While visiting our pal Jeanette recently in LA, I had a curried chickpea dish at Vibe that left me craving all the flavors when I got back home.
So I got to work and kept things simple. This dish requires just 30 minutes and 1 pot to create. It’s really stripped down to the essentials while keeping big flavor intact! Let’s cook, friends.
Origins of Yellow Curry
Yellow curry, also known as gaeng garee, is a Thai curry with Indian influence (source). It typically includes spices such as turmeric, cumin, and coriander (source).
Turmeric is what gives yellow curry its vibrant color. This magical spice has been used in India for nearly 4,000 years and has gained popularity throughout the world in part due to its vast medicinal uses (source).
How to Make Chickpea Cauliflower Curry
It all starts with sautéed shallot, garlic, ginger, and serrano pepper. Then we throw in the ultimate flavor punch – red curry paste! Look at all that goodness. Swoon.
Next, we add in some coconut milk for creaminess and natural sweetness. And for even more depth of flavor, we included coconut aminos (or tamari) and turmeric.
The heartiness comes from plenty of chopped cauliflower and cooked chickpeas, which simmer away until tender. That’s it! It’s meal time.
We hope you LOVE this curry! It’s:
Creamy
Rich
Spicy
BIG in flavor
Hearty
Comforting
& So delicious
This is the perfect meal when you need something flavorful and comforting on the table fast. Divide between two people and you’ve got an entrée with 20 grams of protein (each) on your hands! It’s tasty straight up as soup, over grains as a curry bowl, or over greens for more of a salad vibe. You can’t go wrong!
For more curry dishes, be sure to check out our 1-Pot Pumpkin Yellow Curry, Spicy Red Lentil Curry, Rich Red Curry with Roasted Vegetables, Curry Roasted Vegetables & Lentil Kale Salad, and Vibrant Coconut Green Curry!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
1-Pot Yellow Chickpea Cauliflower Curry
Ingredients
CURRY
- 2 Tbsp water (or coconut oil)
- 1/3 cup shallot (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 Tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
- 1 small serrano pepper (seeds removed, finely chopped // omit for less spice)
- 3-4 Tbsp red or yellow curry paste* (Thai Kitchen or Thai True brands // adjust to preferred spice level)
- 2 cups light coconut milk (canned // sub full-fat for richer, creamier curry)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup* (plus more to taste)
- 2 Tbsp coconut aminos (or sub tamari or soy sauce if not gluten-free), plus more to taste
- 1 cup cauliflower (chopped)
- 1 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas* (rinsed and drained)
SALAD / BOWL optional
- Cauliflower rice, quinoa, or rice*
- Greens
- Cilantro
- Red onion
- Lime wedges
- Sesame seeds
- Avocado
Instructions
- Heat a large pot, rimmed cast-iron, or metal skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add water or coconut oil, shallot, garlic, ginger, and serrano pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add curry paste (starting with the smallest suggested amount and adding more later if needed) and stir. Cook for 2 minutes more. Add coconut milk (see photo), turmeric, maple syrup or coconut sugar (optional), coconut aminos (or tamari), and stir. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Once simmering, add cauliflower and chickpeas and slightly reduce heat. You want a simmer, not a boil, which should be around low to medium-low heat.
- Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to soften the cauliflower and chickpeas and infuse them with curry flavor. Keep at a simmer – lower heat if boiling.
- At this time, taste and adjust the flavor of the broth as needed. We added more coconut sugar for sweetness, coconut aminos for saltiness, and turmeric for earthiness. You can also add more curry paste for more spice and intense curry flavor. Don’t be shy with seasonings – this curry should be very flavorful.
- Serve as is, or over rice, quinoa, or greens (optional). Garnish with desired toppings such as sesame seeds, cilantro, lime, or diced red onion (optional).
- Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 5 days or in the freezer up to 1 month. Reheat on a stovetop. Add additional coconut milk if it needs more moisture.
