This super easy, ultra creamy, and heavily spiced Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala is my new favorite dinner! That spicy-creamy sauce is just so 👌that I have to sop up every last bit with a piece of naan. This dish comes together super fast, requires very little chopping, is insanely inexpensive, and holds up well in the fridge, so it’s great for meal prep! This one is going right into my weekly rotation. :)
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How to Serve the Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala
I’ve been eating my Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala with a piece of naan bread to scoop up that delicious sauce, but this dish would be equally as good over a bed of hot rice. Either way it’s creamy, spicy, and oh so delish!
Make it Spicy or Mild
You can adjust the heat of this sauce by increasing, decreasing, or even eliminating the amount of cayenne pepper in the spice mix. The amount listed below creates what I would call a “medium” spice level, but that’s extremely subjective, so take that with a grain of salt.
Make it Vegan
An easy sub for the heavy cream in this recipe would be full fat coconut milk (the stuff that comes in cans, NOT the dairy milk substitute). You can play around with the quantities, but I’d guess somewhere between 1/2 to 1 cup would work well.
Cauliflower and Chickpea Masala
Servings 4 About 1.25 cups eachIngredients
Masala Spice Mix
- 2 Tbsp garam masala ($0.60)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric ($0.05)
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika ($0.05)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- Freshly Cracked Pepper ($0.03)
Skillet Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.21)
- 3 cloves garlic ($0.24)
- 1/2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger ($0.15)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 12 oz. frozen cauliflower florets ($1.00)
- 1 15oz. can chickpeas, drained ($0.49)
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce* ($0.59)
- 1/4 cup water ($0.00)
- 1/3 cup heavy cream ($0.26)
- salt to taste ($0.02)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the spices for the masala spice mix (garam masala, cumin, turmeric, smoked paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper).
- Finely dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger. Add all three to a large skillet along with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the spice mix and continue to sauté for one more minute.
- Add the frozen cauliflower florets to the skillet with the aromatics and spices, and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes more, or until the cauliflower have thawed through and are completely coated in spices.
- Add the drained chickpeas, tomato sauce, and 1/4 cup water to the skillet. Stir to combine, then allow them to simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes. This will help mellow the acidity of the tomato sauce and allow the spices to blend. If the mixture becomes too dry as it simmers, add a couple more tablespoons of water.
- After the sauce has simmered for 15 minutes, turn off the heat and stir in the heavy cream. Give the masala a taste and add salt as needed. Serve in a bowl either over rice or with a piece of bread for dipping.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Cauliflower Chickpea Masala – Step by Step Photos
Begin by combining 2 Tbsp garam masala, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, and some freshly cracked pepper in a small bowl.
Finely dice one yellow onion, mince three cloves of garlic and grate about 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger (ginger is hard to measure, so this is flexible).
Add the onion, garlic, and ginger to a large skillet with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 3 minutes). Add the spice mix and continue to sauté for one more minute.
Add 12oz. frozen cauliflower florets to the skillet and continue to sauté until the cauliflower is thawed through and coated in spices.
Next, add one 15oz. can chickpeas (drained), one 15oz. can tomato sauce, and about 1/4 cup water to the skillet. Stir to combine and then let the sauce simmer over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the sauce starts to dry out as it simmers, add a couple more tablespoons of water.
After the sauce has simmered and the tomato sauce has mellowed a bit, turn off the heat and stir in 1/3 cup heavy cream.
After stirring the cream into the sauce, give it a taste and add more salt to taste (I added about 1/4 tsp).
I garnished here with fresh cilantro, but didn’t find that it added a lot to the flavor, so that’s entirely optional!
Dig in!
I really want to try this but I can’t have onions or tomatoes…can I just eliminate them or possibly substitute them for anything?
That would change the recipes quite a bit, so I’m unsure how it would turn out without actually testing it. I don’t think there’s an easy sub that I can recommend without testing the flavor changes.
This was excellent, made as written with some chopped Cilantro on top. Definitely making the rotation!
Absolutely loved this it came out great, although was very salty next time will eliminate the salt. I used fresh cauliflower steamed it first, amd coconut milk instead of heavy cream. The spice was perfect put the dish over rice!!!
Omg Beth you are such a genius. I have NEVER successfully made Indian food before I made this recipe, and now I feel like a pro. Such an easy, delicious recipe. Usually my partner and I have enough in your recipes for a good sized dinner with some leftovers for lunch the next day. This recipe didn’t last very long it’s THAT good!
Elated to have found this! Just made it and it’s so satisfying and delicious and comforting. Definitely going in the lifelong recipe rotation.
This dish is fantastic. I’ve been looking for a simple masala recipe and this hits all the right notes! I used a Graham Masala mix from our local Indian grocery store. Also, I used roasted cauliflower from a fresh head, as the store didn’t have any frozen bags left.
I just made this and it was FANTASTIC! Replaced heavy cream with coconut milk and served over jasmine rice. Theonly change I will make next time is to cut down on the cayenne or eliminate it completely. I like spicy food, and I am sure this makes the dish more authentic, but to me the heat distracted from the masala flavors.
HEAVEN! So simple and packed with delicious flavor. Aside from garam masala, which we ordered online, we had everything in our pantry to create this meal, and we will absolutely cook it again. I used a raw cauliflower, and only used 8oz of tomato sauce. We subbed water for the rest of the liquid, put a lid on the skillet, and let the mixture boil long enough to soften the raw cauliflower. Then we took off the lid and simmered it until the sauce thickened to our liking. We used the recommended amount of cayenne, and it was a pleasant heat. Those who are sensitive to heat may just do a quick tap of the cayenne or leave it out completely.
Meals like this one will definitely make it easier to convince my husband to do more meatless meals in the future.
Yummm yummm yummmm
I’ve made this more times than I can count now and it’s always a hit. I use coconut milk instead of heavy cream and switch up the frozen veggies and even add chicken sometime. It’s a very forgiving recipe and goes perfectly with naan and rice. I was shocked how good this was the first time I made it. Fresh ginger is a must and now I always keep a big chuck on hand to make this whenever I get a craving for it!! Thank you!!
This recipe has been a staple in my family for the past few months since discovering it – we LOVE it! The only thing I do differently is use fresh cauliflower, which requires a bit of additional cooking time. It’s super flavorful, and I look forward to leftovers of this dish!
Thanks for the recipe! This is flavorful, filling, and easy to make!
This was delicious! I subbed in about a cup of coconut milk I had leftover from making your mushroom ramen to keep it vegan. Thank you for posting vegan adjustments in your recipe.
Made this tonight. So good! Just the right amount of spice to it. Served it over rice. Will be making again!
I have made this recipe over a dozen times and it is so good. I’ve added potato, kale, etc. Whatever you have on hand works! Love it! Thanks!
Loved this! Next time I make this, I’ll add half a cup of frozen peas for color and sweetness. I also recommend adding cilantro at the end.