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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
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!
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.
This was incredible. My 5 year old son said this was his favorite.
Hey Sara,
Happy Weekend! Thanks for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! xTieghan
This looks so delicious- do you think I could sub in paneer? Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Hey Sarabel,
Sure, I think paneer would be great here! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was soo what my fam needed for dinner tonight! I added a can of white beans for some extra protein. We decided recently to be vegetarian so recipes like this are golden! Thanks Tieghan!
Hey Mary,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Is this freezer friendly?
Hey Erin,
I think this would be fine to freeze! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Cooked this last Sunday. So delicious. My husband loved it. Thumbs up.
We love your Blog.
Greetings from Germany
Hey Yasmin,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am delighted that the recipe was enjoyed! Happy Sunday! xTieghan
You have done it again. Your recipes never cease to amaze me! This dish was so good and had a wonderful buttery texture. It was wonderful and will be a repeat at our house!
Hey Heidi,
Thanks a lot for giving the recipe a try, I am thrilled that the recipe was enjoyed! Have a fantastic weekend! xTieghan
Made this tonight. Really good (and easy!) recipe. Thanks!
Hey AJ,
Thank you so much for giving the recipe a go! I am thrilled it was enjoyed. xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!! Thank you!
Hey Laura,
I am so glad you have enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for making it! Have a great week! xTieghan
This was awesome!
Thanks so much Dennis! xTieghan
How many cups would you say are a head of cauliflower? Buying a bag at Costco and their already cut into florets
Hey Angela,
I would say about 2 cups. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was so good! Perfect for meatless Mondays! Love how the cauliflower got a little crispy from the broiler and the spices were perfect, I did reduce the amount of cayenne to 1/4tsp and it still had a good amount of kick!
Hey Christine,
I am delighted you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Delicious! I added cashews to mine for a nice crunch and protein. For the rice, I added some of the same spices used in the sauce along with cardamom.
Hey Elizabeth,
I am so thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for trying it out!! xTieghan
I can’t find garam masala anywhere! Is it okay if i go without it?
Thanks!
Hey Danielle,
Try using curry powder in place of the garam masala. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made it yesterday and my husband and kids loved it!
Hey Celi,
Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I am delighted that it was enjoyed! Happy Friday:) xTieghan
This was my first recipe from your site (I made it over a year ago) and it remains one of our favorites! I was wondering if it can be adapted for the slow cooker?? If so, do you have any tips?? We are spending the winter in Colorado, so I’m trying to do lots of slow cooker dishes that can cook while we are out skiing!
Thanks! 🙂
Hey Becky,
I am so glad that the recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! Sure you could do the slow cooker on low for 6-8 hours. Have a great week:) xTieghan