This spicy vindaloo sauce recipe with roasted cauliflower is brimming with traditional Indian spices for supreme vindaloo curry paste and mouthwatering vegan cauliflower curry.
Making fresh red curry paste or Thai Massaman paste drastically improves the flavor of curry sauce. Cauliflower vindaloo follows the same path - simple ingredients with the power of a fiery vindaloo paste.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Vindaloo, a heavily spiced curry from the Goa region of India, tends to be fiery hot, and spicy. I'm including tips with this recipe for regulating the level of heat - just in case.
- Vindaloo paste is easily made using a combination of dry spices, aromatics, and vinegar. And you can make it ahead - even freeze it.
- A favorite order at Indian restaurants. Making it at home means you dictate the flavor, spicy heat, and ingredients, like no added oil, salt, and/or gluten.
Vindaloo Paste Ingredients
Chili powder. Use Indian-style chili powder. If not, use cayenne pepper or ground red chilis. Don't substitute Mexican or US-style chili powder. These spice blends won't compliment the aromatic spices and Indian-inspired flavors.
Smoked paprika. Be sure to check if your smoked paprika is hot. You may want to adjust the chili powder or cayenne pepper amount.
Whole Indian spices. Vindaloo paste consists of several whole spices. The ingredient list has conversions for some whole and ground spices if needed.
Garlic. It's not a misprint - 10 cloves! Peel them and cut them in half, then blend away.
Apple cider vinegar. Vinegar gives the paste a zesty flavor and helps to smooth it out. White vinegar will also work here if you need a substitute.
Cauliflower Vindaloo Ingredients
Cauliflower. Cut a large head of cauliflower or 2 small heads into florets. You can also slice them. Try to keep the pieces relatively the same size for even roasting.
Coconut sugar. Coconut sugar, date sugar, or another sweetener. You can also use maple syrup or date paste. Brown sugar is also an acceptable substitute.
Black mustard seeds. Yellow mustard seeds can also be used. Omit if you don't have either.
Garam masala. Our favorite Indian spice blend is the last boost of flavor. I make my own garam masala blend, but you can usually find it at grocery stores. Curry powder isn't the same blend but could be used in a pinch.
Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients with measurements plus recipe instructions.
Recipe Variations
Kashmiri chili powder option. Use 2 tablespoons of Kashmiri chili powder instead of the sweet and smoked paprika.
We love cauliflower vindaloo curry, but you can make this powerhouse of a recipe with most of your favorite vegetables. Or turn this into tofu vindaloo using crispy tofu. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) add extra protein and can be used with or without roasted cauliflower.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Grind the whole spices in a spice or coffee grinder.
Step 2: Add the ginger, garlic, and dry spices. Continue blending.
Step 3: Blend the rest of the ingredients a little at a time until you have a smooth paste.
Step 4: Season cauliflower with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes.
Step 5: Toast mustard seeds, then add the garlic, ginger, mustard seeds, and spices.
Step 6: Stir in the vindaloo paste and tomato paste.
Step 7: Whisk in vegetable broth.
Step 8: Finish by adding roasted cauliflower.
Pro Tips
- Grind the whole spices into a fine powder before adding the rest of the ingredients for the vindaloo paste. Transfer the ground spices to a blender or food processor if your spice grinder is too small for the rest of the paste ingredients.
- The vinegar and tomato paste (tomato puree) blend the dry spices into a smooth paste. Add a little water to the paste if it is still too dry after adding the vinegar.
- Try not to overcook the cauliflower before adding it to the vindaloo sauce. Stick to bite-sized pieces that won’t break apart once you add them to the sauce.
- Gently mix the roasted cauliflower right at the end. You don’t want to break up any delicate florets.
Instant Pot or slow cooker instructions
If you want to speed up the process, you can cook vegetables in the sauce in the Instant Pot. Add the vindaloo paste and the ingredients for the sauce into the Instant Pot. Mix all the ingredients and then add raw cauliflower. Pressure cook on High Pressure for 1 minute and allow 2 minutes of natural pressure release.
Likewise, you can make this dish in the slow cooker following the instructions for the Instant Pot. Cook on medium-low heat for several hours.
Help! My Vindaloo is Too Spicy
Add another tablespoon of tomato paste if the sauce is slightly too spicy. A sweet flavor, like maple syrup, also reduces the heat.
Coconut milk or a substitute for coconut milk mellows the heat.
Add cashew or vegan sour cream directly to the curry sauce or use it as a garnish.
