Cauliflower and Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry

This Cauliflower and Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry is made with traditional Indian spices and simmered in a dry curry base that’s made with coconut milk. It’s quick and easy to make, loaded with tons of flavors, and perfect for a simple and healthy weeknight dinner!
(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, & Dairy-free)

this recipe

Hello, hello again my Internet world buddies!

Hope you all are doing well and are getting some lovely sunshiny weather now that we’re in the midst of spring!

So lately, vegetarian and vegan food has been appearing a lot more often on my plate.

And you know what? I am ACTUALLY loving it!! 💛 Not just the taste and textures. But the way I feel after eating too. Kind of like being adequately full, but not the same feeling of being a little too full after eating meat.

Just some thoughts on eating vegetarian food… Not that I’m abandoning meat anytime soon though. I’m not ready to divorce my first and true love, Spicy Kung Pao Chicken, yet! 😉

But yes, back to making a lot more vegetarian recipes these days. Maybe it’s cause I’m getting older and my body is just BEGGING me to stop being a relentless carnivore 24/7. Or maybe it’s cause there’s a new Taste supermarket in my ‘hood and all the beautiful and ridiculously fresh produce always seem to be beckoning at me, Joey from Friends style, and being like, “Heeeey, how you doin’?!”.

I’m looking right at you, you sexy large white cauliflower head. 😍

So obviously, that cauliflower had to go in my cart. And a couple of hours later, this spicy, delicious, fusion-ish, and fragrant Cauliflower and Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry was born!

REASONS WHY I ADORE THIS CAULIFLOWER AND POTATO INDO-THAI DRY CURRY

• This is a super quick and easy stovetop recipe that can be made in just a few simple steps.
• Everything can be made in ONE PAN, so there’s very little cleanup to deal with after you cook.
• It’s made with everyday ingredients that I bet you already have in your pantry (assuming you have a decent stock of spices).
• It’s flexible and pairs well with steamed rice, soft naan, hot chapatis, and flaky roti paratha. Take your pick!
• Last but not least, it’s healthy, filling, and loaded with tons of flavors!

ABOUT THIS FUSION INDO-THAI DRY CURRY

This Cauliflower & Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry was inspired by my mom’s traditional version of this Indian classic dish – Aloo Gobi (Potato and Cauliflower). But it was also something that came about from a bit of experimentation by yours truly. It’s predominantly an Indian recipe, but it has a bit of Thai twist because I incorporate a little bit of coconut milk.

To be honest, a lot of food from various Indian states – such as Mangalore – actually use quite a bit of coconut milk in meat and other vegetarian dishes. My mom doesn’t use coconut milk in her Aloo Gobi because she comes from a region in India where they don’t incorporate coconut milk in most dishes.

Plus, she ABHORS anything with coconut! 😬

Guilty – but I too am not a big fan of coconut. Be it in desiccated form in desserts, or coconut water itself. But I am perfectly cool with coconut milk! We tend to be the best of friends whenever I cook Thai or other Southeast Asian food. 🙌

WHY IS THIS A “DRY” CURRY?

The reason I categorize this cauliflower and potato dish as a dry curry is because I don’t use a large amount of coconut milk in this recipe. In fact, I reduce it down to make a “dry” curry. The cooking style can be compared to traditional dry Thai dishes – like chicken and pork satays – since they dip them into a spices infused and flavored coconut milk before grilling them on the charcoal fire grill. This allows for the coconut milk to infuse into and flavor the meat, but it is essentially being “grilled off”.

Similarly and in this recipe, I reduce the coconut milk down on the stovetop so that it flavors the cauliflower, potato, aromatics, and spices, and also eliminates any blandness that one might associate with cauliflower and potato. And I do not lie when I say this tactic makes everything SOOO much more flavorful! It tastes much better this way than if I were to simply make everything in a coconut milk curry broth!

In fact, everything in this curry is just it bursting with all sorts of yummy flavors!

Let’s break down the elements of this dish!

HERE’S WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON:

• Crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside pan-sautéed cauliflower florets and bite-sized potato pieces.
• A hint of smokiness from the smoked paprika.
• Some spiciness delivered from the ground cayenne powder and fresh red and green chilies. (Btw, feel free to use as much or as little as you like depending on your heat preference! 👌)
• An abundance of flavors and aromas (including spice and sweetness) from Homemade Garam Masala. 😍
• A pinch of cumin and coriander powder to balance everything out, and some turmeric powder for a bit of color.
• Garlic, ginger, and slightly caramelized onions = aroma and punch!
• Robust tomatoes with their juice, and a bit of tomato paste for some natural sweetness to round everything out.
• Coconut milk for some more natural sweetness. It allows all the magical flavors to penetrate through the crisp cauliflower florets and potatoes.
• A splash of lemon juice goes a long way and gives it that tiny bit of tang!
• And last but not least, lots and LOTS of freshly chopped coriander for some good ol’ herby and sunshiny freshness! 🤗

In a nutshell, this dish is for all the people who love ALL THE FLAVORS!! 😍

WHAT DIETS DOES THIS DISH CATER TOO?

This Cauliflower and Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry is vegetarian, vegan, and naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. However, if you are gluten intolerant, I encourage you to double check that the brand of tomato paste you are using is indeed GF certified. I use S&W tomato paste, and it is 100% gluten-free.

