Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Korma

A Korma is a dish where the main ingredients are braised in a thick sauce usually created with the addition of yogurt or cream and water or stock. In this Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Korma recipe, the cauliflower is roasted in the oven first for additional flavour and coconut milk and cashew butter are used for the thick and creamy sauce. The flavour foundation is a subtle blend of warm cinnamon, cloves and cardamom, spiked with Kashmiri chilli powder and black peppercorns and freshened with coriander and mint leaves plus a splash of lime juice. 

This recipe is gluten-free and vegan. It’s very satisfying as a main dish with rice and naan or roti. Read on for the recipe.

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Korma

Time: 40 minutes

Yield: 8 servings

Equipment: 2 baking sheets, parchment paper, food processor or mini-chopper,  large Dutch oven

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• 1 head cauliflower, stem removed and cut in florets
• 1 sweet potato, diced, leave the skin on
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (divided ½ and ½ )
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
• ½ cup fresh packed coriander leaves
• ½ cup fresh packed mint leaves
• ½ teaspoon green chilli paste
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon lime juice
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons coconut oil
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 4 whole black peppercorns
• 4 whole cloves
• 4 pods green cardamom, cracked
• ¼ cup ground crispy fried shallots (buy them at an Asian grocer or fry 2 sliced shallots in coconut oil until crispy)
• 1 teaspoon garlic paste
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• ½ cup cashew butter
• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• 1 can coconut milk
• 8 ounces extra firm tofu, cubed
• 1 cup frozen peas (chopped green beans would also be nice)
• 1 ripe tomato, chopped
• Water – as needed
• Salt and pepper – to taste
• 2 Tablespoons cashews, roasted
• 1 Tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, cut in ribbons (chiffonade)

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1. Preheat the oven to 400℉ and cover 2 baking sheets with parchment.
2. Place the cauliflower florets and sweet potato in a glass bowl and sprinkle with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds and the turmeric and Kashmiri chilli powder. Use your hands to coat the vegetables and then spread them on the baking sheets and place them in the oven for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown. Proceed with the rest of the recipe while they are roasting.
3. Place the coriander and mint leaves, green chilli paste, salt, lime juice and sugar in the bowl of a food processor or mini-chopper and pulse until it becomes a fine paste. Set aside.
4. Heat a Dutch oven on medium-high and melt the coconut oil. Add the rest of cumin seeds plus the cinnamon, peppercorns, cloves, and cardamom. When the cumin seeds splutter and pop stir in the crispy fried shallots. 
5. Add the garlic and ginger pastes and cook just until fragrant – about 30 seconds – before incorporating the cashew butter followed by the cilantro mint mixture. Simmer 5 minutes. 
6. Stir in the tomato sauce and coconut milk and simmer the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes. 
7. Add the roasted vegetables, tofu and peas and heat through before adding the chopped tomato. 
8. Add water as needed to adjust the sauce to a nice gravy like consistency.
9. Taste and add additional salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
10. Transfer to a serving dish and top with the roasted cashews and coriander leaves.