Serving Suggestions
The complex flavors need only basmati rice or a few sweet potato flatbreads or potato tortillas to soak up every delectable bite.
If you like tangy flavors, lemon juice or a few lemon wedges on the side is an appropriate garnish.
Frequently Asked Questions
Store cauliflower vindaloo in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze it for 3 months. You can also freeze vindaloo paste in smaller portions or in the slots of an ice cube tray for making other curry sauces.
Frozen cauliflower is a great substitute for fresh. Roast on a baking sheet in the oven at 450 F. After 15 minutes, toss the cauliflower and add salt and black pepper. Roast another 10-15 minutes until it’s crispy and brown.
To make cashew cream, add ½ a cup of raw cashews to a small bowl and pour boiling water over them. Soak for 15 minutes. Rinse and drain the cashews, then blend the cashews with ½ a cup of cold water until smooth. You can add lemon juice or coconut extract if you want to flavor it.
Vindaloo paste and sauce can both be made several days ahead of time. Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stove. Then add roasted cauliflower, baked tofu, or other veggies of your choice.
Prepared vindaloo paste is available at Indian markets or, sometimes, large grocery stores. You can use this as a substitute; however, checking the labels is important. It may or may not be vegan and likely won't contain all the fresh ingredients to make your own vindaloo paste.
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Spicy Vindaloo Sauce Recipe with Roasted Cauliflower
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Ingredients
Vindaloo Paste Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds - 1 ½ teaspoon ground
- 3 teaspoons cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon ground
- 4 whole cloves - ¼ teaspoon ground
- ½ teaspoon cardamom seeds - ½ teaspoon ground
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds - ½ teaspoon fenugreek powder
- ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns - ¾ teaspoon ground
- 10 cloves garlic - peeled and cut in halt
- 2 tablespoons ginger - minced
- 1-2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1- 2 teaspoons Indian chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coconut sugar - or date sugar
- 7 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Vindaloo Sauce and Cauliflower
- 1 large cauliflower head - cut into florets
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium onion - cut in half and sliced
- 2 teaspoons ginger - minced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds - or yellow mustard seeds
- 1 ½ teaspoons garam masala
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
Instructions
- Add the whole spices (the first 6 ingredients) into a spice grinder and grind them into a fine powder. If your spice grinder is large and can handle wet ingredients, you can start layering the rest of the ingredients. Otherwise, transfer the spices to a blender or small food processor.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the ground spices. Blend to break up the aromatics. Then add the dry spices, sugar, and vinegar. Blend until you have a smooth paste. Add a splash of water if it is too dry.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. (220 C.). Trim the cauliflower head into florets, cutting any larger pieces in half if needed. Plate the florets on a baking tray and lightly sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Bake the cauliflower until slightly browned and tender when pierced with a fork. About 20 minutes.
- Heat a medium pot, Dutch oven, or large skillet to medium-high heat. Add the onions and stir them around in the dry pan until they soften (2-3 minutes).
- Add the garlic, ginger, black mustard seeds, turmeric, and garam masala. Stir for 30 seconds to mix.
- Mix in the tomato paste and vindaloo paste. Then add vegetable broth.
- Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to combine the ingredients and thicken.
- Gently stir in the roasted cauliflower.
- Serve with rice or flatbread and lemon slices if desired.
Video
Notes
- If you have Kashmiri chili powder, you can use 3-4 tablespoons to replace the sweet and smoked paprika and chili powder.
- For a milder flavor, add less chili powder initially. You can always add more to the sauce. If your sauce is too spicy, add another tablespoon of tomato paste.
- Add coconut milk or garnish with cashew cream or vegan sour cream to make a creamier, less spicy curry.
- Use Indian-style chili powder. Cayenne pepper or crushed red chili pepper are good substitutes. Mexican-style chili powder will have a different spice composition.
- To make thick cashew cream, soak ½ a cup of raw cashews in boiling water for 15 minutes. Drain and blend with ½ - 1 cup of water until smooth.
- Store cauliflower vindaloo in an airtight container for 3 days or freeze it for 3 months. You can also freeze vindaloo paste in smaller portions or in the slots of an ice cube tray for making other curry sauces.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
John
Hello Denise. What is Vindaloo paste fridge shelf life? Can it be frozen, if so shelf life?
Best JF
Denise
Vindaloo paste will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days. You can definitely freeze it. I've frozen it in small batches so I can add it to coconut for spicy curry sauces. It's really convenient. Let me know if you have any questions - I'm here to help.