Masala Cauliflower Stew with Chickpeas
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This hearty vegetarian soup is so tasty and easy to make and wonderful for a cozy dinner. Chunks of cauliflower, chickpeas and spinach simmer in a base of canned pureed tomatoes, with and Indian-inspired spice blend.
Cook this one-dish dinner in less than an hour, anytime you crave the spicy aromas and hunger-satisfying flavors of Indian vegetarian food. The recipe is easily adaptable for vegans, too — just use coconut oil in place of the ghee and you’re good to go.
Depending on my mood and what’s in the pantry, I play around with making different versions of chickpea masala (or chana masala). It’s a classic Indian dish of spiced chickpeas that never fails to satisfy.
About the spices
The spice blends known in the Western hemisphere as “curry” powders are the same as masalas. In Indian and Southeast Asian cooking, food is enhanced by a huge array of herbs, spices, and blends.
It’s super convenient to buy pre-blended curry powders, but I also enjoy mixing up my own blends. I highly encourage you to try it!
If you keep a basic assortment of spices in your pantry, you can customize your food to suit your taste. At the same time your cooking will reach another level of flavor.
When I first cooked this dish, I was thinking about how much I enjoy eating a good tangy tikka masala sauce, which typically has a tomato base and rich, creamy texture.
I also threw in a head of cauliflower for an extra boost of vegetables, because who isn’t a fan of the outrageously good combo of chickpeas and cauliflower?!
Now let’s talk about the creaminess factor. While I usually depend on coconut milk to add a rich mouthfeel to an Indian chickpea curry, I tried something new with this recipe. Instead of coconut milk, the trick is to use a small amount of basmati or jasmine rice powder to thicken up the stew as it cooks. This technique results in a stew-like texture, rather than a brothy one.
About the ingredients
- Chickpeas (canned or home-cooked chickpeas)
- Cauliflower florets
- Onion
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Ghee, butter, or cold-pressed vegetable oil such as coconut
- Fresh green chili: I recommend serrano or jalapeno for medium-hot heat level.
- Tomato puree and tomato paste
- Spices: Ground cumin, coriander, paprika and cayenne
- Basmati rice or rice flour, to thicken the stew
- Fresh spinach
What to serve with cauliflower stew
This hearty dish is deliciously nourishing served in bowls, all by itself.
- To dress it up, stir in some whole milk plain yogurt or coconut cream.
- Crumble roasted cashews over the finished dish for some crunch.
- Warm up some naan bread to go alongside, or serve over hot cooked rice. I love it with a batch of Perfect Coconut Rice.
Storing tips
- This recipe makes enough stew to serve 4-6 people.
- If you have leftovers, keep refrigerated up to 5 days.
- For longer storage, portion into freezer containers and freeze 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating in a microwave or on the stovetop.
Masala Cauliflower Stew with Chickpeas
Ingredients
Spice blend
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) long grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
- 2 tablespoons (20 g) sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) ground coriander
- ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, to taste
Stew
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) ghee, butter or coconut oil
- 1 (150 g) onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 3 garlic cloves, grated on a rasp grater or in a garlic press
- 1 fresh serrano or green jalapeno chili pepper, chopped
- 1 (675 g) head cauliflower, 1 1/2 pounds, cut into bite-size florets
- 4 cups (850 g) cooked chickpeas, or 2 15-ounce cans, drained
- 1 cup (220 g) canned tomato puree
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
- 4 cups (1 l) vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) kosher salt
- 3 ounces (65 g) spinach
Options for serving:
- Plain yogurt and chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
Mix the spices
- Pulse the rice, paprika, cumin, coriander and cayenne in a spice grinder until the rice is powdered. *see note below
Make the stew
- Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, garlic and chili and cook 2-3 minutes, until softened. Stir in the spice blend until its coated in the fat.
- Add the cauliflower, chickpeas, tomato puree, tomato paste, stock or water and salt and stir well. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook 20-25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender.
- Drop the spinach into the pot and stir until it wilts. Serve warm in bowls, topped with plain yogurt and chopped cilantro, if you like.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Note: If you don’t have a spice grinder, substitute 1 tablespoon rice flour or chickpea flour and stir together with the spices in a small bowl.
- To freeze: For longer storage, portion into freezer containers and freeze 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before heating in a microwave or on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.
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This is perfect for dinner when you don’t want to add meat to a dish, however, is still loaded with flavor.
This is such a great pantry-friendly strew. Uses the easiest ingredients and is incredibly flavorful. Something I will definitely be making again!
This looks fantastic. I absolutely love the flavors and ingredients you used here. I will definitely put this on my menu for next week. I bet my family will love it too.
I’m really missing my favorite Indian restaurant, so this is a must make recipe! It looks so rich and savory!
There’s something about spicy vegetable stews that always wins me over. I’ve never been a fan of brothy minestrone, I like a thicker texture. Can’t wait to try this recipe.
This masala Cauliflower and Chickpea Stew looks really scrumptious and it’s making me super hungry. This is perfect to have after having a tiring day. I love that it’s not only delicious but healthy as well.
Just beautiful, and totally my kind of food. Everything about this recipe looks great, and I’m going to make it !
That is a great looking stew! So colourful and healthy…I could use a bowl right now. Such a great option for those of us that don’t eat enough vegetables!
Drooling over this delicious dish. What a lovely combination of flavors in this stew
So good! I broke out the sourdough starter and ate it with some fresh naan and paired perfectly! Love this so easy and delicious!
so good, feels hearty and healthy!