Cauliflower Tikka Masala - Easy Vegetarian Curry Recipe

One of the most UNDERRATED vegetables in your autumn kitchen and turn it into a proper takeaway classic - cauliflower tikka masala. No, we are not making cauliflower cheese (as much as I love it). We are marinating cauliflower florets in spiced yoghurt, roasting them at a high heat in the oven until they are CHARRED and crispy and absolutely incredible, and then drowning them in a rich, buttery tomato masala sauce that tastes like it came straight from your favourite Indian restaurant. 

Watch me make this on YouTube!

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes
• Total Time: 50 to 55 minutes
• Serves: 2 to 3 as a main
• Difficulty: Easy
• Special Equipment: Lined baking tray, stick blender or blender

The secret to a genuinely great cauliflower tikka masala is that char. Roasting the marinated cauliflower at a high temperature, not baking it gently, but really blasting it, gives you those slightly blackened, crispy edges that carry all the flavour and give the dish that authentic takeaway depth. While the cauliflower is in the oven doing its thing, you build the sauce on the stovetop using the classic chef technique of mise en place, everything prepped and ready to go before you start cooking so it all comes together quickly and easily. The sauce gets blended at the end into something silky and rich, finished with a knob of butter, and then in goes that glorious charred cauliflower. Ready at the same time, on the table in under an hour.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Tastes like a proper takeaway: The charred yoghurt-marinated cauliflower and blended buttery tomato sauce are genuinely restaurant-quality
• A brilliant way to eat more veg: Even the most committed meat-eaters at your table will not miss anything here
• Everything happens at once: The sauce cooks in roughly the same time as the cauliflower roasts, so it all comes together without any waiting around
• Budget friendly and seasonal: Cauliflower is one of the most affordable and reliable autumn and winter vegetables in NZ
• Zero waste tip: Freeze your coriander stalks and use them straight from frozen, they go straight into the sauce and add incredible flavour

Ingredients

For the Cauliflower Marinade:

• • 1/2 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 2 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tbsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp garlic and ginger paste (or 2 clove garlic and a small thumb of ginger, finely grated)

  For the Tikka Masala Sauce:

  • 1 red onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  • A small thumb of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
  • A small handful of coriander stalks (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/4 tsp chilli powder
  • Salt and pepper, to season
  • 30g butter
  • Vegetable oil, for cooking

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven: Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6) and line a large baking tray.
2. Marinate the cauliflower: In a large bowl, combine the Greek yoghurt, garam masala, chilli powder, ground coriander, salt, and garlic and ginger paste. Add the cauliflower florets and toss until every piece is well coated. Spread out in a single layer on the lined baking tray.
3. Roast the cauliflower: Roast at 200°C for 20 to 35 minutes depending on the size of your florets, until the cauliflower is tender, deeply golden, and getting nicely charred at the edges. That char is the flavour,  don't be afraid of it!
4. Prep your mise en place: While the cauliflower goes in, get everything for the sauce chopped and ready before you start cooking. This is a classic chef trick and it makes the whole process fast, easy, and stress-free.
5. Build the sauce base: Heat a good drizzle of vegetable oil in a wide pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and coriander stalks and cook, stirring regularly, for 8 to 10 minutes until softened and starting to colour.
6. Cook out the tomato paste: Add the tomato paste and stir well. Cook for 2 minutes until it darkens slightly and smells rich and jammy.
7. Add the first half of the tomatoes: Pour in half the tin of chopped tomatoes and stir to combine. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick and the tomato has cooked right down and is almost dry. This concentrates all the flavour.
8. Add the spices: Add the curry powder, cumin, and chilli powder and stir well. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw spice flavour.
9. Add the rest of the tomatoes and water: Pour in the remaining chopped tomatoes plus half a tin of water (use the empty tomato tin). Stir well, bring to a gentle simmer, and cook slowly for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly reduced and richly flavoured.
10. Butter and blend: Add the butter to the sauce and stir until melted. Using a stick blender (or transfer to a blender), blitz the sauce until smooth and silky. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
11. Combine and serve: Add the roasted cauliflower to the sauce and stir gently to coat everything. Serve immediately with rice or 2-ingredient yoghurt flatbreads - a great way to use up the rest of the yoghurt from the marinade!

