Cauliflower Tikka Masala

4.85 from 20 votes
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Pack your lunch or dinner with tons of veggies and warm spices. This Cauliflower Tikka Masala recipe is vegetarian, loaded with hearty ingredients, and the best recipe for fall or winter meal prep!

Tikka masala in a bowl with naan on the side
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Cauliflower Tikka Masala Made Easy

This is one of those recipes where the day we perfected it at Fit Foodie HQ I wanted to tell EVERYONE about it. Instead of doing that, I’ve made it about 4 times and every time it got better.

If you’ve never made tikka masala, you’re in for a treat. We have a slow cooker chicken tikka masala and a chicken tikka masala casserole on FFF, but this particular recipe is made with cauliflower, sweet potatoes, garbanzo beans, and peas.

This recipe is:

  • vegan
  • vegetarian
  • naturally gluten-free
  • packed with veggies

We love how warm and lovely the flavor of this cauliflower tikka masala is and that it’s naturally gluten free and vegan. Even the non-vegans out there will love this.

Tikka masala in a dutch oven

The Easiest One Pot Meal – Cauliflower Tikka Masala

Lucky for you this is a one-pot meal. That’s right, you throw everything into one giant pot and dinner is ready in 30 minutes. Here are some other tips + tricks to keep in mind before you make this cauliflower tikka masala recipe! 

Let it simmer. The longer you let it simmer the better it is going to be! The flavor is enhanced the longer you let it simmer, baby!

Don’t be scared of flavor. Oh, don’t go light on the spices. This is supposed to a dance party in your mouth. If you haven’t ever worked with a masala spice blend before, don’t be nervous!

If you don’t want to add as much as we did, start off by adding a teaspoon of spices at a time until you find a spice level you are comfortable with.

We love naan. We served this recipe with sprouted brown rice and naan. Check out TJ’s or Whole Foods for naan! I’ve never made my own, but I hear it’s pretty easy. If I did make it, I’d follow Gimme Some Oven’s recipe.

Pack it with veggies. Let’s talk about the veggies in this dish really quick. We decided to use dense vegetables that would sustain us! Here are the veggies we used!

  • Cauliflower
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Onion
  • Peas

If you’re not digging our veggie choices, try using normal potatoes, any kind of root vegetable, or squash!

If you insist on adding meat, I’d go with chicken, or maybe even meatballs. OMG TIKKA MEATBALLS WUT.

Tikka masala recipe in a bowl

Everything You Need to Know

What does tikka masala sauce taste like?

Tikka Masala is traditionally a tomato and cream based sauce mixed with traditional Indian spices. We substitute the traditional cream ingredient for coconut milk so this tikka masala recipe has an earthy, slightly spice, coconut flavor.

What is Indian masala spice?

Indian masala spice is a mixture of ground Indian spices such as fennel, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, mace, cardamom, curry, cumin, and coriander. It is a flavor-packed spice mix that is great to have ready to use in your pantry.

What can I serve with this cauliflower tikka masala recipe?

The options are endless when it comes to what you want to serve with your tikka masala. You can serve your tikka masala recipe with grains, more veggies, your favorite bread, or even a salad! Here are some of our favorite things to serve with this cauliflower tikka masala recipe!

Can I make this tikka masala recipe in the slow cooker?

Yes, you can make this tikka masala recipe in the slow cooker! The process would be similar to this slow cooker chicken masala recipe (minus the chicken).

Place all ingredients for this tikka masala (except for the peas) into the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours. Add the peas with about 30 minutes left in the cook time.

Serve over rice or your favorite accouterments.

Tikka masala in a meal prep container

Storage

You can store this cauliflower tikka masala in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 7 days. Just be sure that the tikka masala is completely cool before placing it in the refrigerator.

Freezer Directions

You can also make this cauliflower tikka masala and freeze it for later. Let the tikka masala cool completely before placing it in an airtight container. Label the container with the date it was made and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Thaw & Reheat: When you are ready to eat the frozen tikka masala, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw out in the refrigerator. Sometimes this can take up to 24 hours.

4.85 from 20 votes

Cauliflower Tikka Masala Recipe

Pack your lunch or dinner with tons of veggies and warm spices. This Cauliflower Tikka Masala Recipe is vegetarian, loaded with hearty ingredients, and the best recipe for fall or winter meal prep!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Servings: 8
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Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Place olive oil in a large pot and heat over medium/high heat. When olive oil is fragrant, add the sweet potatoes to the pot.
  • Cover pot and let sweet potatoes saute for 6-8 minutes, stirring every two minutes.
  • Add onion and cauliflower to the pot and let cook for 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot, mix well, and bring to a boil.
  • Turn heat to low and let simmer for 15-20 minutes.
  • Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

Tips & Notes

  • *If using frozen peas, add right at the end.
  • Nutrition is for 8 servings and does not include rice.

Watch It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”rp4eLFq9″ upload-date=”2017-12-07T15:55:27.000Z” name=”Meal Prep Cauliflower Tikka Masala” description=”Pack your lunch or dinner with tons of veggies and warm spices. This Meal Prep Cauliflower Tikka Masala is vegetarian, loaded with nutrients, and the best recipe for fall or winter meal prep!”]

Nutrition

Calories: 292 kcal, Carbohydrates: 38 g, Protein: 9 g, Fat: 12 g, Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 13 g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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About Lee Funke

Lee is the founder of Fit Foodie Finds and based in Minneapolis, MN. She started this website in 2010 as a way to share her love for real food and wellness. The internet has changed so much since then and so has Fit Foodie Finds. Today we're a female-run recipe website publishing hundreds of tried and true recipes developed and tested by our team.

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Omni Ayur
July 26, 2023 7:26 am

5 stars
Thank you for sharing this incredible meal prep cauliflower tikka masala recipe. It has become a staple in my weekly meal rotation, making healthy eating an absolute delight. Can’t wait to explore more of your flavorful creations!

Omni Ayurveda
July 10, 2023 1:12 am

5 stars
I adore the nutritious recipes you generously share. I’ve been a dedicated follower of your page for quite some time now, and I must say, your website offers an abundance of vegetarian options, which truly resonates with my personal food preferences. Your blog is an absolute delight!

Surjeet
July 21, 2022 3:08 am
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5 stars
Thank you so much for sharing such useful and interesting information.

Anna
July 15, 2022 5:17 am

I loved your dish. It looks delicious and I am going to try this.

Colleen
Colleen
March 17, 2022 12:24 pm
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5 stars
I wrote a glowing review of this recipe two years ago. Iโ€™m here to say that two years later we are still making this on rotation. My husband and I continue to love this recipe. Itโ€™s one of my favorite things to make!

Emily Richter
March 18, 2022 2:10 pm
Reply to  Colleen

Oh Colleen, WE’RE BLUSHING! So happy to hear you and your husband love this tikka as much as we do <3

game torrent
February 2, 2022 6:19 am
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4 stars
vip post and content

ustiward09
October 24, 2021 3:58 am
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5 stars
Thank you so much for sharing such useful and interesting information.

ustiward09
September 19, 2021 1:46 am
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5 stars
This is one of the great informative post and wonderful article i come across . Thank you for sharing this wonderful post with great info.

johansmith9870
September 17, 2021 4:45 am
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5 stars
Really informative and inoperative, Thanks for the post and effort! Please keep sharing more such blog.

sheenwan70
September 14, 2021 2:28 am
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5 stars
I cannot thank you enough for the blog. Much thanks again. Awesome.