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Sharing my vegan twist on a classic Indian dish with this Indian Coconut Butter Cauliflower. I’ve swapped the chicken for nutrient packed cauliflower, and replaced the heavy cream and butter with rich and creamy coconut milk and coconut oil. This coconut butter cauliflower is the perfect healthy, but still delicious, alternative to the traditional heavier version. It has a quick 30 minute cooking time and uses pantry staple ingredients. Making this recipe perfect for any night of the week.
My favorite thing to do is to cook for others. Creating a recipe that I know someone is going to love is such a fulfilling thing for me. It’s one of the reasons I love cooking so much. When my family was in town over Christmas, I knew that I would have to make Indian Butter Chicken. Butter Chicken is one of my brother Creighton’s favorite dishes. The rest of the crew loves a good Indian dish too.
That being said, there are a few people in the family who prefer a vegan/vegetarian diet. Enter this coconut butter cauliflower. It has all the same flavors and creamy sauce as classic butter chicken. However, it omits the chicken and replaces it with cauliflower, and is made vegan by using of creamy coconut milk.
It also happens to be much easier to prepare with just a 30 minute cooking time. So basically, it’s the perfect recipe for January.
I wanted to keep the dish as authentic as possible. So I first “marinated” the cauliflower in a mix of coconut milk, garlic, and ginger. It’s just a quick marinade to help the cauliflower soak up the garlic and ginger flavors. Once the cauliflower has marinated for 10 minutes or so, it’s time to broil. I like to do this to give the cauliflower a head start on cooking. it also gives it a nice little char before being added to the coconut butter sauce.
While the cauliflower is “marinating”, I make the coconut butter sauce to keep the recipe moving right along. The key to any good Indian butter sauce is all in the spices. I used a mix of garlic, ginger, garam masala, yellow curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne pepper for a very well spiced sauce. It’s warming and spicy, but not in an overpowering way. If you’re sensitive to heat, just adjust the amount of cayenne pepper to your liking.
My real secret to a delicious Indian sauce, whether vegan or not, is coconut milk. I adore using coconut milk in place of cream in any Indian style sauce I make. I find it not only to be creamier and healthier, but also every bit as delicious (if not more so) than what you might get at Indian restaurant. The coconut pairs so well with the Indian sauce seasonings. It’s always my go-to when making Indian inspired food.
By the time you have the sauce together, the cauliflower should be ready to go. Just slide it right into the sauce to finish cooking.
As you can probably guess, my favorite way to serve this is over steamed rice with a side of my homemade naan (which I’ve been making almost every other day as of late). If you’d like something a little more nutrient dense than white rice, try using steamed brown rice or quinoa.
I ended up serving this with a little mango salsa on top (just a simple mix of diced mango, jalapeño, lime, and cilantro) and it was truly delicious. I would highly recommend if you love a fruity touch of sweetness, which you know I do.
So, what was the family’s verdict?
Let’s just put it this way, all of the coconut butter cauliflower was eaten before the chicken version was touched. Trust me, I’m shocked that everyone, even the meat eaters in the family, went for the vegan version. This dish is truly loved by all. In fact, some of my harshest critics said this was some of the best Indian food they’ve eaten. Even one family member who has been to India several times.
I think it’s safe to say the recipe is a true hit. I’m sure I’ll be making it over and over again, especially since it’s so easy.
If you make this Indian coconut butter cauliflower, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
30 Minute Indian Coconut Butter Cauliflower
Servings: 4 4-6
Calories Per Serving: 523 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 1/3 cups canned full fat coconut milk
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 inches fresh ginger, grated
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 2 teaspoons yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper ,more or less to taste
- 1 can (6 ounce) tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
- steamed rice and naan, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the broiler to high. Grease a baking sheet with olive oil. 2. In a large bowl, combine the cauliflower, 1/3 cup coconut milk, 2 cloves chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon grated ginger, and a pinch of salt. Let sit 10 minutes to "marinate". Spread the cauliflower in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and broil for 3-4 minutes, until the cauliflower is just beginning to char on the edges. 3. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook 5 minutes or until fragrant. Add the remaining garlic and ginger, cooking another 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, and cayenne, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.4. Add the tomato paste and remaining 2 cups coconut milk. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a boil, cook 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in coconut oil. If the sauce seems thick, thin with 1/2 to 1/2 additional coconut milk or water. Add the cauliflower and any juices on the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.5. Serve the cauliflower and sauce over bowls of rice with fresh naan and mango chutney, if desired. Enjoy!
