why you’ll love it:
- All you need is 30 minutes, a cauliflower, and some other pantry staples.
- It’s seriously creamy, spicy, and oh so comforting and delicious.
- The vegan tikka masala sauce comes together quickly while the cauliflower roasts in the oven.
This vegan tikka masala is ideal for a cold, cozy weekend in; a quick weeknight dinner; or as part of an Indian-inspired feast with friends. You and your people are going to love this dish!
Ingredients for Cauliflower Tikka Masala
The ingredients for this vegan tikka masala are simple enough. You’ll need:
- Cauliflower. Fresh is a must for this recipe since the cauliflower will be roasted.
- Aromatics. The base of the vegan tikka masala sauce is a blend of onion, garlic, and ginger.
- Canned tomatoes. Diced or whole — it doesn’t matter since the sauce gets blended in the blender.
- Coconut cream. Choose a high-quality can of coconut cream; you want one with very low water content.
- Spices. Bust out the garam masala, ground cumin, ground coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and smoked paprika.
- Vegetable stock. Use a reduced sodium version and salt the sauce to taste, if desired.
- Fresh cilantro. An optional — but highly recommended — garnish that brings the whole dish together.
How to Make Cauliflower Tikka Masala
Ready in a flash, making this easy recipe involves only a few steps! Before you know it, you will have the deliciously vegan version of an Indian classic ready to devour.
- Roast the cauliflower. Toss the cauliflower with some spices and olive oil, then bake it for about 12 minutes.
- Sauté the aromatics. In a large pan, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger, and spices until fragrant.
- Blend the sauce until smooth. In a blender, blend together the onion mixture with the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Return it to the pot and bring it to a boil.
- Simmer the sauce. Stir in the coconut cream. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cauliflower, then serve. We love serving this over rice with garlic naan on the side. Don’t forget to garnish with cilantro!
Easy as can be, right?
With such depth of flavor and the perfect combination of textures, this dish seems like you spent at least a couple of hours making it!
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh cauliflower. Frozen cauliflower will steam before it ever roasts, and you’ll wind up with mushy roast cauliflower that will fall apart in the vegan tikka masala sauce.
- Cut the cauliflower into equal florets. This isn’t always easy since every cauliflower is different! But the more evenly you cut the florets, the more evenly they’ll roast in the oven.
- Don’t rush the sautéing process. You’re looking for the garlic, ginger, and onion to turn a light golden brown and to smell very fragrant. If you crank up the heat on your stove to speed up this process, you’ll wind up with burnt edges and an undercooked interior!
- Opt for fresh aromatics. In this recipe, garlic powder and ground ginger won’t work in the tikka masala sauce. You need the real deal to achieve the nuanced flavor that creamy tikka masala is known for.
- Choose coconut cream, NOT coconut milk. Coconut cream is much thicker and creamier than regular canned coconut milk. This is essential for mimicking the traditional dairy-based tikka masala sauce you know and love!
Cauliflower Tikka Masala
This recipe for cauliflower tikka masala is spicy, creamy, tomatoey, and totally delicious. Vegan and super healthy, this meal is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner because you only need 25 minutes from start to finish. Serve with rice and garlic naan and garnish with cilantro for the ultimate vegan cauliflower tikka masala experience. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 30
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove and Oven
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Vegan
FOR THE CAULIFLOWER
- 1 large head of cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp dried coriander/cilantro
- 1/4 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper
FOR THE TIKKA MASALA
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, freshly grated
- 2 tsp garam masala powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin powder
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika powder
- 1/2 tsp dried coriander/cilantro
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper powder
- 1 can (400 g or 14 oz) tomatoes
- 1 can (400 g or 14 oz) high-quality coconut cream (see notes)
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- sugar, to taste
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (or 200 C).
- Toss the cauliflower with olive oil and spices. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and space out cauliflower so pieces aren’t touching. Bake for about 12 minutes, until cauliflower is lightly browned, and tender, but not too soft.
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, and sauté onions until golden brown. Stir in garlic, ginger, and spices, and continue to sauté until aromatic.
- In a blender, blend the tomatoes, vegetable stock, and onion/spice mixture from the pot until smooth (or use an immersion blender). Return the liquid to the pot, bring to a boil.
- Stir in the coconut cream, and turn down the stove to low heat. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste – don’t be shy. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the cauliflower.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with rice and garlic naan. Enjoy!
Notes
The quality of coconut cream brands vary. To ensure a thick gravy, it is important to use high-quality coconut cream. Look at the ingredients list to find a product with a high coconut solids to water ratio; ideally, you want 100% coconut kernel extract with no water or thickeners added. Low-quality coconut cream will result in “soupy” or “runny” curry. You may need to trial and error a few different brands to find the best one.
If you’re looking for something different, try my Chicken Sweet Potato Curry, which is hearty and naturally sweet from one of my favorite ingredients – sweet potato!
