1-Pot Yellow Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

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Stirring a pan of gluten-free vegan 1-Pot Yellow Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

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.

Pouring coconut milk into onion and spices mixture for 1-Pot Yellow Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

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.

Stirring together ingredients for a healthy plant-based curry

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.

Ceramic platter filled with greens and topped with gluten-free vegan Yellow Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

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!

Grabbing a serving of our delicious Yellow Chickpea Cauliflower Curry over greens for a healthy plant-based dinner

1-Pot Yellow Chickpea Cauliflower Curry

Easy, 1-pot Vibrant Yellow Curry with cauliflower and chickpeas! A 30-minute hearty and satisfying entrée or side perfect over greens, cauliflower rice, or grains!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Wooden spoon in a pot of Vegan Yellow Chickpea Curry
4.90 from 193 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Course Entrée
Cuisine Gluten-Free, Indian-Inspired, Thai-Inspired, Vegan
Freezer Friendly 1 month
Does it keep? 5 Days

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

*Based on my research, the only difference between red and yellow curry paste is lemon juice and turmeric powder. So if you have yellow curry paste, use that and omit the extra turmeric (to taste). But if using red (as I suggest), simply include the turmeric as instructed.
*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.

Nutrition (1 of 4 servings)

Serving: 1 serving Calories: 297 Carbohydrates: 36.1 g Protein: 9.7 g Fat: 13.1 g Saturated Fat: 7.6 g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.06 g Monounsaturated Fat: 0.54 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: 801 mg Potassium: 285 mg Fiber: 8.1 g Sugar: 9.5 g Vitamin A: 1540 IU Vitamin C: 15.83 mg Calcium: 85.97 mg Iron: 2.9 mg

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  1. 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.

  2. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ 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!

  3. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ 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!

  4. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Annie. Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo

  5. Kimberley Anne says

    This was ridiculously delicious. I followed the recipe, aside from adding extra garam masala and turmeric. Absolutely a 5 star recipe!

  6. 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.

  7. 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!!!

  8. 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!

  9. 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.

  10. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ 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.

  11. 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!!!!

  12. 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!!!

  13. Claire Quinlevan says

    Absolutely delicious!! I added additional coconut milk (2cans total), and 2tsp of cumin, smoked paprika & 1tsp of chilli powder

  14. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Love it! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Christine!

  15. 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!

  16. 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!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yay! Thanks so much for the wonderful review and for sharing your modifications, Lori!

  17. 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.

  18. Ines says

    the curry that has my meat-eating coworkers making one plant based meal per week at home. and my personal favorite.

  19. 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!

  20. 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.

  21. 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.

  22. 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!

  23. 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.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Ooo, love it! Those additions sound perfect. So glad you all enjoy the curry, thanks so much for the review, Megan!

  24. 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.

  25. 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)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ 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!

  26. 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.

  27. Anya says

    Simple and delicious. I omitted the serrano peppers but added a sprinkle of cayenne pepper and everyone liked it, including my toddler.

  28. 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.