Vegan Garam Masala Cauliflower
Vegan Indian food is something I’ve been craving lately. I used to be a major Indian food fanatic, and then I went vegan and discovered that naan contained dairy. What!? I was devastated, but I found ways to move forward in my life, like buying awesome spices and experimenting with amazing new vegan Indian recipes at home, even making my own flatbread once (not as hard as it seems). Despite the naan conundrum, Indian food is still one of my favorite cuisines, and you can find lots of yummy vegan recipes and options on menus, particularly those focused on the cuisine of the South (think dosas, the vegan crepe-like creations filled with sauteed goodies). Well, last night I decided to whip up some curried cauliflower, rice and chickpeas. The cauliflower had some spice to it thanks to the jalapeno, but the sweetness came from the Garam Masala and the tamarind in the rice. It came out quite tasty, so I thought I’d share! I hope you enjoy this vegan garam masala dish served with tamarind rice and chickpeas.
Note: You can easily find these spices online if not in a local market or Indian store. Tamarind concentrate is a vegan syrupy sweet product that can be used in many products, and I highly recommend adding it to your pantry. The curry you use is up to you, but I used Madras curry powder.
Serve vegetables atop rice, eat, and enjoy Indian food in your own home. If you wish, you can even whip up some vegan flat bread! Let us know what you think of this vegan garam masala recipe in the comments section below or via Twitter @berryripeblog and @vegarissa!
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups basmati brown rice
1 medium yellow or white onion
1 small head cauliflower, washed, cored and sliced thinkly
2 small white mushrooms, washed
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, (or drained, sodium-free canned chickpeas)
1 small jalapeno pepper, diced (optional)
3 tbsp. olive oil (or coconut oil if you desire)
1 tbsp. ground Garam Masala powder
1 tsp. curry powder of your choice
1 tsp. anise or fennel seeds
1 tbsp. tamarind concentrate
1 tbsp. salt, or more, to taste
Instructions
1
Boil water for rice. Add rice, and cook according to directions.
2
About 3/4 through rice cooking time (so about 25-30 minutes), heat oil in pan. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add jalapeno pepper.
3
Add cauliflower and mushrooms with Garam Masala and curry powder. Stir well to combine spices. Let cook uncovered, allowing veggies to caramelize a bit before stirring again. Stir every 5 or so minutes.
4
Add tamarind concentrate and salt to rice, stirring well to incorporate. Take rice off of heat and allow to steam (unless there is a lot of water left, then cook a few more minutes before turning off).
5
Add chickpeas to cauliflower, add anise or fennel seeds, and cover for 5 minutes so flavors combine and seeds soften a bit in the garam masala.
Categories:Lunches & Dinners
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