Cauliflower Tikka Masala

This post may contain affiliate links. We only promote products we actually use and truly love!

Gobi masala, otherwise known as cauliflower masala, is a vegetarian version of chicken tikka masala that you’ll want to make again and again. It’s smooth, creamy, and spicy – and cooks in about 30 minutes.

Cauliflower tikka masala, more accurately called gobi masala, is an Indian dish that offers a vegetarian option of the popular chicken tikka masala. Much like chicken tikka masala, this cauliflower masala recipe is packed with spice and flavor. It’s a creamy and seemingly decadent dinner that goes perfectly with a side of steamed rice and naan.

Although it tastes super decadent, one of the best parts about this delicious saucy dish is that cauliflower is the main substance! Not only does this recipe help you get your daily serving of vegetables in, but you’ll leave the dinner table feeling satisfied and light. If you like vegetarian curries, you’ll also love our Thai chickpea potato curry recipe.

What This Recipe Entails

You can make this cauliflower masala recipe with 5 minutes of prep, two pans, and 25 minutes of cooking. It doesn’t get much better than that!

• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Cook time: 25 minutes

Grab some naan from the store, or make it fresh yourself for a side that takes this dish to the next level. You’ll be really happy you did when you’re scooping up all that leftover sauce with some fluffy, buttery bread.

Cauliflower Masala Ingredients

To make this vegetarian version of chicken tikka masala, you’ll need to grab some cauliflower florets, basmati rice, and a few ingredients to make the masala sauce! 

Here’s an overview of the major ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe:

• Onion – White or yellow onion works for this recipe.
• Kashmiri red chili powder – If you can’t find kashmiri, cayenne can be used as a substitute. 
• Other spices – Powdered ginger, garam masala, cumin, paprika, turmeric, ground coriander, and dried fenugreek leaves.
• Cauliflower florets – You can also buy a whole head of cauliflower and prep it yourself. You’ll either want one large head or two smaller ones. 

Sides – No Indian curry is complete without sides of basmati rice and naan.

How To Make Cauliflower Tikka Masala

You can prepare this easy vegetarian cauliflower tikka masala for dinner in about 30 minutes, with just 2 saucepots! Here’s how to make this delicious, spicy meal:

1. Cook the rice.
2. Sauté the onions and garlic.
3. Add the seasonings, crushed tomatoes, water, and cauliflower and stir to combine.
4. Cover and cook until the cauliflower is tender, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the heavy cream, butter, and fenugreek leaves. 
6. Serve hot with basmati rice and naan.

To make cooking this recipe as easy as possible, we recommend setting up your mise en place. This means having all your ingredients prepped and ready to go so they’re within reach when you need them! See our Expert Tips for more details.

Storing & Reheating Leftovers

Fridge

Store leftover cauliflower tikka masala in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can store the rice and cauliflower separately, or pack them together in portioned meal containers for meal prep.

To reheat, microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.

Freezer

You can also freeze any leftovers for easy frozen meals in the future. Just freeze any leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. To serve, simply defrost in the microwave before reheating as normal.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Cauliflower tikka masala is one of those go-to vegetarian dinners that hits the spot every. single. time. It’s spicy, it’s creamy, it’s tender, and it’s super comforting at the end of a long day. (Especially when you have some fluffy butter naan to scoop up all the extra sauce with!)

The best part is, you can make this recipe in about 30 minutes. Once you have the ingredients, dinner is only one episode of your favorite sitcom away! It’s a no-fuss, easy and delicious meal you can count on for busy weeknights no matter what.

Expert Tips

• Substitute dried fenugreek leaves with fenugreek powder (use half as much as the recipe calls for), or skip this ingredient if you can’t find it. It’s a nice aromatic that brings some authentic flavor to this homemade masala sauce, but not totally essential.
• You can either buy some naan pre-made or make it yourself from scratch. This recipe for butter naan by Jennifer Pallian of Foodess has quickly become our new favorite – give it a try if you have a little extra time on your hands!
• The most helpful thing you can do for this recipe is to measure and combine all the spices in a small bowl ahead of time, so you can easily sprinkle them over the onions and garlic all at once.
• Make a big batch of this vegetarian cauliflower masala for family dinner when you have guests or even as meal prep for the week. 

Try our cauliflower tikka masala recipe and don’t forget to rate, comment, and share if you love it! We can’t wait to hear what you think.