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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.
I love this recipe! I add diced gold potatoes for more substance and serve with naan. So good!
Hi Jennifer,
Awesome! Love to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, thanks for making it! Happy Sunday! x
Yummmm… from down under 🙂
Thanks so much, Christina! Glad you enjoyed this dish! xT
Thank you Tieghan, this fabulous recipe is on repeat in our house! I added a tsp of cumin and a tablespoon of brown sugar just to round out the flavours. I am trying your Butter Chicken recipe next and am looking forward to it!
Sorry I forgot to rate it!
Thanks so much, Janet! So glad to hear this recipe is always enjoyed, thank you for making it so often! Enjoy the short week:) x
This was absolutely delicious!
Served with Basmati rice and was floored by the flavours while knowing all that coconut goodness is so gut friendly:-)
Can’t wait to make it again!
Hey Erica,
Wonderful! I appreciate you making this recipe and your comment, love to hear it turned out well! Xx
Love this recipe. Can you update the ingredient list to include the mango chutney at the end? I WISH I wouldn’t have missed that and could’ve had it with this dish. Incredible regardless (:
Hi Greg,
Thrilled to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for making it and your comment:) xx
This recipe looks delicious!
It’s hot weather. I would prefer to steam cauliflower rather than use oven. Will that work?
Hey Ann,
Sure, I don’t see why not! I hope you love this dish, let me know how it turns out for you! xT
Another successful dish! Added a handful of spinach and a squeeze of lime juice to finish. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Hey Cindy,
Amazing!! So glad to hear that this recipe turned out well for you, I appreciate you making it! xT
Could I substitute olive oil or another oil for the coconut oil? I don’t like to use it secondary to the high saturated fat content. Thank you!
Hey Jennifer,
Of course, that would work well for you! I hope you love this recipe, let me know if you give it a try! xT
Oh my goodness – this was delicious!!
Even my meat eating husband enjoyed it and instantly asked me to make it again soon. That’s a sign of a true winner.
Hey Kristen,
Wonderful!! I appreciate you trying this recipe and sharing your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) xT
It’s SO delicious! Do leftovers freeze well?
Hi Wendy! Yes, you definitely could freeze the leftovers! xT
added tofu and it is an amazing dish, thank you!
Hi Jen,
I appreciate you making this recipe and your feedback! So glad it was enjoyed:) Have a great week! xT
I madenthis years ago amd forgot abt it then made again tonight. I added chickpeas to the cauliflower and roasted together. I also had some leftover shawarma chicken that I added to the sauce for my hubby who wanted meat. This sauce is out if this world. Great dinner. Thank you. I love your recipes!
Hi there! Thank you so so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Have an amazing weekend 🙂 xT
I cooked this by the book, though I added seasoned chicken thighs for an extra protein punch and a pat of butter mixed in at the end.
Could be my oven’s advanced age (it’s almost old enough to vote) but 4 minutes in the broiler wasn’t enough to tenderize the cauliflower, so I lowered the rack and broiled for 6 additional minutes, then covered the pan after I added the cauliflower to let the steam cook it a little more. Comes down to the consistency you prefer, but the flavor, modest spice, and relative simplicity of this dish were all fantastic.
Thank you Ryan! xT
Hello. This recipe looks delicious! I actually have a question about your recommendation. There are so many vastly different yellow curry powders on the market, as well as many options for garam masala. Is there a particular brand that you would recommend? I love Indian food, but haven’t had the best luck preparing it myself, in the past. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Leigh,
Thanks so much!! I really like the Simply Organic brand from Whole Foods, Target also carries great seasonings with their Good and Gather brand. I hope this helps, let me know if you give the recipe a try! xT
I’ve made this recipe more times than I can count and it is never not a winner. I usually add a couple of chopped jalapenos in with the onions because I love heat. Whether I’m cooking just for myself and my husband or bringing it along to a potluck, it’s always raved about. This is definitely in my top 10 favorite recipes of all time.
Yay! Love to hear it! Thanks Melanie xT
Hosting an Indian-themed dinner party for our book club. This looks phenomenal! Would love to do ahead… often I will make a dish and vacuum seal it (Food Saver) then reheat gently in the bag (kind of like sous vide)… so there’s no messy kitchen at dinner time. Do you think that would work for this?
Hey Morgan! Yes, I think that should work great! xT
Hi, love this recipe ☺️ but had the cauliflower for about 15 minutes in the oven. I also fried the spices (I added cumin) in Ghee before I added the onions and garlic. A nice addition to the dish is ,raita‘ which is a yoghurt with cucumber. X Nora