Sweet and Spicy Roasted Cauliflower Curry (Vegan) (2024)

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It must be that time of year, I’m craving a health kick but I’m also craving a curry: luckily roasted cauliflower curry takes care of both!

Remember when I said how much I love Indian cuisine? Its amazing food, and one of my favorites.

I also love Pakistani cuisine. Not so different from Indian foods in many ways, it does in fact share a huge amount of similarities with it.

This isn’t particularly surprising as the two countries have a much entwined history – they were together until 1947.

This particular recipe comes from Rabia in Pakistan, and it’s an absolutely stellar example of Pakistani cuisine.

Ingredients

Veggies

Cauliflower is the main player in this awesome recipe. Go for a medium head of cauliflower to feed 2 people, or buy a larger one to feed the whole family.

There are different varieties but go with what’s available to you, a purple curry would look pretty cool!

Red onion is going to give you a lovely sweetness to contrast the spiciness of the dish.

Tomato puree is going to give a deliciously rich tomato flavor to the sauce. This is what I would recommend using, however, if you can only get chopped tomatoes or passata that’s fine.

Garlic and ginger finish off this tasty veg collection. You can’t have a curry without these two beauties, they’ll create the best base for the curry spices.

Spices
Indian vegetarian curry recipes are all about spice. Let’s create this curry sauce with all the classics.
Using a combination of cumin, coriander seeds, red pepper flakes, and curry powder is just what this dish needs.

Top it off
Celebrate this great dish with a sprinkling of fresh cilantro and some silky soy yogurt to cool down those tingling tastebuds.

How many calories are in this cauliflower curry dish?

You may think curries are calorific but not this beauty! It’s only giving you 506 calories which is a perfect amount for a healthy main course.

You’ll also gain 15 grams of protein which is pretty good in my opinion and sure to keep you feeling full.

Here’s a full overview of the nutritional information:

kcal 506kcal

Carbs 80g

Fat 18g

Protein 15g

Health benefits

Cauliflower is ridiculously nutritious; a wonderfully healthy vegetable. It has been found to help out with decreasing the risk of so many serious ailments including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

It’s something that WHFoods recommends eating on a very regular basis to keep your heart and body in tip-top condition.

This recipe is super healthy, with tomato sauce and fiber-rich brown rice.

It has all the components to be the perfect dinner, and at only 506 calories it would be a great dish to eat if you were on a weight loss journey.

The fiber in the cauliflower and rice will keep you feeling full between meals and help your digestive system too.

If you need more meals that are great for weight loss, check out your FREE 7-day meal plan.

After 7 days, if you are hungry for more there’s a wealth of inspiration every week with our weekly weight loss plan!

How to make the best cauliflower curry?

• Prep time – Preheat that oven, and start cooking the rice. Cut the veggies.
  
• Roast the cauliflower – Toss the cauliflower in olive oil and flavourings then pop it in the oven until it’s nice and crisp.
  
• Make the sauce – Heat the oil in a saucepan and sautè the onion, throwing in those spices so they get really aromatic! Finally add tomato purée (or tinned or fresh tomatoes), if using fresh tomatoes then mash them with a wooden spatula when tender. Then add the cauliflower – it’s almost ready!
  
• To finish – Cook on low heat then finally add some, peeled and grated ginger and fresh cilantro. Serve with the rice, and (soy) yogurt, and enjoy hot.

For the complete recipe see the card below.

Roasted cauliflower curry FAQs

We’ve answered some of your cauliflower conundrums down below:

Why does my roasted cauliflower get mushy?

Your roasted cauliflower may get mushy if it’s not able to dry out properly in the roasting pan. Cauliflower has a high water content, which reduces as the cauliflower roasts.

A good idea is to make sure the cauliflower is in bite-sized pieces and in an even layer with space around each piece.

Another tip would be to try and use fresh cauliflower rather than frozen as that can expel even more water during the cooking process.

Lastly, try and use avocado oil when roasting as it can cope with the high temperature of the oven a lot better than olive oil or coconut oil.

How to store and reheat?

Can I make it ahead?

Luckily, as cauliflower stores so well it’s a good one to roast ahead of time. Why not throw some extra in with the Sunday lunch and then it’s ready for an even fast mid-week treat!

What to serve with cauliflower curry?

I chose brown rice to serve with this dish, but you could also add some naan bread or chapati if you want a more authentic experience. (Just be aware the bread is going to push up those calories).

Does roasting cauliflower destroy nutrients?

The roasting process can destroy nutrients such as vitamin C and folate that break down under high temperatures.

However other nutrients get released only when the cell walls are broken down, therefore roasting has pros and cons where nutrient retention is concerned.

Recipe variations

Rice: You can choose which type of rice you serve this dish with. Basmati or Pilau will give that authentic feel, but brown rice will help will you fill up as it’s full of fiber. For something a bit different why not try quinoa instead?

