Creamy Cauliflower Curry (Malai Gobi)

In this restaurant-favorite Indian cauliflower curry, Malai Gobi, a silky, white coconut sauce, delicately spiced with cardamom, wraps around chunks of tender cauliflower. Dunk a vegan naan or roti into a bowl of this curry or serve it over a bed of basmati rice for a delicious meal.

I have for you a creamy, luxurious, delicious cauliflower curry that's going to make you lick your fingers, then the plate, and then the serving bowl. Because it's that good.

Cauliflower is an especially popular vegetable in Indian cuisine and it is a great veggie to add to curries. It adds amazing texture and flavor to simple dishes like this aloo gobi, cauliflower and black-eyed peas curry and sheet pan curry roasted cauliflower and potatoes.

It is just as spectacular in this restaurant style creamy cauliflower curry, malai gobi, which is usually made by cooking cauliflower in a cream sauce. In our vegan version of malai gobi we use a fully dairy-free coconut milk sauce that's as tasty as it is healthy.

If you have kids who hate cauliflower, or know someone who can't eat Indian food because it's too spicy, you will want to try this cauliflower curry on them. The creamy cashew-coconut sauce is subtly spiced and at the same time utterly flavorful, making it perfect for picky eaters.

If you try this cauliflower curry recipe, and I hope you do, be sure to let me know in the comments below!

Why you'll love this recipe

• Flavorful. This cauliflower curry recipe is so rich and full of flavor and anybody you serve it to is sure to love it.
• Unique. Most Indian food can be quite spicy, but this cauliflower curry is very subtly spiced with cardamom and even those who can't tolerate spices can eat it. You don't even need the usual suspects like turmeric, red chilli powder, coriander and cumin for this recipe.
• Simple ingredients. This is not one of those Indian recipes with a long list of specialized spices and ingredients. You need cardamom to flavor the curry and a couple of green chili peppers (jalapenos are fine!). You will need chaat masala and kasoori methi, which, I understand, are not in every kitchen, but they can be easily sourced online or at an Indian grocery store and can be used in multiple Indian recipes.
• It is everyone friendly. The cauliflower curry recipe is vegan, gluten-free and soy-free. You need cashews for the sauce but if you are nut-free you can replace them with pumpkin seeds or more coconut milk.

How to make cauliflower curry

Blend the cashews and coconut milk with 1 cup water into a very smooth paste. Set aside.

Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a large pot or saucepan. Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste.

Saute until the onions turn transparent but not brown. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the ginger-garlic paste starts to stick to the pan.

Transfer the onions to a blender, add ½ cup water and the chili peppers and blend into a smooth paste.

In the same pot, heat the remaining teaspoon of coconut oil. Add the blended paste back to the pan and bring it to a simmer.

Add the cauliflower florets to the pot with ½ cup water.

Stir in the ground cardamom, pepper, chaat masala, and kasoori methi. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender.

Stir in the coconut cashew milk and mix. Check for salt and add more if needed. If you want to add garam masala, stir it in at this point. Once the cauliflower curry comes to a boil turn off heat. Stir in lemon juice.

Store

• Refrigerate: This curry tastes great the next day. You can store leftovers in the fridge for up to four days.
• Freeze: The coconut milk in the curry can separate or become a bit grainy when frozen. However, there will be no loss in taste. Freeze the curry in an airtight container.
• Reheating: Reheat the frozen curry in a microwave on high for 3-4 minutes, stirring once or twice in between. You can also heat the curry in a saucepan.

Recipe FAQs

More tasty cauliflower recipes

Recipe card

Creamy Cauliflower Curry

This Indian restaurant-style cauliflower curry, Malai Gobi, has a silky, white coconut sauce thhat's delicately spiced with cardamom. Dunk a vegan naan or roti into a bowl of this curry or serve it over a bed of basmati rice for a delicious meal.

5 from 22 votes

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6 servings

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

• ½ cup raw cashews
• 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (use the thick portion from a can)
• 1 medium or small head cauliflower (separated into small florets)
• 2 teaspoon coconut oil (divided)
• 1 medium onion (sliced)
• 2 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
• 1-2 green chili peppers (like serrano or jalapeno. Use less or more depending on your tolerance for heat.)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon chaat masala
• 1 tablespoon kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)
• Juice of ½ lemon
• Salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (optional. Use only if you want a spicier curry. You can also use curry powder instead.)

Instructions

 

• Blend the cashews and coconut milk with 1 cup water into a very smooth paste. Set aside.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a saucepan. Add the onions and ginger-garlic paste and saute until the onions turn transparent but not brown. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the ginger-garlic paste starts to stick.
• Transfer the onions to a blender, add ½ cup water and the chili peppers and blend into a smooth paste.
• In the same saucepan, heat the remaining teaspoon of coconut oil. Add the blended paste, mix, and bring it to a simmer.
• Add the cauliflower florets and ½ cup water along with the cardamom powder, pepper, chat masala, and kasoori methi.
• Stir well to mix, bring to a boil, and cover with a lid. Cook on a medium-low flame, stirring occasionally, for 10-15 minutes or until the cauliflower is tender but still has a bite. If you like your cauliflower softer, continue to cook a little longer.
• Add the cashew-coconut cream and stir well to mix. Add water if the mixture is too thick, and thin it out to your liking. I like this curry rather thick and creamy.
• Once the curry comes to a boil, add salt to taste and turn off the heat. Stir in lemon juice. Serve hot.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 156kcalCarbohydrates: 7gProtein: 3gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 9gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gPotassium: 186mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 2mg

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Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Tried this recipe?Let us know in the comments below!