Chef's Tips

Don't skip the char: The whole point of roasting the cauliflower at high heat is to get those dark, crispy, slightly blackened edges. That char is what gives this dish its depth and that authentic tikka flavour. If your cauliflower comes out pale and soft, it needed longer or a hotter oven.

Mise en place is your best friend: Get every ingredient for the sauce chopped, measured, and ready before you turn on the heat. The sauce moves quickly once you start and you do not want to be frantically grating ginger while your onions are catching.

Freeze your coriander stalks: Don't throw away coriander stalks when you use the leaves. Pop them in a bag in the freezer and use them straight from frozen in sauces like this one. They add incredible flavour and it is a great way to waste nothing.

Cook the tomatoes right down: The step where you cook the first half of the tomatoes until almost dry is what gives the sauce its depth and richness. Don't rush it, let it get really thick and jammy before you add the spices.

The butter finish matters: That final 30g of butter stirred in before blending gives the sauce a silky, glossy, restaurant-quality richness. Don't leave it out!

Adjust the heat to your taste: The chilli powder quantities here give a gentle warmth. If you like it hotter, add more chilli powder to the marinade or the sauce. If you are cooking for children or spice-sensitive people, halve the chilli powder in both.

Substitutions & Variations

• Make it vegan: Swap the Greek yoghurt for coconut yoghurt in the marinade and use coconut oil or a plant-based butter for the sauce finish.
• Add chickpeas: Stir a drained tin of chickpeas into the sauce along with the cauliflower for extra protein and substance.
• Use chicken instead: The marinade works beautifully on chicken thighs if you want to make a more traditional tikka masala.
• No fresh ginger? Frozen grated ginger works just as well, or use half a teaspoon of ground ginger in a pinch.
• No coriander stalks? Leave them out - the sauce will still be delicious. Fresh or dried coriander leaves scattered over at the end also work well.
• Make it creamier: Stir in a splash of coconut cream or a dollop of cream when you add the butter at the end for a richer, creamier sauce.

Storage

Leftovers: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The flavour actually improves overnight as the cauliflower absorbs the sauce.

Reheating: Reheat gently in a pan over a low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. The cauliflower will soften slightly but will still be delicious.

Freezing: The sauce freezes brilliantly on its own for up to 3 months. If you are planning to freeze, roast fresh cauliflower when you are ready to serve rather than freezing it already combined.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I marinate the cauliflower ahead of time? Yes! The marinated cauliflower can sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours before roasting. The flavour actually deepens the longer it marinates, so this is a great make-ahead step.

My cauliflower is not charring, what am I doing wrong? A few things to check, make sure your oven is properly preheated, make sure the cauliflower is in a single layer with space around each piece, and make sure the tray is not overcrowded. If they are too close together they will steam rather than roast. Also pat the cauliflower dry before marinating if it is wet.

Can I make this in an air fryer? Yes! Air fry the marinated cauliflower at 200°C for 15 to 20 minutes, shaking halfway, until charred and crispy. It gets even better char in the air fryer than the oven.

Is this very spicy? At the quantities given it is warmly spiced but not hot. If you are sensitive to heat, halve the chilli powder in both the marinade and the sauce. If you want more fire, add extra chilli powder or a fresh chilli to the sauce.

Can I use a whole head of cauliflower? Absolutely, just double the marinade ingredients and use a tin and a half of tomatoes for the sauce to make sure everything is well coated and saucy.

You Might Also Like

2-Ingredient Yoghurt Flatbreads - Easy Homemade Recipe - Use up the rest of that yoghurt from the marinade and make the perfect accompaniment at the same time!

Roasted Carrots with Spiced Yoghurt and Honey Hazelnuts - Easy Side Dish - More gorgeous spiced roasting from The Weekly Veg!

Veg Scraps XO Sauce - The Ultimate Zero Waste Condiment - Another brilliant way to make vegetables the star of the show.

Enjoy! Del x

Charred, spiced cauliflower florets in a rich buttery tomato masala sauce - this is the recipe that will make you fall completely in love with cauliflower all over again.