This post was originally published on January 3, 2019
I have never cooked with coconut oil or milk before. Your recipe popped up on my pinterest feed and it looks so yummy I’d like to try it! Will using the coconut milk and oil make the dish taste like coconut? Sorry, I’m new at using coconut in savory foods,
Hi Cat! There is a mild coconut flavor to this dish. We find it delicious this way. It’s not sweet at all. That said, if you prefer you can use heavy cream and butter in place of the coconut milk and coconut oil. Either way the dish will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
When broiling, how close is the cauliflower to broiler element? Or what position in the oven should the sheet pan be sitting?
HI! The rack should be in the upper 1/3 of the oven. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you and Happy New Year! xTieghan
Really good and easy to out together. I didn’t have coconut milk on hand but had everything else so I used half and half. It was tastey. Spice was a bit much for me so.next time I’ll tone that down. Thanks for.this.
Thank you so much Meg! I am so glad you liked this! xTieghan
We’ve made this dish a few times now.. it’s the bast and will continue making it.. family favorite.
Thank you Mallory! xTieghan
Made this for Monday’s dinner for my boyfriend and I and man was this a hit! Sooooo yummy!!!! And spicy ! I love curry and Indian food so this was so good and hit the spot! Even my bf who hates veggies loved it and plus it tastes little time to make 🙂 will def make it again!
I am so glad you both loved this recipe Jasmine! Thank you for trying this! xTieghan
Just made this and it’s SO delicious! My husband loves it too. Will definitely be making this again! Thanks!
Thank you Karen! I am so glad this turned out so well! xTieghan
I made this recipe for dinner, simply delicious
Thank you Tamika! xTieghan
This dish was incredible! It looked just like the photo and the flavor was amazing. No chicken needed… cauliflower was so yummy.
Thank you so much Julie! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
This was fantastic. Thanks! I added a potato and a few peas since my cauliflower was small. The hubs loved it.
Thank you Susan! xTieghan
just made it here in Corsica and loved it!!
at first sight, my fiancé tought it was chicken…. it smells so good and so easily prepared
so tasty, we loved it so much
i’ve discovered your blog few months ago and you made me loved to cook again 😉
can’t wait to try another of your recipes: I want to taste your naan recipe, seems to be so easy
“te ringraziu” and wish you the best
Thank you so much! I am so glad this turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Um, I love you! This is the best butter sauce I’ve ever had!!! This was amazing! Only bummer is that my husband was not happy he had to share. He’s vegetarian and the kids and I aren’t. I made orange chicken and this for him. I threw in some cubed tofu for protein. The kids (all of us) devoured it. We licked plates. We licked spoons. We broke every rule as far as manners go. I’ll be making this all the time! THanks for the awesome recipe!
Haha that is so amazing! I am so glad you and your entire family loved this recipe, Heidi! Thank you so much! xTieghan
I found I didn’t like the addition of coconut oil toward the end. Will try just butter next time.
I hope it turns out better for you with butter! Let me know! Thank you Anne! xTieghan
I made this with half cauliflower and half chicken. Very nice combo and everyone loved it. It’s a make again.
Thank you so much Linda! xTieghan
Just made this and it was really yummy. The cauliflower was a little bit too crunchy for my liking so next time I will either cook it a bit longer or cut it into smaller chunks. Would definitely recommend it though.
Thank you Michelle! xTieghan
I’ve made this several times and it’s absolutely delicious! It’s one of the best vegan meals and so easy. Just a tiny sprinkle of cayenne is perfect for me. Thanks for all of your recipes. I use many but this is a favourite!!!!
Thank you so much Cindy! I hope you continue to love this one and others! xTieghan