This Indian Cauliflower Coconut Curry recipe is super flavorful, delicious, healthy, and easy to make in an Instant pot pressure cooker or stovetop just under 30 minutes for busy weeknights. Cauliflower Curry is Vegan, Gluten-free, Keto, and Low Carb!
This Vegan Cauliflower Curry is a rich, filling, comforting meal prepared with few ingredients. It's an excellent weeknight dinner as it gets ready in no time.
We often make this curry when I get fresh cauliflower from the grocery. I usually like to serve on top of basmati rice and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice on the top. I also like making my favorite Indian Cauliflower Potato Curry ( Aloo Gobi) in my Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker.
Today I am sharing Instant Pot and Stovetop pot methods of preparing cauliflower coconut milk curry recipe.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry
- Cauliflower Curry Ingredients
- How to Make Cauliflower Coconut Curry
- What to Serve with Cauliflower Coconut Curry?
- Make Ahead and Storage
- Variations for Cauliflower Coconut Curry
- Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- More Cauliflower Recipes
- More Vegan Instant Pot Curry Recipes
- Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry
Why You'll Love this Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry
- Easy to make, a one-pot dish that takes less than 20 minutes to cook.
- Healthy, and delicious.
- Great for busy weekday lunch or dinner.
- Vegan, Gluten-free, Low carb and Keto Friendly.
Cauliflower Curry Ingredients
This cauliflower curry recipe requires only a few ingredients, and you'll be able to find most of them in your pantry.
- Cauliflower: 1 large head of cauliflower cut into medium size florets (about 5 cups).
- Onion: I have used finely chopped onions for this recipe.
- Ginger and garlic: I have used homemade fresh ginger and garlic paste. You can also mince them and add them to the curry.
- Tomatoes: I have used canned crushed tomatoes in this recipe. You can also use fresh diced Roma tomatoes to make the base for this curry. Or puree the fresh tomatoes and add them if you wish.
- Coconut milk: I have used Chaokoh brand Full Fat Coconut milk in this recipe because full fat works best as it contains the creamiest flavors. However, you can use low-fat coconut milk, but curry won't be as rich and creamy.
- Coconut oil: I used coconut oil in this recipe, you can use your preferred vegetable oil for cooking.
- Dry spices: I used turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala. You can increase or decrease the spices according to your choice.
- Coriander leaves: for garnish.
How to Make Cauliflower Coconut Curry
Instant Pot Method
Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add coconut oil to the POT. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and let cumins splutter.
Then add onions, ginger-garlic paste, and saute until onions turn light brown for 3-4 minutes.
Next, add the crushed tomatoes along with the juice or tomato puree/sauce, full-fat coconut milk, and dry spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, salt, cauliflower florets, and Stir well.
Ensure to Deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck bits.
If you think the mixture is too thick, add ½ cup of water to this (I did not add extra water).
Close the lid securely, and turn the vent to "SEALING".
Select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 0 minutes OR select the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (Low Pressure) setting and set the cooking time to 2 minutes.
When the instant pot beeps, Quick release the pressure manually before removing the lid.
Lastly, Squeeze some fresh lemon juice and garnish with cilantro.
Don't worry if the curry is a too liquid consistency. Instead, turn on SAUTE mode again and boil the curry for 2-3 minutes or until you get the desired consistency.
Indian Style Instant Pot Cauliflower Coconut Curry recipe is ready. Serve hot with basmati rice, jeera rice, or quinoa.
Stovetop Pot Method
- Heat oil in a pot, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and let the cumins splutter.
- Then add onions, ginger-garlic paste, and saute until onions turn light brown for 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the crushed tomatoes along with the juice or tomato puree or sauce, full-fat coconut milk, and dry spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, salt, cauliflower florets, and stir well.
- Cover the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes, occasionally stirring, until the cauliflower softens and absorbs the flavors.
- Lastly, squeeze fresh lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve Indian-style Cauliflower Curry hot with basmati rice or quinoa.
What to Serve with Cauliflower Coconut Curry?
Serve cauliflower coconut curry with
- Indian bread like rotis, naan, parathas, or poori.
- Basmati rice, jeera rice, or coconut rice with Indian cucumber salad or pickle on the side.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make-ahead: The curry can be made a day before serving and reheated on the microwave or stovetop until warm before serving.
- Store: You can store leftover cauliflower coconut curry in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze: Freeze in freezer-safe container or Ziploc bags for up to 3 months.
- Reheat: Reheat cauliflower curry in a microwave or stovetop until warm, and serve. If it's frozen, defrost first and then reheat.
Variations for Cauliflower Coconut Curry
- Vegetables: You can also add hearty veggies of your choice like carrots, sweet potatoes, bell pepper, squash, beans, and green leafy veggies like kale, and baby spinach.
- Spices: If you can't find the dry spices mentioned in this recipe, you can replace them with 1.5 tablespoons of curry powder.
