About This Recipe
Cauliflower kurma, a stew-like Indian dish, is easy to make, requires less than an hour of your time, and is the perfect comfort food in any season. In India, we actually get the best cauliflower during the Indian winter season, so it is one of the best times to make Cauliflower Recipes, like these favorites:
Gobi MasalaCauliflower CurryGobi Manchurian
This traditional cauliflower kurma recipe, from the Chettinad cuisine is inspired from the Chettinad Cookbook. It includes ingredients like fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, poppy seeds, cashews and fresh coconut. It is actually very similar to my much loved Vegetable Kurma and Potato Kurma recipes. As it is with the vast Indian cuisine, there are many different versions of kurma (or korma), specifically the North and South Indian regions have recipes that differ quite a bit. Generally, South Indian kurma recipes are made with coconut, and North Indian korma is made with dairy products and nuts, like yogurt, cream, almonds, and cashews. Regardless of the variation you choose, you won’t regret warming up with a steaming bowl of this creamy cauliflower kurma and fresh rice, Paratha or Poori.
How to Make Cauliflower Kurma
Blanch the Cauliflower
- First, rinse 2½ to 3 cups of medium-sized cauliflower florets (250 grams) and add them to a mixing bowl or pan. If desired, you can add ½ teaspoon salt.
- Next, pour hot water on top of the cauliflower, as required. 3. Allow the cauliflower florets to fully immerse and get blanched for 5 to 10 minutes. After your cauliflower has had time to blanch, drain all the water and set the cauliflower aside. NOTE: This blanching step for you cauliflower korma recipe can be skipped if there are no insects or worms in the cauliflower.
Make Coconut Paste
- Now, take ½ cup fresh grated coconut in a grinder jar and add it to blender or mixer-grinder. TIP: You can also use ½ cup of frozen coconut or ⅓ cup of desiccated coconut (unsweetened), if fresh coconut is not available.
- Then add in 2 green chillies (1 teaspoon chopped chillies), 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic to the coconut.
- Next add 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal (roasted husked bengal gram), 10 to 12 cashews and 1 teaspoon poppy seeds. NOTE: If you do not have roasted chana dal or poppy seeds, then skip adding them to your cauliflower kurma recipe. In place of cashews, add blanched and peeled almonds. The taste will change slightly with almonds though.
- After that, add the following spices: ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 inch cinnamon and 1 tiny piece of stone flower (optional).
- Then add ⅓ to ½ cup water and grind the mixture to a smooth consistency. At this point, set the kurma masala paste aside.
Fry Spices
- Now heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed pan on low heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 inch cinnamon and 2 cloves.
- Then immediately add ½ teaspoon fennel seeds.
- Now fry the mixture for a few seconds until the spices become aromatic and splutter.
Sauté Onions
- Next add ⅓ cup chopped onions and 8 to 10 curry leaves.
- Mix and begin to sauté.
- Continue to sauté the onions until they become translucent and soften.
Sauté Tomatoes
- Then add ⅓ cup of chopped tomatoes.
- Next add 1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder.
- Now mix well, and continue to sauté the tomatoes on low to medium heat.
- Sauté until the tomatoes soften and become pulpy. You should also see oil releasing from the sides of the onion-tomato mixture. When this happens, you’re ready to move to the next step!
Add Coconut Paste
- Now add the ground coconut paste.
- Mix very well.
Sauté Coconut Paste
- Keep the heat on low or medium-low, and stir often sautéing the coconut paste.
- Continue to sauté the coconut paste until you see oil specks at the sides. The entire coconut masala paste will also become glossy and clump together.
Add Cauliflower
- Then add the blanched cauliflower.
- Mix well and sauté for a minute.
Cook Cauliflower Kurma
- Then add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water.
- Season with salt as required, then mix again.
- Now, cover the pan with a lid and simmer on low to medium-low heat until the cauliflower is cooked and tender.
- Be sure to check the cauliflower korma every few minutes while it simmers.
- Continue to simmer until the cauliflower is cooked well. Be careful not to overcook the cauliflower and make them mushy.
Finish and Serve
- Finally, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves, and stir again. You’re now ready to serve and enjoy this creamy cauliflower kurma.
Serving Suggestions
The delicious gravy is creamy, lightly spiced and goes perfectly with:
Poori – Indian fried breadParotta – flaky layered flat breadChapati – soft flat breadIdiyappam – rice flour string hoppersNeer dosa – soft, lacy rice flour dosaSet Dosa – fluffy, soft dosaGhee Rice or Steamed Rice.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftovers you have in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. You can also freeze this stew-like dish, just don’t add the fresh herbs until you’re ready to serve.
Expert Tips
Change up the chilies. I make this cauliflower korma fairly often. Sometimes I add red chilies, and other times I decide to use green chilies for the ground coconut paste. Today, I used green chilies, but you can also use dry red chilies to give the korma an orange or red color. Turn up the heat. For a spicy taste, you can add 3 green chilies. Alternatively, you can use 2 dry red chilies instead of green chilies.Use different nuts. Instead of cashews, add blanched and peeled almonds.Add more veggies. Apart from cauliflower, you can also add some green peas or potatoes in the kurma gravy.
