This quick, easy and fulfilling vegetarian comfort dish is a huge favorite of mine when it’s getting a little bit chilly outside. I’m pretty confident it will soon be a favorite of yours too!

Vegan chickpea curry with cauliflower rice

Let’s face it, sometimes we just don’t have time to prepare a fancy dinner when we come back from work after a busy day, and we don’t even have the inspiration. We can be lazy, tired, or have activities on the side (any excuse is accepted), and we just want to have dinner, I mean food. Often, it is the same scenario for all of us, wherever we are: we open the fridge, already starving and wondering what we will be cooking tonight. And yes, we end up cooking the same meal again and over again, the worse situation being when we simply grab the nearest take away, with all the risks it implies: food full of fats, added sugar and other preservatives. Keep this last scenario occasional. Your body is your health, take care of it!

Even if I am a food blogger, I am exactly like you. Sometimes I just don’t have time or I feel too tired to cook anything fancy. The only difference is that since I cook (and bake) a lot, I know exactly what my food consists of, which according to me is key. I always avoid buying processed food as much as possible because in any processed food there are various additives and unnecessary fats, sugars (yes sugar!), and far too much salt, all this in order to enhance the taste of your food.

Vegan chickpea curry with cauliflower rice

You obviously don’t need all this, so let’s go back to basics with a special recipe for you on the blog today: an easy veggie everyday meal that everyone can make at home in less than 30 minutes. It’s also 100% vegan, gluten free, fulfilling and very healthy. This recipe is so simple that when you have made it once already, it’s easy to memorize the ingredients and make it again. You don’t necessarily need to stick to the recipe proportions, this chickpea curry is fortunately very forgiving, and as long as you like spicy food you can adapt the recipe as it suits you. For instance, you don’t necessarily need the cashews. I personally like their crunchy taste in the dish, but you can totally skip them. Also, sometimes I like to add some pineapple chunks into my curry to make it sweet and savory. You might find me weird, but I promise you, it is very tasty! Just remember that a curry is very forgiving and allows you to add basically any food you want (or almost).

Now you probably noticed my twist, since I didn’t go for rice on the side as we usually do, but instead I made cauliflower rice. If you haven’t seen my Beet veggie pizza with a cauliflower crust yet, you might wonder what cauliflower rice is. No it is note rice with cauliflower, it is simply finely grated cauliflower (the best way to do it is to pulse florets in a food processor until you get a sandy texture).

Vegan chickpea curry with cauliflower rice

So now why cauliflower instead of rice in this recipe? Rice would actually work very well too of course, but making cauliflower rice is a good way to increase your vegetable intake. Cauliflower is actually a member of a cruciferous vegetable, family-along with broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, and is one of the healthiest foods on earth. It contains phytochemicals and anti-inflammatory compounds that can fight cancer, heart disease and even brain disease, and it is also an excellent source of natural antioxidants, as well as a good supplier of essential vitamins (such as vitamin C for instance), carotenoide, and fiber.

Yes, even if you come back late from work during the week, you can still make yourself (and your family) a delicious healthy and fulfilling dinner. Hope you enjoy!

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Vegan Chickpea Curry with Cauliflower Rice (gluten free)

  • 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 3 reviews
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  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 5 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 25 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Savory
  • Cuisine: Plant-based

This quick, easy and fulfilling vegetarian comfort dish is a huge favorite of mine when it’s getting a little bit chilly outside. I’m pretty confident it will soon be a favorite of yours too!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chickpea curry:

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2-inch piece of ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 Tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon curry paste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
  • 3 cans (15 oz/425g) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup (200g) diced tomatoes
  • 1 can full fat coconut milk
  • Salt & pepper
  • Fresh cilantro

For the cauliflower rice:

  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into large forets
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt & pepper

Instructions

  1. For the chickpea curry: heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5-6 minutes, stirring now and then. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute.
  2. Add ginger and spices and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Add chickpeas and diced tomatoes, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
  4. Stir in coconut milk and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
  5. For the cauliflower rice: cut cauliflower into large florets. Pulse cauliflower in food processor with chopping blade. Do not over process as the cauliflower can get mushy – you want a rough chop that has the texture of rice.
  6. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add cauliflower rice and sauté until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Serve the chickpea curry with the cauliflower rice and sprinkle some fresh cilantro on top.

Did you make this recipe?

Lastly, if you make this Vegan Chickpea Curry with Cauliflower Rice (gluten free), be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!

Vegan chickpea curry with cauliflower rice

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