Vegan Cauliflower Tikka Masala

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This vegan cauliflower tikka masala recipe was inspired by the traditional chicken tikka masala dish that originated in Punjab, India.  My recipe however uses cauliflower instead of chicken which I think is even more delicious! 

Happy New Year everyone!  I am hoping you all had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to making 2023 a better year than the past few years have been. 😷🙏🏼   Most of us come into January with a mind full of resolutions and intentions for the new year, and I’m hoping that eating a healthier, more sustainable, and cruelty-free meals like this vegan cauliflower tikka masala was one of your resolutions!  Okay, perhaps that is asking a little too much, but regardless of what kind of diet you currently have, you can’t go wrong with adding more veggies and fiber into your diet! Remember, baby steps…😆

If you’re a fan of Indian food, a simple to make and delicious plant-based recipe that you will find yourself making over and over again is this delectable vegan cauliflower tikka masala.  The sauce is tangy yet balanced, and tastes even better when you use a high quality, organic San Marzano Tomato from Italy.  I love using the Cento brand of San Marzano canned tomatoes and then cutting them up myself as I find that the whole tomatoes tend to be juicier, however, any standard organic diced tomatoes will do!  I always have a stash of these in my pantry as I use them so often in many different recipes.  

I also use fresh organic ginger that I keep frozen as ginger is much easier to grate with a microplane grater/zester when frozen solid.  If you don’t have a microplane zester, it is definitely one of my top 10 must-haves for the kitchen.  It is the sharpest, longest lasting zester I have ever used and mine is actually over 10 years old and still going strong!  I use it most often for grating ginger, getting the zest from lemons, limes, oranges, and you can use it for grating fresh whole nutmeg and chocolate!  It really is amazing, never goes dull, and I believe they are still made in the USA! 

The only other pieces of equipment that you will need to make this recipe is an instant pot and a really sharp knife for cutting the onions.  The Instant Pot that I have is the 6 quart Duo Crisp which is a pressure cooker and air fryer all-in-one.  This model is pricier, but I always love getting kitchen appliances that are multi-use in functionality.  It saves on space and usually, saves you some money as well.  I knew I didn’t want to try and make room for both an Instant Pot AND an air fryer in my kitchen which is already jam packed with a myriad of small kitchen appliances and tools.  

If you’re considering going vegan or just interested in adding more 🌱 plant-based meals into your life, you won’t regret getting an Instant Pot.  I use mine 2-3 times a week especially in the fall and winter when I find myself making a lot of soups, stews, and curries.  If you know you’ll never use the air-fryer option in the Instant Pot Duo Crisp, you can get a version like this Instant Pot Duo which will save you around $30.  

The Instant Pot is great for vegan recipes as you will often be using a lot of legumes, lentils, and grains in your vegan recipes.  I know it’s made a big difference for me in regards to cutting down on the cooking time of dried chickpeas which traditionally need to be soaked overnight before cooking.  Although I did not add chickpeas to this vegan cauliflower tikka masala recipe, I often do add them when making this tikka masala dish for extra protein and fiber.

Cutting onions is always my least favorite part of any recipe that I make.  It’s not only tedious, especially if you need a small dice, but also always makes me tear up in the process.  I am thinking about investing in one of these veggie chopper contraptions, but am wondering if these cutting blades will be sharp enough.  Let me know in the comments if you have one of these veggie cutters and what you think.   

In the meantime, I can’t wait for you to try this totally delish vegan Indian dish that even my Indian friends approve of! Although Indian tikka masala usually contains chicken and is served with either naan or basmati rice, I chose to make this dish healthier by substituting quinoa and peas for the rice and naan.  

Not only is quinoa super easy to make (1 minute using an Instant Pot), it is packed with protein and has a lower glycemic index than both brown and white rice so this dish is also diabetic friendly, and to make it more so, you can omit the maple syrup and substitute with a tablespoon of my favorite monk fruit maple syrup by Lakanto.  

Some of the spices like the Garam Masala and the smoked paprika may be hard to find, but you can get both on Amazon.  The rest of the spices are readily available at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and I love getting the extra large avocado oil at Costco since I use it so much in my cooking and baking but you can get a small bottle here.  The cashew yogurt I used was from Trade Joe’s and it’s great for cooking, baking and as a substitute for sour cream in dips, sauces, and baked potatoes! 

Okay, enough talk from me, I hope you enjoy this smoky, spicy, delicious vegan Indian cauliflower tikka masala recipe!  Let me know if you make it and what you think!  Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year! 

Vegan Cauliflower Tikka Masala (Instant Pot)

The easiest and tastiest vegan tikka masala you will make. Served with quinoa, it's packed with plant based protein, anti-oxidants, and fiber to keep you looking and feeling great!

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Calories 200 kcal

Equipment

• Instant Pot

Ingredients

  

• 1 tbsp Avocado or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 medium Yellow onion
• 4-5 cloves Garlic
• 1 tbsp Freshly grated ginger
• 2 tsp Smoked Paprika
• 2 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Turmeric
• 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
• 1/4 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/4 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp Maple syrup
• 1 28 oz Can of diced tomatoes
• 1 Medium Cauliflower head
• 3/4 cup Cashew Yogurt or any non-dairy, unsweetened yogurt

Instructions

 

• Pre-heat the Instant Pot on sauté mode for 5 minutes.
• Chop the onions (medium dice), finely chop the garlic or use a garlic press, grate the ginger, I like using a microplane grater which results in a fine ginger paste.
  
• Add the oil to the Instant Pot and once is starts to sizzle, add the onion, garlic, and ginger. Sauté for about 2-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent and start to slightly caramelize.
• Add the smoked paprika, garam masala, turmeric, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly until all of the spices are coating the onion mixture. If you see some of the onions and spices start to stick to the bottom of the pot, add 2-3 tablespoons of water to dissolve the stickiness and to prevent yourself from getting the "burn" message during the cooking phase of your Cauliflower Tikka Masala.
• Add the cauliflower florets, diced tomatoes, then the maple syrup and stir until all of the cauliflower is coated in the sauce. Secure the lid onto the Instant Pot and press the "Pressure Cook" option, making sure it is set to "high" then adjust the time to 2 minutes. The Instant Pot usually takes around 10-15 minutes to pressurize then will cook the contents for 2 minutes.
• Once you have heard the beeps from the Instant Pot signaling that the cooking is complete, let your Tikka Masala settle for about 1 minute then release the steam. Gently stir in the cashew yogurt then taste the sauce and add more salt or pepper to taste. If you'd like it a bit spicier, you can add red chili flakes or a little more chili powder. Garish with freshly chopped parsley.
• Serve immediately over brown rice or quinoa with peas as I did. Mixing rice and quinoa with the peas is also a great way to serve this dish.
• Your cauliflower tikka masala will stay fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

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