An upclose view of cauliflower curry in a bowl with garnishes

Creamy Curried Cauliflower

This recipe is: dairy freeegg freegluten freenut freevegan

You are going to love this simple, creamy curried cauliflower with coconut milk. This healthy vegan recipe is so delicious served over rice with fresh cilantro. And, because it’s so easy and fast to make, don’t be surprised if it becomes a regular side dish in your house. Makes 6 servings.

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Why I love this curried cauliflower 

Cauliflower is a really misunderstood vegetable. It’s often thought of as boring and flavorless, but it can be pretty amazing if you know what to do with it. It’s also a winter vegetable, which means its in season right now (just in case you didn’t know it was winter already by the freezing temperatures and snow outside).

Even though cauliflower is in abundance now, it’s been rather hard to find in Kokshetau. I had to go to two or three different stores. I can’t really remember the exact number because I’ve been traipsing all over town looking for ingredients. Either way, I worked my butt off to get this stuff. And, I did it all for you because I know how badly you’re looking for a new cauliflower recipe.

This cauliflower curry recipe doesn’t take very much work at all – most of the time it’s just simmering away in the pot. So you can prepare whatever else you want to serve – rice, chicken, tofu, who knows… It’s beautifully creamy, and the cauliflower florets soak up the sauce making each bite just that much more satisfying.

If you like this recipe, you have to try this chicken vegetable coconut curry, and this thai style chickpeas and potato curry and this slow cooker massaman beef curry. We also love this coconut curry baked cod and this curry chicken salad.

Searching for more cauliflower recipes? Creamy Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Soup and Cauliflower Chowder if you are in the mood for some soup. If you like a little spicy, try these roasted cauliflower with tahini harissa sauce.

Curried cauliflower in a bowl with fresh herbs and a lime wedge.

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Ingredients & substitutions

  • Coconut milk – Unsweetened coconut milk adds a creamy texture and some subtle flavor without adding extra sweetness, which allows the savory and spicy elements of the curry to stand out.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

cauliflower being stirred in a braising pan.
milk being poured into the braising pan.

The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.

How to make cauliflower curry

Sauté. Heat a large skillet to medium-high. Add the olive oil and minced garlic, and sauté until fragrant. This should only take about 30 seconds or so.

Next, add the curry paste, powder, cauliflower and coconut milk to the pan. Stir until the curry distributes evenly in the coconut milk and the cauliflower is nicely coated with it.

Simmer. Reduce the heat to medium or medium-low and cover your pot. Let the cauliflower simmer until it’s tender, about 10 minutes or so.

Garnish. Before serving, adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, if needed, and sprinkle the curried cauliflower with fresh chopped cilantro.

More easy side dish recipes: Italian green beans / Instant Pot baked beans / summer tomato salad / glazed carrots / drop biscuits

a large pot of cooked seasoned veggies.

FAQs and tips for making easy cauliflower curry

  • Can you freeze cauliflower curry? This curry does great when frozen so whip up a double batch and keep one aside for a future meal or simply store your leftovers for later. When kept in an airtight container in the freezer, you can expect your cooked vegetable curry to last up to 3 months. I recommend not adding fresh herbs to the portion you are freezing until after it’s been reheated for the best results.
  • What to do with cauliflower curry: You can serve your curry over rice (this is the most traditional way of eating it) or you can switch things up and serve it over quinoa or some greens. Garnish the top with fresh herbs, sesame seeds, cilantro, lime, or even diced onion if you want. There’s a lot of options to work with!
  • How do you know when cauliflower is cooked? You’ll know that your cauliflower is done cooking when you can insert a fork into the veggie without much resistance. Check it throughout the cooking process as you don’t want it to be too mushy. That goal is soft and tender-crisp not mashed potatoes or raw-crisp.
A bowl of curried cauliflower garnished with fresh herbs.
An upclose view of cauliflower curry in a bowl with garnishes

Curried Cauliflower

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4
You are going to love this simple creamy cauliflower curry with coconut milk! This healthy vegan recipe is so delicious served over rice, and because it’s so easy and fast to make, don’t be surprised if it becomes a regular occurrence in your house! 

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
  • 2 teaspoons curry paste
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 head cauliflower (5 -6 cups chopped florets)
  • 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
  • Salt & pepper (to taste)
  • Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the garlic in olive oil until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add curry powder, curry paste, cauliflower and coconut milk. Stir to combine.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Cover the pan and allow cauliflower to simmer for about 10 minutes, or until soft.
  • Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper, to taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 143kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 4g Fat: 11g Sodium: 339mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 4g Vitamin C: 71mg

Did you make this recipe?

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Recipe adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen.

Melissa Belanger is the founder and food-obsessed visionary behind Simply Whisked, where she creates dairy free recipes with simple ingredients. She lives in Wisconsin with her milk-allergic husband and two kids. Melissa's experience in developing dairy free recipes is unparalleled and she strives to make dairy-free living accessible and enjoyable. In addition to running Simply Whisked, Melissa also manages two other publications: Another Cocktail Blog, a cocktail recipe website, and The Pasta Twins, a joint venture with her twin sister.

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7 Comments

  4. Definitely! I am almost positive it was a link for a while. It must have forgotten to re-link when I was changing my recipe format for the new design. I swear I would never intentionally NOT give credit 🙂

    Reply
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