Sauce: We chose a tomato sauce to keep the calories down, however, if you wanted a bit more of an indulgent treat you could add a can of coconut milk to make that sauce extra creamy!

Cauliflower: We suggested roasting the cauliflower florets in a single layer on a large baking sheet, but if you want you could try air fryer cauliflower.

Spices: Try adding different spices if you like; maybe some garam masala, smoked paprika, or garlic powder would be a great way to shake up that spice mixture.

More recipes like this

If you loved this roasted curried cauliflower recipe then you’re sure to love these too:

• Easy Cauliflower Curry: Ready in 30 Minutes
• Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower
• Creamy Vegan Cauliflower Soup

Top tip

The type of tomatoes used in this dish makes a big difference to taste too. I much prefer the tomato purée version and would highly recommend it.

It’s also worth noting that the flavours come out much more intensely on the second day, so if you have the chance to cook this meal the day you need it, then go for it!

If not, you’ll just be in line for some really tasty leftovers.

I really hope you love this recipe for roasted cauliflower curry.

Next time you get friends together I reckon this dish would go down a treat! I really can’t beat curry roasted cauliflower it’s just so tasty!

For more vegan inspiration take a look at this collection of 45 Quick Vegan Meals, I just know you’re going to love it!

Comments

59 comments

1. 

   Donna Ellwood22. February 2024 at 17:59

   Is the brown rice added to the cauliflower mixture or is it a side? A bit confusing when you indicate white rice would be a good side. Sounds amazing and can’t wait to try it

   Thank you

   Reply

   1. 

      Dave Bell22. February 2024 at 18:56

      Hi Donna, good point, that is confusing! I’ve just changed it so it should be more clear – the rice would be served as a side. You could have white or brown rice – both are very tasty. We recommend brown for extra health benefits, but that’s just our personal choice. Enjoy the curry 🙂

      Reply

2. 

   Alison M-H23. November 2023 at 8:40

   
   This was delicious! Brown basmati went really well with it too

   Reply

   1. 

      Dave23. November 2023 at 10:57

      Woo! Glad you enjoyed it, Alison. Thanks for the comment 🙂

      Reply

3. 

   C. Lee25. February 2023 at 0:04

   I am new to your site, and very pleased to find you. I’m a life long veggie and avid cook. I am usually underwhelmed with recipe sites. I’m trying out your sweet potato burritos this evening and have been browsing your other recipes that I look forward to trying out.
   However, I was under the impression that brown rice should be avoided due to arsenic and various other reasons. I’m wondering if you can clear this up for me. I have avoided brown rice due to the many ‘warnings’ I have come across over the years.
   Any info would be much appreciated. Thank you 🙂

   Reply

   1. 

      Dave28. February 2023 at 14:55

      Hi, happy to have you with us! So, this is something I looked into a while ago and came to the decision for myself that brown rice is absolutely fine as part of a healthy diet. Our nutritionist also just confirmed this. Of course, everyone should make up their minds on something like this, but personally I have no plans to stop eating brown rice!

      Hope you enjoyed the sweet potatoes!

      Reply

4. 

   Ellen25. October 2022 at 17:49

   
   I enjoyed making this! It is very tasty and nutritious! One question: Is the nutrition information you provided for the cauliflower without the brown rice? Or is the brown rice also included in the nutrition information? Thank you for this recipe. Look forward to hearing from you!

   Reply

   1. 

      Hauke Fox26. October 2022 at 10:20

      Hi Ellen, really glad you liked it! Good question, yes it does include the rice!

      Reply

5. 

   ALISON FURNHAM6. May 2022 at 21:08

   
   I was a bit disappointed with this one. 250ml of tomato puree is a LOT and I wondered if it was a typo. Had to add quite a bit of water and the dense tomato swamped the delicious roast cauli. Fortunately had one of your other curry leftovers to go with it, which, together with the yoghurt, gave a range of flavours. If I made it again I would use the passata/fresh tomato options.

   Reply

   1. 

      Dave10. May 2022 at 10:19

      Hi Alison! Arr no, shame this one didn’t match up. I wonder… when we say puree, we do mean passata. It seems to be called something different in each language (and in different versions of English, too!). Let me change it to passata so it’s more clear. Thank you for the feedback!

      Reply

6. 

   Amani27. April 2021 at 20:15

   
   Thank you for this. I would use fewer tomatoes next time as I found it too tomatoey – The roasted cauliflower was so delicious alone. Recipe is so easy.

   Reply

7. 

   Ash Amliwala4. January 2021 at 19:56

   
   Tried this and loved it. Only change would be to decrease the a lot of tomatoes. Thanks for this recipe. Great job.

   Reply

   1. 

      Dave5. January 2021 at 9:05

      Really glad you liked it so much, thanks! Sounds good with the tomatoes if that’s how you like it 🙂

      Reply