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Aloo Gobi (2 Ways) | Aloo Gobi ki Sabji & Curry Gobi Paratha (Cauliflower Stuffed Flatbread) Aloo Gobi Matar Gobi 65 Recipe | Fried Cauliflower Snack This cauliflower kurma recipe post from the blog archives (December 2017) has been republished and updated on 20 March 2021.
title: “Cauliflower Kurma Recipe " ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-03” author: “Kenneth Garcia”
About This Recipe
Cauliflower kurma, a stew-like Indian dish, is easy to make, requires less than an hour of your time, and is the perfect comfort food in any season. In India, we actually get the best cauliflower during the Indian winter season, so it is one of the best times to make Cauliflower Recipes, like these favorites:
Gobi MasalaCauliflower CurryGobi Manchurian
This traditional cauliflower kurma recipe, from the Chettinad cuisine is inspired from the Chettinad Cookbook. It includes ingredients like fennel seeds, cinnamon, cloves, poppy seeds, cashews and fresh coconut. It is actually very similar to my much loved Vegetable Kurma and Potato Kurma recipes. As it is with the vast Indian cuisine, there are many different versions of kurma (or korma), specifically the North and South Indian regions have recipes that differ quite a bit. Generally, South Indian kurma recipes are made with coconut, and North Indian korma is made with dairy products and nuts, like yogurt, cream, almonds, and cashews. Regardless of the variation you choose, you won’t regret warming up with a steaming bowl of this creamy cauliflower kurma and fresh rice, Paratha or Poori.
How to Make Cauliflower Kurma
Blanch the Cauliflower
- First, rinse 2½ to 3 cups of medium-sized cauliflower florets (250 grams) and add them to a mixing bowl or pan. If desired, you can add ½ teaspoon salt.
- Next, pour hot water on top of the cauliflower, as required. 3. Allow the cauliflower florets to fully immerse and get blanched for 5 to 10 minutes. After your cauliflower has had time to blanch, drain all the water and set the cauliflower aside. NOTE: This blanching step for you cauliflower korma recipe can be skipped if there are no insects or worms in the cauliflower.
Make Coconut Paste
- Now, take ½ cup fresh grated coconut in a grinder jar and add it to blender or mixer-grinder. TIP: You can also use ½ cup of frozen coconut or ⅓ cup of desiccated coconut (unsweetened), if fresh coconut is not available.
- Then add in 2 green chillies (1 teaspoon chopped chillies), 1 teaspoon chopped ginger and 1 teaspoon chopped garlic to the coconut.
- Next add 1 tablespoon roasted chana dal (roasted husked bengal gram), 10 to 12 cashews and 1 teaspoon poppy seeds. NOTE: If you do not have roasted chana dal or poppy seeds, then skip adding them to your cauliflower kurma recipe. In place of cashews, add blanched and peeled almonds. The taste will change slightly with almonds though.
- After that, add the following spices: ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, 1 inch cinnamon and 1 tiny piece of stone flower (optional).
- Then add ⅓ to ½ cup water and grind the mixture to a smooth consistency. At this point, set the kurma masala paste aside.
Fry Spices
- Now heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed pan on low heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 inch cinnamon and 2 cloves.
- Then immediately add ½ teaspoon fennel seeds.
- Now fry the mixture for a few seconds until the spices become aromatic and splutter.
Sauté Onions
- Next add ⅓ cup chopped onions and 8 to 10 curry leaves.
- Mix and begin to sauté.
- Continue to sauté the onions until they become translucent and soften.
Sauté Tomatoes
- Then add ⅓ cup of chopped tomatoes.
- Next add 1 to 2 pinches of turmeric powder.
- Now mix well, and continue to sauté the tomatoes on low to medium heat.
- Sauté until the tomatoes soften and become pulpy. You should also see oil releasing from the sides of the onion-tomato mixture. When this happens, you’re ready to move to the next step!
Add Coconut Paste
- Now add the ground coconut paste.
- Mix very well.
Sauté Coconut Paste
- Keep the heat on low or medium-low, and stir often sautéing the coconut paste.
- Continue to sauté the coconut paste until you see oil specks at the sides. The entire coconut masala paste will also become glossy and clump together.
Add Cauliflower
- Then add the blanched cauliflower.
- Mix well and sauté for a minute.
Cook Cauliflower Kurma
- Then add 1.5 to 1.75 cups water.
- Season with salt as required, then mix again.
- Now, cover the pan with a lid and simmer on low to medium-low heat until the cauliflower is cooked and tender.
- Be sure to check the cauliflower korma every few minutes while it simmers.
- Continue to simmer until the cauliflower is cooked well. Be careful not to overcook the cauliflower and make them mushy.
Finish and Serve
- Finally, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaves, and stir again. You’re now ready to serve and enjoy this creamy cauliflower kurma.
Serving Suggestions
The delicious gravy is creamy, lightly spiced and goes perfectly with:
Poori – Indian fried breadParotta – flaky layered flat breadChapati – soft flat breadIdiyappam – rice flour string hoppersNeer dosa – soft, lacy rice flour dosaSet Dosa – fluffy, soft dosaGhee Rice or Steamed Rice.
Storage and Leftovers
Store any leftovers you have in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days. You can also freeze this stew-like dish, just don’t add the fresh herbs until you’re ready to serve.
Expert Tips
Change up the chilies. I make this cauliflower korma fairly often. Sometimes I add red chilies, and other times I decide to use green chilies for the ground coconut paste. Today, I used green chilies, but you can also use dry red chilies to give the korma an orange or red color. Turn up the heat. For a spicy taste, you can add 3 green chilies. Alternatively, you can use 2 dry red chilies instead of green chilies.Use different nuts. Instead of cashews, add blanched and peeled almonds.Add more veggies. Apart from cauliflower, you can also add some green peas or potatoes in the kurma gravy.
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. Aloo Gobi (2 Ways) | Aloo Gobi ki Sabji & Curry Gobi Paratha (Cauliflower Stuffed Flatbread) Aloo Gobi Matar Gobi 65 Recipe | Fried Cauliflower Snack This cauliflower kurma recipe post from the blog archives (December 2017) has been republished and updated on 20 March 2021.