Video
Notes
*Ensure that your curry paste is vegan friendly (and does not contain fish ingredients). We love this brand.
*In place of maple syrup, you can also substitute coconut sugar.
*1 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas is equal to 1 15-ounce (425 g) can chickpeas.
*Find my favorite method for cooking brown rice at Saveur!
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated without optional ingredients and with water (not oil).
*Inspired by our Coconut Curried Golden Lentils and the “bombay” bowl at Vibe in Newport Beach.
Veronica Albanese says
Just made this for lunch, I think I will have it again for dinner. I didn’t change a thing. Absolutely delicious and perfect for a winter day. Thank you for another winning recipe.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Veronica. Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Marino says
It appears that the curcumin in turmeric requires fat (such as olive oil, butter and the like) to activate, especially when combined with freshly grounded black pepper or cayenne pepper that I prefer to black pepper.
So next time I will use coconut oil instead of water. Anyway, recipe worth trying.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Marino, there’s fat in the coconut milk, so using oil is not necessary for making the turmeric more bioavailable. You certainly could use oil though, if preferred!
Tina says
The taste was good, but it was extremely spicy!
I did 6 portions and used more cauliflower and 4 tbsp of red Curry.
We were on fire. Also the Ginger was too much. Will do again but cut down the curry paste and the ginger!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so sorry it turned out too spicy, Tina! We wonder what brand of curry paste you were using? They do vary in heat level by brand!
Annie says
This is a beautful dish! I’ve made it countless times. I typically omit the serrano and do 1 tbsp coconut oil/1 tbsp water to decrease fat of coconut oil and I can’t tell a difference. I also do a full four tbsp of red curry paste and sometimes add extra maple syrup and it’s perfect.
I made this with brocolli instead of cauliflower recently and it was DELICIOUS. Thank you for this recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Annie. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Kimberley Anne says
This was ridiculously delicious. I followed the recipe, aside from adding extra garam masala and turmeric. Absolutely a 5 star recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Kimberly! Thanks for sharing. xo
Sam Shamansky says
This dish absolutely rocks. I added beet greens and tomatoes fresh out of the garden as well as some leftover chicken and it was absolutely five stars.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Sam. Thank you for sharing! xo
Judy Ameche says
Out of this world delicious!!!
Such a quick and easy recipe that is pure comfort food on a cold afternoon.
I can’t thank you enough for sharing!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Judy! Thank you for the lovely review! xo
Trish says
I made this last night and pretty much followed the recipe as is and it was delicious! I served it over brown rice and the only change I made was to add a couple of handfuls of Silverbeet towards the end (I’ve a ton of it growing in my veggie patch! :) ). Very quick and easy to make and definitely a keeper. Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Trish. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
SanMc says
This is a delicious dish . A did add a few mushrooms . Will
Make again. A keeper!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Carrie says
I love this recipe and have made it what feels like a billion times! The only thing I do differently, especially if I’m cooking for a large group, is that I roast my cauliflower and throw it in right before serving. I like the char and tenderness roasting gives the cauliflower.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! We’re so glad you’re enjoying it, Carrie. Thank you for sharing! xo
Danielle says
Despite following the recipe, I found this to be overwhelmingly sour. Not sure what went wrong, as I couldn’t find this comment elsewhere in reviews!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Danielle, so sorry this one didn’t work for you. Was your curry paste fresh? Also sometimes if you let your garlic and shallot sauté too long it can become bitter and sour.
Alisa says
So delicious!!! 😋😋
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing, Alisa! xo
Rachel says
This was so good I’m so happy with it. Next time I’m doubling this bad boy!! I put it over some fruited basmati rice I had already had , and then topped it with fresh mango, thinly sliced shallots, cilantro, and some mango chutney and wow!!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That sounds DELISH! Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Rachel!
Ray says
I like to add a bit of frozen peas near the end for a little bit of color!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
That sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing, Ray!