What I really love about this curry is that you don’t have an excessively creamy, or too liquid-y, or too dry curry in the end. Just a delicious and extremely flavorful spiced up dry curry with perfectly crispy-on-the-outside and soft-on-the-inside cauliflower and potatoes!

And if you’re a resolute meat devouring machine (like I used to be just up until recently), I guarantee that you won’t feel like you’re missing something when you enjoy this with some nice warm steamed rice, soft naan, or deliciously crispy and flaky roti paratha (OHMYGAWD NOM!!). 🤤

Right then, I’m going to leave you with the recipe. But I’m off to Taste Supermarket because…

Sexy white cauliflower head, I AM COOOMING for ya!!! 💋

Enjoy my friends! 🤗

MORE ASIAN CURRIES & SOUPS

Looking for more spicy and tasty curries and soups? Below are some of my favorites!

• Tom Kha Gai (Coconut Milk Chicken Soup)
• Easy Thai Green Chicken Curry
• The BEST Indian Onion Chicken Curry!

Cauliflower & Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

This Cauliflower and Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry is made with traditional Indian spices and simmered in a dry curry base that’s made with coconut milk. It’s quick and easy to make, loaded with tons of flavors, and perfect for a simple and healthy weeknight dinner!
(Vegetarian, Vegan, Gluten-free, & Dairy-free)

• Author: Lavina
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 30
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Sauté
• Cuisine: Indian/Thai

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 3 TBLS Olive Oil, divided
• ½ head of a Large Cauliflower (about 2.5 cups of florets) – cut into florets (about 2.5 cups of florets)
• 1 large Potato – chopped into bite sized strips/pieces (I used a Russet potato)
• 2 medium Tomatoes – skinned and finely chopped
• ¾ of a medium sized Yellow Onion – finely chopped
• 7 Garlic cloves – minced
• 2–6 Red chilies, to taste and deseeded depending on your desired heat level – finely minced
• 1–2 Green chilies, to taste and deseeded depending on your desired heat level – finely minced
• 2 TBLS Ginger – grated
• 1–1.5 TBLS Coriander (Cilantro), both leaves and stems – roughly chopped
• 1.5 TSP Kosher Salt, more or less to taste
• ¾ TSP Turmeric Powder
• 1.75 TSP Curry Powder (I use McCormick’s)
• 1 TSP Garam Masala (store-bought if fine, but homemade Garam Masala is much better!)
• 1–2 TSP ground Cayenne, more or less to taste
• ½ TSP Coriander Powder
• ½ TSP Cumin Powder
• ½ TSP Smoked Paprika (I used Hot)
• 1 (heaping) TBLS Tomato Paste
• 1 small can (165ml) Coconut Milk
• ¾ TSP Lemon Juice (freshly squeezed)

To Serve/Garnish:

• Extra chopped coriander (optional)
• Warm steamed rice, naan, roti paratha, etc.

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Prep:

1. In a small bowl, combine all the spices and seasonings: kosher salt, turmeric powder, curry powder, garam masala, ground cayenne, coriander powder, cumin powder, and smoked paprika. Cover with a small plate or cling wrap and set aside until ready to use.
2. Prepare all your fresh ingredients: Chop the cauliflower, potatoes, tomatoes, onion, garlic, coriander, red and green chilies, and grate the ginger. Squeeze a lemon and pour the juice in a bottle. (Note: you only need ¾ TSP lemon juice for this recipe so reserve the rest in a small bottle and store in the fridge. You can use it in other food (or drink!) recipes in the next few days.)

For the Cauliflower & Potato Indo-Thai Dry Curry:

1. Heat 2 TBLS olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium sized deep sauté pan. Once hot, add the cauliflower and potatoes. Fry for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until half cooked and browned. They should still be quite crunchy and not completely soft. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain off any excess oil and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add the remainder 1 TBLS olive oil and let it heat up (this won’t take long since the pan is already hot). Add the onions and sauté until translucent – 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant – about 1 minute
4. Add the red and green chilies and continue to sautéing to combine with the other ingredients in the pan.
5. Tip in the spices in the small bowl over the mixture in the pan and stir to combine.
6. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir to combine.
7. Return the half cooked cauliflower and potatoes to the pan and stir to coat them with the dry curry mixture in the pan.
8. Lower the heat medium and pour in the coconut milk. Stir to combine until the curry mixture is even in color.
9. Cover the pan and allow the curry to simmer and reduce for 6-8 minutes, while stirring after 5 minutes.
10. Remove the cover and turn the heat back up to medium-high. Stir in the lemon juice and cook for a further 1-2 minutes without the cover while stirring occasionally.
11. Sprinkle in the coriander and mix until combined well. Then turn off the stove and remove from heat.
12. To serve: Garnish with extra chopped coriander if desired and serve with warm steamed white rice, naan, or roti paratha, etc.

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 326
• Sugar: 8.4g
• Sodium: 527.9mg
• Fat: 22.7g
• Saturated Fat: 10.6g
• Unsaturated Fat: 10.8g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 29g
• Fiber: 6.4g
• Protein: 6.2g
• Cholesterol: 0mg

This post may contain affiliate links. We are a part of the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn a small commission (at no extra cost to you) by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary based on several factors. It should only be used as a general guideline. For more information, please see our Disclosure.