30 min Chickpeas cauliflower vegan curry | Gobhi chhole masala

That’s how I am obsessed with cauliflower right now. Trying to put it in everything I make. From  curries to stir-fries to the flat-breads.

No am not on cauliflower diet (That’s a real thing, you know right!) but I just recently got to know about  the immense health benefits of this this wonderful low calorie vegetable and I loved the taste already. Since then it has become a staple in my weekly grocery shopping. And I am always on lookout for new recipes to get it in. Just so S does not get bored out of it and ask me not to repeat the same sabzi (stir-fries) again. Phew! Hard to manage that, right!

More cauliflower dishes-  Punjabi gobhi alu (cauliflower with potatoes) | Lehsuni Gobhi (garlic-y cauliflower stir-fry) 

While cauliflower is my new found love, chickpeas (chhole/ garbanzo beans) has been an old flame. I already use them a lot in my cooking and the versatility factor helps a lot. Be it Avocado basil hummus or Chickpeas curry (Chana masala) or spicy Chickpeas Pilaf, they have always been a great source of protein in my diet.

Combining the two of my favourite has always been my kind of play. I was happy alone when I discovered the combination of Pizza and Frittata in one so this chickpeas cauliflower curry felt like a jackpot to me. ; )

I have prepared this curry the shortcut way. Not going from the scratch mixing and matching the spices to get the authentic taste right and all. And that’s the best part. There is no authenticity associated with this curry and you are free to experiment and use your favourites in it. Don’t you love the freedom already?

Also, usually i go to lengths to make sure I use raw chickpeas, soak them overnight, and then pressure cook them to get the right texture and taste. But I chose not to do that with curry since I wanted to make this a quick dinner dish, rather than an elaborative one like this Chhole masala. But if I do plan ahead to make this some day, I would love to go back to my old fashioned way of doing it from scratch. Since I know how much difference that makes to the flavours and health wise.

Anyway, no lectures here. This is supposed to be a dish that you can prepare in half an hour so let’s leave it at that.

One important thing which I do recommend strongly is not to miss the herbs like coriander (cilantro) or parsley (if you want) + the ginger. These two ingredients bring in such amazing flavours to the curry and also make it more palatable.

So folks, lets quickly see how to make this super awesome + vegan + gluten free + low calorie + high fiber curry with cauliflower and chickpeas

Serves: 2-3
Course: Mains/ Side dish
Cuisine: General curry, no specific cuisine
Cooking level: Easy

Nutritional info: High fiber, low calories, high protein and minerals. Vegan & gluten free.
Recipe source: Simply recipes

What you need?

• 1 medium sized cauliflower, florets separated or chopped in small
• 2 cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed ** See notes if using raw chickpeas
• 1 large onion, diced
• A 1  inch ginger piece, grated
• 2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 can of tomatoes in juice)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 ½ tbsp of any curry powder of your choice (I used Indian Kitchen king masala)
• ½ tsp red chili powder or paprika
• ½ tsp of turmeric powder
• A generous pinch of black pepper powder or freshly cracked
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• A handful of cilantro (coriander leaves)
• 1 tbsp of crushed mint or parsley (optional, depends on your taste)
• ½ cup of water
• 2 tbsp Olive oil or Coconut oil

How to make?

Heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan (with lid) at medium. Add the bay leaf and let it fry for a few seconds. When it starts turning brown, add the diced onion and grated ginger with salt and let it cook for 6-8 minutes until the onion softens.

Add curry powder + turmeric powder + red chili powder + tomatoes. Mix everything, cover the lid and let it cook for a few minutes until the tomatoes have softened and mashed well up with the paste.

Add chopped cauliflower and chickpeas along with black pepper. Cook at low for 3-5 minutes.

Add water and bring it to a boil. Then lower the heat and cover. Cook 15 to 18 minutes until the cauliflower is cooked through and tender.

Toss with cilantro and mint or parsley to serve with rice or rice pilaf.

Notes:

** If you are using raw chickpeas follow the usual Indian method- Take 1 cup full of chickpeas, soak them in 3 cups of water overnight. Then pressure cook them with a tsp of salt and ½ tsp of turmeric for 5-7 whistles until cooked properly. If using this method- skip the turmeric in the curry and check salt as per taste

I had used Indian Kitchen king masala for this curry. You may either use Chhole masala or any curry powder that you get in stores as per your taste and preference.

Try and chop the cauliflower florets of equal size if possible to ensure even cooking and also to avoid the smaller ones to get mashed up in the process. They should be slightly crunchy to have at the end.

Use the best quality chickpeas if taking out of can. I have noticed that some brands’ beans taste stale and are a bit hard to get the flavours absorbed into. Those won’t taste good in this curry or any curry for that matter.

More curries that you might like: 

Paneer Tikka Masala– Indian cottage cheese roasted and dunked in thick tomato gravy 

Kerala egg roast – South Indian spicy egg curry 

Punjabi Rajma– North Indian red kidney beans curry 

Shahi Paneer- Rich, royal Indian cottage cheese curry 

Punjabi Chhole– North Indian rich and earthy chickpeas curry