Jacque says
I made this as written but doubled. It is truly fantastic! My husband kept going back for mor saying it was addicting! I will make it over and over!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Jacque, so glad you both enjoyed!
Claire Quinlevan says
Absolutely delicious!! I added additional coconut milk (2cans total), and 2tsp of cumin, smoked paprika & 1tsp of chilli powder
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yum! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Claire!
Christine Labozan says
I’ve never made curry before so I made this a few weeks ago and will be making again today. I didn’t change the recipe other than leaving out the maple syrup. I made my own coconut milk which was so easy to do. The recipe is simple to follow and great for batch cooking which I do a lot of on the weekends. It’s even better the second day!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Love it! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Christine!
Jennifer Jones says
This recipe is a hit!
Tonight was my 3rd time making it. What I love about this recipe most is the base. The base is so good that you can easily build on it with whatever you might have on hand. Like tonight, I didn’t have cauliflower on hand, but did have broccoli, some carrots & asparagus that I needed to use up. Added those plus some veggie broth to cover all ingredients. OMG. Still turned out incredible just like the other 2 times when I had followed the recipe exactly.
Thanks for so many great recipes that I can always count on to be delicious!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We love a flexible recipe. Thanks so much for the wonderful review, Jennifer!
Lori says
I made this recipe for the first time tonight and loved it! I used maple syrup, low sodium soy sauce, and full fat coconut milk because that is what I had. I used about 1/2 of a red and 1/2 of a green serrano that we froze from the summer garden, and added a little frozen red bell pepper too. I also used the whole can of chickpeas and 1/2 a head of romanesco cauliflower, then served over quinoa. It was a delicious and this recipe is definitely a keeper!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks so much for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications, Lori!
Denise says
Wow, this was delicious! I did make a few changes. I’m eating low-carb so I omitted the chickpeas and used a whole head of cauliflower and I substituted a large jalapeño for a Serrano.
I used 5 tablespoons Mae Ploy red curry paste and a whole tablespoon turmeric, which made it a lovely gold color. (I was a little heavy handed with the curry paste because I added extra full-fat coconut milk.) The curry seemed a bit thin so I used my immersion blender to blend all the smaller cauliflower bits in the pot, which thickened it up nicely. It was delicious! I could taste everything… the ginger, the shallots, the jalapeño..
The next night I reheated the leftovers, adding some fresh parboiled and drained broccoli to the pot. It was even better the second night.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Denise! xo
Ryan M Fritz says
I really liked this recipe, and like chili, it is better the next day!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Ryan! Thank you for sharing!
Ines says
the curry that has my meat-eating coworkers making one plant based meal per week at home. and my personal favorite.
Dre says
Great curry recipe! The longest piece is of course the chopping, but it is oh so worth it – The flavors merry together well.
I would probably add more cauliflower (1 cup didn’t seem like enough) and/or a Yukon gold potato or red bell pepper, but otherwise the bones of this recipe are good!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for the great review, Dre!
Al says
Made this tonight. It was incredible. Can’t wait to make it again. I substituted half a poblano for the serrano — that’s what was in the fridge. I only had a cup of coconut milk so I extended it with a cup of water. For the chickpeas, I started with a cup of dry ones, soaked them 3 hours and then pressure cooked for 15 minutes until just past crunchy. They expanded to about 2 cups but I used them all. Cauliflower was a small head separated into florets. All other ingredients were set to 4 servings except for the red curry paste. I used a full four-ounce jar.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Nice! Thanks so much for sharing your modifications, Al. So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Kelly says
This was DELICIOUS. Thank you so much for the recipe. I am new to the curry paste, so I only used 1-2 Tbsp and half of the coconut milk, and it was amazing with brown rice. A winner here.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Love to hear this. Thanks so much for the lovely review, Kelly!
lily says
this is everything i need when i am craving a curry! one of my favorite dishes to make – simple and delicious
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for the lovely review, Lily!
Michelle says
This was delicious! Thank you, Dana. I do have to say, mise en place took more like 20 minutes. It took 5 minutes just to get all of my ingredients lined up on the counter LOL.
