Cauliflower Tikka Masala
Published 1/12/2021
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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!
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.
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.
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!
- Garlic Naan Bread
- Brown or White Rice
- Lentils
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower Rice
- Quinoa Tabouli 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.
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.
Cauliflower Tikka Masala Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee, option to sub olive oil or coconut oil
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large head cauliflower, chopped (~4 cups)
- 15 oz. canned full-fat coconut milk
- 15 oz. canned tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 15 oz canned garbanzo beans
- 10 oz. frozen English peas, uncooked (1.5 cups)*
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
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this for my vegetarian sister while she was visiting and we both loved it! My 11 month old daughter also loves it! Adding this to our regular rotation of weeknight meals. 🙂
Quick question, do the beans go in at the end as well? Didn’t see it in the video. Thanks!
Yes they do!
I made this last night and OH MY GOODNESS!! What sort of warm and comforting sorcery is this?!?!
Hi Lee:
I am a st.paul based follower. Into month 2 of trying to be primarily plant based. I’ve made a few of your recipes and am so grateful for them.
Made the Tikka this a.m.—delicious. The spice mix is fab!
Thank you!
LOVE! I love this Tikka recipe <3
Hello! Does a coconut based meal prep meal last in the fridge for 5 days? I’ve always been skeptical about making a coconut based recipe and packing it with my quinoa.
Hi! I was just about to make this and started reading before the ingredients and noticed it says garbanzo beans. They are not in the list of ingredients, but I do see them in the pics. Have everything except that. Should I wait to make this recipe or is it just as good without them?
Hi, I made your southwestern chicken the other day and it was absolutely delicious! I decided to try this recipe today but don’t have chipotle on hand – anything I can sub it with?
Thanks!
Hi! So sorry for the late response. You can just omit or sup for another chili powder!
I made this for dinner this evening and it was so simple! My cauliflower was quite large so I added in a little water to thicken the sauce. The spices are seriously so complementary and I added in some tofu for kicks! I would definitely make this again and maybe even do some shredded chicken in there. Served it over quinoa and loved! I have already sent the recipe to a few friends 🙂 Thanks for creating/sharing!
My friend just gave me sweet potatoes straight from his garden. I can’t wait to use them in this recipe. This will be my first time making tiki masala.
Yum! Can’t wait to make this!