Easy, child-approved vegan cauliflower & chickpea curry

This chickpea and cauliflower curry is a deliciously fragrant veg-packed vegan dish that’s quick and easy to make. Adjust the heat levels easily to suit your family’s taste.

Currying favour

Are there any foods you enjoy but rarely make, because no-one else can agree about them? That’s what it’s like with curry in our house. Kipper will only eat the tamest, mildest version, while DH wants it to blow his socks off, and I’m probably somewhere in the middle. 

Cauliflower curry – the spice is right!

However, recently, DH was away for work, and I had my periodic hankering after a curry. Figuring I only had one other person to please, it seemed like a good time to make it! I could spice the dish lightly, and no-one would complain. Ideal.

Rice, rice, baby…

The only problem was that curry is typically served with rice, which is probably Kipper’s least favourite source of carbs. She pushes it round her plate, eats whatever dish came with it, and then has to be cajoled into having a forkful of rice so she’s eaten some of everything on her plate. 

There must be something else that could be served with a curry, right?

Raise a toast!

There is! I mean, rice is typical, but a delicious chunky vegetable curry goes with just about anything. In Mumbai, the traditional dish of pav bhaji is a thick veggie curry served with a warm bread roll. Kipper loves bread! I had found the solution.

We ate our gloriously mild and delicious cauliflower curry atop slices of lightly toasted sourdough, and it was wonderful.

Shhh! Secret ingredients…

There are a couple of really great things about this deliciously simple curry.

1. Because it’s made using a ready-made spice paste, you can easily adjust the spice/heat levels to your preference. I used a mild curry paste but if you like it hotter, simply choose something with a bit more va-va-voom.
2. As well a having big chunks of cauliflower in it, the sauce is also packed with ‘hidden’ veg – carrot, celery and onion. I’m not usually an advocate of hiding vegetables, as I think Kipper has a right to know what’s in her dinner! But in this instance combining them into the sauce gives it a wonderful rich flavour and a thick satisfying texture. You can always confess what’s in there, or get your diners to try and guess the secret ingredients – a game we often enjoy at dinnertimes.

What goes into this cauliflower curry?

This delicious curry uses loads of vegetables, plus curry paste and creamy coconut milk for a spicy, tasty sauce. To make it you will need:

• Cauliflower – of course!
• Tinned chickpeas, drained
• Onions
• Carrots
• Celery
• Garlic
• Curry paste – I used a mild one but you can choose whatever level of heat you and your family prefer
• Vegetable oil
• Canned coconut milk – this is the thick and creamy kind in a tin, not the thin kind in a carton!
• Vegetable stock – from a cube/powder is fine

You’ll also need bread for toasting, if you want to serve it as we did. Otherwise rice, naan bread, or your choice of side dishes. You might also want some fresh coriander (cilantro) to sprinkle over the top.

Cauliflower curry – a delicious dinner

So however you choose to serve it (with bread, rice, or whatever) I hope your family all agrees that this vegan chickpea and cauliflower curry knocks your socks off – even if it’s completely mild!

Want deliciously easy, family-friendly recipes like this one delivered straight to your inbox? Click here to sign up. (Of course, I’ll never pass on your email address to anyone.)

📖 Recipe

Easy vegan cauliflower and chickpea curry

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

A delicious vegan curry that’s packed with vegetables. Adjust the spices to your taste!

5 from 6 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian, Vegan

Servings 4

Calories 484 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 2 medium onions
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 3-4 cloves garlic
• 3-4 tablespoon curry paste (I used mild but you can choose whatever level of heat you prefer)
• 4-6 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 400 ml canned coconut milk
• 200 ml vegetable stock
• 1 medium/large cauliflower
• 400 g can chickpeas, drained
• 4 slices bread of your choice (optional)
• chopped coriander to garnish (optional)

Instructions

 

• Peel the onions and carrots and wash and trim the celery. Cut into chunks and put into the food processor. Blend to a chunky paste.
• Peel the garlic and add to the food processor with the curry paste. Process for a few more moments until everything is well amalgamated into a coarse paste.
• Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium-high flame. Add the vegetable paste and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut the florets from the cauliflower. Soak in salted/acidified water for a few minutes then rinse and check thoroughly. Set aside.
• Add the coconut milk and stock to the pan and stir well to combine. Allow the sauce to come up to a gentle simmer. Add the prepared cauliflower and the chickpeas to the sauce.
• Mix well, then cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Leave the curry to simmer gently for around 20 minutes until the cauliflower is very tender.
• When ready to serve, toast the bread lightly, then put each piece on a plate and spoon some of the curry over. Sprinkle with chopped coriander, if using, and serve hot.

Notes

Nutritional values are for the curry only and do not include toast or other carbs of your choice.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Easy vegan cauliflower and chickpea curry

Amount per Serving

Calories

484

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

28

g

43

%

Saturated Fat

 

22

g

138

%

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

2

g

Sodium

 

291

mg

13

%

Potassium

 

1176

mg

34

%

Carbohydrates

 

51

g

17

%

Fiber

 

15

g

63

%

Sugar

 

16

g

18

%

Protein

 

15

g

30

%

Vitamin A

 

7011

IU

140

%

Vitamin C

 

81

mg

98

%

Calcium

 

140

mg

14

%

Iron

 

6

mg

33

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Keyword cauliflower, curry

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

More delicious curry recipes

If you love curry, you might also like this recipe for easy lentil and mushroom curry with coconut, these curried cauliflower and carrot fritters, or this comforting feel-good fish curry.

This post was originally published in January 2019 and was updated on 15/2/2022.