I had “simple,” full-fat coconut milk on hand and used that. I used a 1/2 head of a large cauliflower which yielded 575 grams (wow!) and was the perfect amount of cauliflower for me and did not overcrowd the pot.
Other than that I followed this recipe exact, including the maple syrup (I think coconut sugar would be better).
TIP: I put the shallot, garlic, ginger, and serrano in my small processor and minced them all together to save time.
I sautéed some thick-sliced red onion and bell peppers and placed them on top of brown rice in the bowls and then ladled this curry on top. I added to that some cilantro, lime juice and cubed, caramelized, chili-garlic tofu.
It was A LOT of food so we have 4 pint jars of curry, veg, and tofu in the fridge for leftovers!!
Thank you so much!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely and thorough review, Michelle, so glad you enjoyed!
Megan says
Another yummy supper! Again I’m realizing the need to double or triple the recipe since my family can’t get enough!
We always use Mae Ploy curry pastes since they don’t contain shrimp, but they are VERY spicy compared to other brands, so I had to fiddle with the flavoring a bit to get the right spice depth without overloading the heat (skipped the serranos, used grated fresh turmeric instead of ground, and added some chicken broth). I also decided to add spinach for color and texture.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Ooo, love it! Those additions sound perfect. So glad you all enjoy the curry, thanks so much for the review, Megan!
Kim says
I made this awesome 100% flavor worthy of a curry!
I also added carrots, fresh green beans, red bell pepper, & baked tofu cubed. Lord have mercy 🎃👻
Fabulosity! Thank you for each and every recipe….
There is not one time that you don’t come through for me. Thank you so kindly for all of your videos, detailed offerings of food wisdom, and a recipe that just shines.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Aw, Kim! Thank you so much for your kind words! It makes us so happy to hear this! xoxo
Tina says
Tasted great!! Added all the extra seasonings to give full flavour! Yum!! Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Tina! Thank you for sharing! xo
Meghan S says
This curry is so good, I made it for dinner two weeks in a row! So flavorful, and so easy!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks so much, Meghan. We’re so glad you enjoy the curry!
Nell says
I would like to try this recipe, but what can be a sub for the coconut milk & maple sugar?? I can not consume dairy or sugars(in any form)
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Nell, coconut milk is pretty key, but the next best option would be a thick, plain, homemade cashew milk (similar to almond milk, but with less water). You can leave the sweetener out or add a little extra coconut aminos. Hope that helps!
Kathy Moosavi says
This curry was a huge hit. I changed the amount to make it for 8 people at a potluck event and it was gone within the hour!
I found the amount of coconut milk to be too much. I had to add more vegetables and I used cornstarch to thicken it. I added zucchini and extra cauliflower. It’s also quite mild so next time I’d make it using extra peppers and curry paste. A definite hit and really quite straightforward to make.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your experience, Kathy!
Nannette Schnell Choboter says
So good! I used 1 can of coconut milk and 1 cup of veg broth and doubled the cauliflower. Loved it over rice, thank you!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yum! Thanks for the great review, Nannette!
Anya says
Simple and delicious. I omitted the serrano peppers but added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and everyone liked it, including my toddler.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Amazing! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing, Anya! xo
Madeline says
I made this last week for dinner! After years of being too intimidated by curry to chance making it myself I picked this recipe and gave it a go. It was really easy and really delicious! My local grocery store didn’t have yellow curry paste so I went with red….. I also used two serano peppers instead of one because I like spicy food. That was a bit of a mistake! Because of this it was a little bit to spicy for me. In the future if I use red curry paste again I may just go with half of a serano :) After realizing it was a little too hot for me I added about a cup of frozen peas and they cooled it down considerably! I served it with a little massaged kale, brown rice, red onion, and cilantro! It was a super fun and flavorful first attempt at curry.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thank you for sharing, Madeline! xoxo!