The nice thing about moving from the frigid Midwest to the South is that you can gloat to all your family and friends back home about the weather when fall starts. "Oh, it snowed there today? That's nice. It's 70 here." (Yes, I am a terrible person.) But a week or two ago, when I saw people posting pictures of the first snow of the year on Facebook, I felt a little bit jealous. Could it really be? Do I miss snow?!
The last winter we spent in Wisconsin, I pretty much had a mental break over the weather. I worked on the University of Wisconsin campus and I took the bus to work, which meant that I had to walk several blocks to my building everyday in the wee early hours of the morning. And those wee early hours were cold! The wind and the snow and the sub-zero temperatures would make my face ache and by the time I got to the office, my toes would always be numb no matter how many pairs of socks I layered on. I was done! Done with winter!
But now I feel a little nostalgic for it. Maybe not for the cold weather itself, but for looking out the window and watching the snow fall. And for that feeling of relief that hits you when you enter a warm building after being out in the cold. And for hot stews and curries on cold winter nights! On the worst of the winter days, I'd get home from work, put on my pajamas, and throw together a quick pot of soup or curry. I guess it's that cozy, bundled up feeling that I miss. So I tried to remedy that with this Cauliflower and Chickpea Coconut Curry.
This is one of those recipes that I never needed a recipe for. Sometimes I'd make it with chickpeas only, other times I'd put different vegetables in it. It's easy like that. It's not a spicy curry and the creamy coconut sauce makes it perfect for serving over rice or with a side of naan. This curry is a heaping pot of winter comfort food-even if your winters involve sunny 60 degree days.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1- inch ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed (or 3 cups cooked chickpeas)
- 14.5 oz canned diced tomatoes
- 14 oz coconut milk
- 1 medium head cauliflower, broken into florets
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Cooked rice or naan, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes. Stir in the spices and cook until they're fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, and cauliflower. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and cook 5 minutes more, or until sauce has thickened slightly.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish each serving with cilantro.
Glynis says
Made this today and I'm also a spice fan - when I took the lid off for the last 5 minutes I added some dried chills and it gave it a really nice kick!
Margorach says
I added quite a few dried chilli flakes and in general more of the spices to fortify the taste.
Goes great with garlic naan.
Claire says
It would be helpful to have the steps listed individually, rather than clumped together as #1. Putting everything into one step makes it harder to follow this recipe.
Agree w. Claire says
Instructions
1. Start your rice if accompanying the dish.
2. Over medium heat, heat the coconut oil in a large Dutch oven. Wait for it to get hot (test with sample pieces for a sizzle sound if needed).
3. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook until softened, 5-7 minutes.
4. Stir in the spices and cook until they're fragrant, about 1 minute.
5. Add the chickpeas, tomatoes, coconut milk, and cauliflower.
6. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil.
7. Then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Uncover and cook 5 minutes more, or until sauce has thickened slightly.
9. Start your frozen Naan bread in the toaster oven.
10. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish each serving with cilantro after plating.
Louis Brayer says
ha
emm says
Looks delish! wondering if it is freezable?
Dana Raidt says
Hi emm, cauliflower can sometimes get a tiny bit mushy when frozen and reheated, but I think it would still taste great if you froze it!
Ann says
this was awesome. goes straight to our make-more-often list!!!! greetings form germany!
Jenny says
I made this last night and it was delicious! Do you know how many calories are in a serving?
Lovely idaho says
Made this tonight and the whole family went cookoo for it! I added sliced carrots to the dish as well as some coconut nectar and topped it off with some shredded coconut, which my kids adore. There's only a small serving left for tomorrow's lunch. (Lucky me!)
Kiersten says
Thank you for your comment - I'm so glad it was a hit!
Elisha says
Just made this for dinner and was just amazing! Thanks for an awesome recipe. 🙂
Hajar says
Our family made this many times. It makes rounds in the dinner menu often. We serve it with coconut rice and freshly made flat bread. Leftovers don't exsist!
Kiersten says
Thank you for your comment - I'm glad you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Christina says
So delicious!! Thank you for the recipe, my hubs and I love it! 🙂
Jaimie says
Tested this recipe yesterday to use for car camping. It will work perfectly since it's a one pot dish. Very flavorful, although I will add a jalapeño or two in the future. I followed the recipe except substituted a 28 ounce can of whole tomatoes for the two cans of diced and it worked fine. I just broke the tomatoes up by hand before adding.
Kiersten says
It's definitely not a spicy curry, so jalapeños or dried chili peppers are perfect for adding some heat. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sandy says
I made this tonight, and it was fabulous. The only thing I added was a bit of lime juice. Thanks for sharing... I'll be making this again!
Joann says
Do I need to drain the diced tomatoes?
Alissa says
Nope! You can just add the entire can to the pot.
Amanda says
That sounds delicious -- where might I find coconut nectar? (is it like coconut water?)
Alissa says
It's actually a sweetener! You should be able to find it in places like Whole Foods, and you can definitely find it online. 🙂
Cindy says
Can I cook this all together in a Crock-Pot
Alissa says
I think that would work, but we haven't tested it out so I can't say how long or what setting you'd need to cook it at.
Diane B says
This was delicious. I made it yesterday. It was easy to make. Added a bit of shredded coconut. Will try almonds next time.
Kathy Duncan says
I love this recipe but I add less tomatoes, more spices and chile. Sometimes I put peas in too!
sarah smith says
i may be crazy, but i expected to see curry in the ingredients. I actually used curry instead of turmeric and its very good.
I also added other vegetables that I had on hand.
Katie Trant says
Hey Sarah! You'll rarely see curry powder in a traditional Indian recipe. More often, curry refers to a blend of spices. Glad the recipe worked out for you with the curry powder, though!
DrBody says
its very good but I think you should put some nutrition information about this meal cause I calculate my every day calories.
Judy Donnelly says
What can be substituted for the chick pies, do not like them at all.
Shelley says
I have all the ingredients minus coriander... can I substitute another spice in? I wanted to make tonight without having to go to the store. Thank you!
SuChef says
Very good recipe! Tried for the first time today! It's a keeper and a go to for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Marilyn Reynolds says
This recipe is a keeper! The flavors were amazing and I did add nearly twice the recommended spice. Plus some cayenne pepper to give it some “punch”. It is the first time I soaked chick peas and I will definitely do that again. My husband loved this and said I should make it once a week. Basmati rice and it’s a great meal.
Anastassia Kolde says
This has been our family favorite and a staple already for few years. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Carolyn B. says
I have a picky 6-year-old, who makes dinner (or any meal not comprised of pancakes) a CHORE, and she gave this a 2 thumbs up (superlative praise). She happily ate this over curry-seasoned rice, muttering repeatedly how good it was. You made this tired mama's heart smile with this recipe. Such a keeper!!!