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Cauliflower tikka masala is the perfect easy vegetarian dinner served with steamed rice. It’s also a great recipe for feeding a crowd.
I’m always looking for easy, delicious vegetarian meals I can make during the week for our dinners. We’re always trying to limit our meat consumption but finding recipes that the whole family will eat that don’t require hard-to-find ingredients or takes too long to prep can be challenging. Enter: vegetable curry. Vegetarian curries are always a hit because they offer all the same flavor and punch as a meat curry while being even easier to cook and my family absolutely LOVE when I say we’re having Cauliflower tikka masala for dinner. Win!
I use a sauce inspired by my butter chicken for this cauliflower curry. I like to spice and roast the cauliflower before adding to the sauce. The roasted cauliflower adds so much flavor to the finished curry and it also makes prepping this recipe in advance so much easier. Simply roast the cauliflower off and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to add it to the curry sauce. Delicious vegetarian dinners have never been this easy!
What is in tikka masala sauce?
I make my tikka masala sauce in the same way I make butter chicken. Onion, garlic, ginger and lots of aromatic spices are sauteed before adding tomatoes, cream and butter. This results in a rich, fragrant and silky sauce perfect for cooking cauliflower or chicken in.
What spices are in tikka masala?
- Coriander
- Cumin
- Garam masala
- Paprika
- Turmeric
- Chili powder
- Cardamom
How do you thicken tikka masala sauce?
By simmering the sauce for long enough it will thicken naturally but if you want to thicken it more, you can mix 1 tablespoon cornflour with 1 tablespoon water and add it to the sauce. Allow to cook until the sauce has thickened.
What to serve with tikka masala?
Cauliflower tikka masala
Ingredients
For the roasted cauliflower
- 1 large head of cauliflower (you need approximately 1kg of cauliflower)
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp salt
For the tikka masala curry
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3-4 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 tsp ginger grated/crushed
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- ½-1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 2 400g/14oz cans crushed tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1-2 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200ºc/390ºF.
- Slice the cauliflower floret off the head of cauliflower. Chop the remaining stalk into bite size pieces. Place the cauliflower into a large roasting tray and drizzle over the oil and season with the spices then place into the oven and roast for 30 minutes until golden brown and cooked.
- In the meanwhile start making the sauce. Fry the onions in the oil until soft and translucent then add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 30 seconds.
- Add all the spices and fry for a minute before adding the tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the cream and sugar then simmer for 10 minutes
- Add the roasted cauliflower and butter and stir together then allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes. Season to taste and serve.
Nutrition
Easy weeknight chicken curry
Butter chicken curry
Coconut Vegetable curry
2 tsp. salt for the cauliflower? Table salt or kosher?
Kosher or flaky sea salt. For 1kg (2.2lbs) of cauliflower this is the amount I would suggest but feel free to add less and season to taste when the curry is cooked.
I made this for dinner tonight and it did not disappoint! I modified the recipe slightly to make it vegan. I used coconut cream instead of heavy cream and I substituted the butter with vegan butter. My family absolutely loved this recipe! Thank you!!
This looks delicious! I’m thinking of making it this week. Can I use fat free yoghurt instead of heavy cream?
You can, just be carefuly not to let it boil once you’ve added the yoghurt as it can curdle.
Our family loves this recipe. It is so good! Quick, filling, & flavorful!
Thanks so much Angie!
Hi,
We are vegan and I made the recipe. I subbed rice milk mixed with a little oil for the heavy cream. The dish was delicious but I really missed having that creamy taste of heavy cream. Do you have any suggestions?
I think coconut cream will give you the same creaminess you are after.
Delicious curry and so easy to make. Even my 9 year old son enjoyed the curry.
Yay! So happy to hear that.
Really good recipe. Just made this for dinner today.. truly delicious.
Glad you liked it. 🙂
Completely delicious! Thanks very much 🙂 I added a lot of fresh coriander right at the end, and served it with a variation of the rice you suggested.
So glad you liked it. 🙂
Great recipe, added more chili to spice it up but overall a great dinner.
THanks so much, so glad you liked it.
Perfect vegetarian dinner. Had it with roti and cucumber salad and it was delicious.
Yum! That sounds fantastic!
Had this for dinner last night and loved it. Roasting the cauliflower before adding to the curry makes the curry super tasty. Perfect easy meatfree meal!
The roasted cauliflower definitely makes this curry!
Love this! Definitely adding it to my must-try list.
I hope you love it! 🙂
I love all your recipies. 100 % what I would look for . Great, quick, easy and delicious. Thank you very much. You are an amazing cook.
Oh that is such a lovely compliment. I work hard to make sure my recipes are well tested, always delicious and easy so thank you so much!
Wow, that looks delicious! Adding it to my menu for the week. Can’t wait!
Oh yay! Let me know what you think!