Cauliflower Tikka Masala

I wish I could say that I have some logic or method for selecting recipes to try. But I don't, and I even boggle myself on why I decide to try something. Vegetarian Gastronomy's Cauliflower Tikka Masala recipe is one of those instances.

I like chicken tikka masala but have never been inspired to make it, even after I finally added a number of spices to my pantry that are used in Indian cooking. But for some reason, I saw the cauliflower version through PureWow's turmeric guide and got inspired. I think I was drawn to another way to cook cauliflower, the recipe looked very doable, and I already have most of the ingredients.

When I'm inspired to make a dish, I usually do a web search to compare recipes and try to find more authentic recipes. Not this time. So, I realized after I was in the middle of making this that it is actually a vegan recipe that uses coconut milk instead of heavy cream. Not a bad thing and I was pretty pleased with how it tasted.

One hesitation I had about this vegan recipe was that it includes red bell pepper, which I didn't see as a common ingredient in non-vegan tikka masala recipes. So I'm not sure what was behind using red bell pepper...texture, flavor, personal taste? Reason for my hesitation is because I dislike bell peppers, especially the green ones. I don't like their flavor and I think their taste lingers well after a meal. But, I don't avoid eating a dish that has them and will eat around the peppers if I have to. And if I actually eat them, I'd rather eat red or orange ones that are roasted or cooked down because they are slightly sweeter. I'm very happy to say that the bell pepper flavor was mild in this dish. Maybe because it was blended up.

I passed on the optional cashew cream. And I don't have mustard seeds and left that out because I hate buying spices for one dish. I also don't think it's necessary to grate the ginger since it goes into the blender anyway, so I just minced it to save time and have one less tool to wash. 

Blended sauce returned to pan with spices added

Cauliflower added in

I served this with yummy jasmine rice to mix with all that good sauce. Finishing the dish with fresh cilantro really finishes the dish. Overall, I liked this dish quite a bit and would make it again. It can be a main dish or a side. I'd probably try it with cream and leave out the bell pepper to see how the flavor of the dish changes.

Cauliflower tikka masala served over jasmine rice

My Rating (out of 5): 4