- Protein: Add canned or cooked chickpeas to this recipe to make cauliflower chickpea curry. You may also add sauteed tofu for a variation.
- Coconut Milk: I prefer using full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. You can also use reduced-fat coconut milk, but you may not achieve the same results. The sauce may be thinner.
Tips
- Make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot with the liquid. There are chances of onion and ginger garlic bits sticking to the bottom, so gently scrape the pot with some liquid to prevent possible BURN notice.
- Cauliflower cooks very quickly, so use large pieces for this recipe.
Recipe FAQs
This curry keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an air-tight container.
You sure can! Cool the curry completely, and then separate it into freezer containers and pop them in your freezer for a quick and easy meal. Defrost it in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stovetop or microwave, and then garnish with coriander before serving.
You can easily add your favorite veggies, eggplant, sweet potatoes, potatoes, butternut squash, carrot, green peas. You can also add canned or cooked chickpeas for extra protein.
I personally like Chaokoh, Thai Kitchen Organic, Aroy-D, and 365 Everyday Value Organic Coconut Milk brands.
Yes!
Yes! cauliflower is low in carbs and is an excellent vegetable for the diet. However, you may want to reduce the amount of tomatoes if you are on Keto-diet.
More Cauliflower Recipes
- Potato Cauliflower Stir Fry
- Roasted Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Manchurian
- Air Fryer Tandoori Cauliflower
- Cauliflower Rice
- Cauliflower Pulao
Love Cauliflower? Check out more Cauliflower Recipes here.
More Vegan Instant Pot Curry Recipes
- Rajma Masala
- Chickpea Coconut Curry
- Black Eye Pea Curry (Lobia curry)
- Lauki (Bottle gourd) Sabji
- Whole Green Moong Dal
- Green Lentil Soup
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Instant Pot Cauliflower Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil (Or olive oil)
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 1 can (14 oz) tomatoes crushed (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 can (14 oz) full fat coconut milk (about 1.5 cups)
- 1 large head cauliflower cut into medium size florets (about 5 cups)
- salt adjust to taste
- juice of half lemon
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves)
Dry Spices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add coconut oil to the POT. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and let cumins splutter.
- Then add onions, ginger-garlic paste, and saute until onions turn light brown for 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add the crushed tomatoes along with the juice or tomato puree/sauce, full-fat coconut milk, and dry spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, salt, cauliflower florets, and stir well.
- Ensure to Deglaze the bottom of the pot to remove any stuck bits.If you think the mixture is too thick, add ½ cup of water to this (I did not add extra water).
- Furthermore, Close the lid on the pot. Select 0 minutes on MANUAL/PRESSURE COOK (High Pressure) OR select Manual 2 minutes for low pressure.
- Once the pot beeps, Quick release the pressure manually.
- Lastly, Squeeze some fresh lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Don't worry if the curry is a too liquid consistency. Instead, turn on SAUTE mode again and boil the curry for 2-3 minutes or until you get the desired consistency.
- Indian Style Instant Pot Cauliflower Coconut Curry recipe is ready. Serve hot with basmati rice, jeera rice, or quinoa.
Stovetop Pot Method:
- Heat oil in a pot, Once the oil, is hot add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and let cumin splutter.
- Then add onions, ginger-garlic paste, and saute until onions turn light brown for 3-4 minutes.
- Next add the crushed tomatoes along with the juice or tomato puree or sauce, full-fat coconut milk, and dry spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder, salt, cauliflower florets, and stir well.
- Cover the lid and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower softens and absorbs the flavors.
- Lastly, squeeze fresh lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve Indian style Cauliflower Curry hot with basmati rice or quinoa.
Video
Notes
Variations:
- You can also add hearty veggies of your choice like carrots, sweet potatoes, bell pepper, squash, and green leafy veggies like kale, spinach.
- If you cant find dry spices mentioned in this recipe, you can replace them with 1.5 tablespoons of curry powder instead.
- You can also add canned or cooked chickpeas to make a cauliflower chickpea curry recipe.
- I prefer using full-fat coconut milk for this recipe. You can also use reduced-fat coconut milk but you may not achieve the same results. The sauce may be thinner.
Tips:
- Make sure to deglaze the bottom of the pot with the liquid. There are chances of onion and ginger garlic bits sticking to the bottom so gently scrape the pot with some liquid to prevent possible BURN notice.
- Cauliflower cooks very quickly, so use larger pieces for this recipe.
Manisha says
Looks amazing, can’t wait to try it tomorrow. When would you add the chickpeas if using them? Thanks!
bhavana says
Hey Manisha, Califlower takes very less time for cooking so i suggest adding cooked or canned chickpeas for this recipe..you can add along with cauliflower and coconut milk.If you think chickpeas are undercooked just simmer the curry for sometime.Please let me know if you try this recipe.
Andrea Howard says
Sooooo good and easy! Tastes even better the next day.
bhavana says
Thank you Andrea for sharing your feedback. 🙂
Anonymous says
Easy and flavorful