Cauliflower and Chickpea Massaman Curry

An easy one-pot recipe for veggie massaman curry made with cauliflower and chickpeas and packed full of flavor. A delicious weeknight dinner or weekend feast the whole family will enjoy.

This time of year is such a funny time to be a food blogger or really just a human. We’re all wrapped up in the holiday season (Thanksgiving, Christmas etc…) and are looking for the BEST stuffing recipes or what to do with that leftover turkey, but we also need to put dinner on our table. Food bloggers can’t avoid this conundrum either. We also want to give you the best stuffing recipe and help you figure out what to do with that leftover turkey (might I suggest soup?) but we also need to put dinner on our table. It’s how I find myself posting maple bacon brussels sprouts on one day and massaman curry on the other.

As much as I love the holidays (or as much as a Canadian Jew can love the holidays!) I don’t necessarily want to eat like it’s the holidays from Nov 1st -Jan 1st. And so things might seem a little strange around here as recipes jump from roasted butternut squash to Thai cuisine. And you know what? I’m 100% okay with it.

What is Massaman Curry?

Massaman curry is a traditional thai dish made with a flavorful and relatively mild curry mixture. Most massaman curry recipes feature a variety of spices including cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cardamom and occasionally star anise. It is a nice choice of curry for anyone who doesn’t like their curries too spicy. It is sometimes made with veggies such as carrots, potatoes and lemongrass but can also be found with chicken and shrimp. This veggie curry recipe is my take on the original featuring cauliflower and chickpeas.

What You Need for Veggie Massaman Curry

• Veggies – I like using cauliflower but you can also sub carrots, potatoes, broccoli or whatever you prefer! Yellow onion + garlic too.
• Coconut oil – for cooking
• Red curry paste – my go-to is Thai Kitchen but use what you can find
• Spices – cumin, coriander, cinnamon + cardamom
• Coconut milk – I prefer the full-fat kind but you can use lite coconut milk if you prefer
• Fish sauce – If vegan omit but it does add a more traditional flavor
• Soy sauce – replace with tamari if gluten-free
• Coconut palm sugar – brown sugar works well too
• Chickpeas – This is to add a little bit of vegetable protein. You can skip but I love the flavor + texture
• For Serving – lime, peanuts + cilantro
• Optional: 1-2 bay leaves while cooking

How to Make Massaman Curry

Start by making rice according to package instructions then let’s go through how to make massaman curry:

STEP 1: Add coconut oil to a large pan, pot or wok over medium heat. Add your onion and cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add in your garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add your cauliflower or preferred veggies and saute for 1 minute or until coated with coconut oil and well mixed with onion and garlic.

STEP 2: Top veggies with curry paste and spices and stir until all veggies are coated.

STEP 3: Add in your two cans of coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, coconut palm sugar, chickpeas and bay leaves, if using. Bring your mixture to boil and then lower to a simmer to cook for 15-20 minutes or until all veggies are cooked through and sauce has thickened. Squeeze your lime juice into mixture.

STEP 4: Divide rice evenly and top with massaman curry. Sprinkle with peanuts and fresh cilantro, if desired.

Easy Substitutions

To make gluten-free: substitute soy sauce for tamari. All other ingredients are gluten-free.

To make vegan: omit fish sauce. The fish sauce makes it more authentic tasting but feel free to leave out if vegan.

Swap the veggies: I like using cauliflower in this massaman curry recipe but you can sub with different veggies. Just add at the same time as you would add the cauliflower.

Protein: To keep this recipe packed full of veggies I like using plant-based protein from chickpeas, however you could add a different protein if you prefer such as chicken or shrimp.

Veggie Massaman Curry

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An easy one-pot recipe for veggie massaman curry made with cauliflower and chickpeas and packed full of flavor. A delicious weeknight dinner or weekend feast the whole family will enjoy.

• Author: Davida Lederle
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Cook
• Cuisine: Thai
• Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

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• 1 1/2 cups rice, cooked according to package instructions
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 large head of cauliflower, chopped into florets
• 4 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 2 14-oz cans full-fat coconut milk
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari, if gluten-free)
• 1 tbsp coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• optional: 1-2 bay leaves
• juice, 1 lime
• For serving: 2 tbsp peanuts, fresh cilantro

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Instructions

1. Make rice according to package instructions
2. Add coconut oil to a large pan, pot or wok over medium heat.
3. Add your onion and cook for 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add in your garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
4. Add your cauliflower or preferred veggies and saute for 1 minute or until coated with coconut oil and well mixed with onion and garlic.
5. Top veggies with curry paste and spices and stir until all veggies are coated.
6. Add in your two cans of coconut milk, fish sauce, soy sauce, coconut palm sugar, chickpeas and bay leaves, if using.
7. Bring your mixture to boil and then lower to a simmer to cook for 15-20 minutes or until all veggies are cooked through and sauce has thickened.
8. Squeeze your lime juice into mixture.
9. Divide rice evenly and top with massaman curry.
10. Sprinkle with peanuts and fresh cilantro, if desired.

Like this recipe? Here are some others you might enjoy:

• Chicken Pad See Ew
• Veggie Pad Thai
• Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken
• Summer Veggie Green Curry