Cauliflower Tikka Masala
Are you ready for delicious Indian food and leftovers?
Indian food is honestly one of my favorite foods, and I used to really not make it at home because I would rather have authentic Indian food that is made with pure love from a lineage that delivers deliciousness. However, since my intention is creating more delicious recipes at home, I went ahead and gave this a shot… and DANG, I will definitely be creating this again. It has a nice flavor to it, and it’s not too overpowering (spice wise), which I can appreciate.
You may need to grab some spices if you aren’t used to cooking Indian food, such as garam masala & curry powder. If I have naan in the freezer from Trader Joe’s, I’ll usually pop that in the oven at the very end of the recipe to enjoy with the meal. The flow of this recipe is pretty easy and straightforward. Enjoy!
Recipe
Cauliflower Tikka Masala
Ingredients
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 1/2 cups of coconut milk
2 TBS vegetable oil
1 TBS curry powder
1 1/2 tsp paprika
Salt
4 cups of rice
3 cloves garlic, chopped
One 1/2 inch chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tsp garam masala
One 28 ounce can no salt added tomato puree
One 14 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2 TBS unsalted butter
3 TBS fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Cut the cauliflower into florets, and place in a medium bowl.
In a small bowl, whisk together 3 TBS of coconut milk, 1 TBS olive oil, 1 TBS water, 1 1/2 tsp curry powder, 1/2 tsp paprika and 1/4 tsp salt. Add this to the cauliflower in the medium bowl & toss evenly to coat. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
Start making rice (see recipe below).
Place garlic, ginger, onion, & 2 TBS water in a food processor; pulse until smooth.
Heat 1 TBS oil over a large pot or wok on low-medium heat. Add contents in food processor to the pot/wok & garam masala, 2 1/2 tsp curry powder + 1 tsp paprika. Cook, stirring every once in awhile, for about 4 minutes (smell will come through)!
Add tomato puree, 1 cup water, chickpeas & 2 tsp salt. Cover partially with lid and simmer until sauce in slightly reduced (15 minutes).
Preheat boiler with rack about 4 inches from top. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and place cauliflower on it. Cook for 10 minutes and flip halfway through.
Stir cauliflower into sauce and allow to simmer. Add remaining coconut milk from can (a little over a cup), butter, and cilantro. Stir and serve with rice (& you can add cilantro to top).
POV: This is so delicious! I used to make this type of recipe using tomatoes and pureeing them myself, but using the tomato puree works just as well, cuts down cooking time & cleanup time. My partner really enjoyed this recipe, and in the future I’ll add in tofu or some bell peppers and mushrooms to amp it up!
Jasmine Rice
Ingredients >> DOUBLE RECIPE if dinner is for more than 2 people
2 cups of Jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
2 1/2 cups of water
Instructions
Place rice and water in pressure cooker.
Turn on pressure cooker (make sure pressure cooker knob is to sealed), and set for 3 minutes. (takes about 14 minutes)
Once the “3 minutes” is up, set a timer for 10 minutes. (this helps the rice continue to cook!)
After 10 minutes, release the knob to “vent,” open up the pressure cooker (steam will be coming out). Use a fork and gently mix the rice around to help fluff.
