One-pan golden cauliflower dal with spinach, red lentils, and coconut milk, a gently spiced Indian curry, made on the stovetop in just 35 minutes. Vegan and GF. Video.
Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. ~
Here is one of my favorite cauliflower recipes! A whole head of cauliflower meets red split lentils in this simple, healthy cauliflower curry recipe. This delicious plant-based meal comes together quickly and easily in about 35 minutes on the stovetop. Serve it over basmati rice or with naan, and you’ll have a wholesome weeknight dinner in no time flat!
We add split lentils and call it dal, which, in essence, is healthy Indian comfort food! Traditionally, it’s a healthy Indian stew made with split lentils or other split pulses, such as mung beans, chickpeas, or split peas. It’s a staple in Indian cuisine with many variations. This version is packed with extra nutrients from the addition of fresh cauliflower and spinach.
Golden Cauliflower Dal | 60-sec Video!
Cauliflower Dal Ingredients
- Cauliflower florets (stems included) -A medium head of cauliflower- cut into florets.
- Split red lentils (masoor dal) - These break down into a creamy, protein-rich base; timing may vary slightly depending on freshness.
- Ghee - adds a rich, buttery depth; coconut oil is a plant-based alternative.
- Whole spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, fennel seeds) - Bloomed in hot fat to release earthy, citrusy, nutty, and lightly sweet aromatics that build the flavor foundation.
- Aromatics (shallots, garlic, ginger) - Create a deeply fragrant, savory base; ginger paste can be used in place of fresh ginger.
- Fresh or dried chilies (optional) - Add customizable heat and brightness.
- Ground spices (yellow curry powder, turmeric) - Provide warmth, color, and layered spice complexity.
- Salt - Enhances and balances all the flavors. Add to taste.
- Fenugreek leaves - Add subtle bitterness and a distinctive, slightly sweet aroma typical in Indian-inspired dishes.
- Full-fat coconut milk - Brings creamy richness and softens the spices while adding body to the curry.
- Baby spinach - Wilts into the curry, adding color, freshness, and a boost of greens.
How to make Cauliflower Curry
It starts with gathering simple ingredients: cauliflower, split lentils, coconut milk and Indian spices.
The first thing to be done to ensure success is to soak the lentils for 10-15 minutes in boiling water while you prep the rest of the ingredients. This will allow the lentils to cook faster, and in time with the cauliflower. This is key.
Gather your whole spices: cumin seed, black mustard, coriander and fennel seeds. Lightly crush the coriander, just to break it apart.
Heat the ghee. ***Of course, you can substitute coconut oil, but ghee is traditional and truly does add the best flavor. Cook the whole spices for a couple of minutes, until fragrant.
Add the shallot, garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant and golden. Add a couple of chilies if you like for a subtle heat.
To give this beautiful golden color, add curry powder and turmeric.
Add the split lentils and the water they are soaking in, and the fenugreek leaves. Give a good stir.
Stir in the coconut milk and cauliflower florets and give another good stir. Cover and let simmer 10 minutes, or until the lentils and cauliflower are tender.
Uncover and cook off some of the liquid, and add a few handfuls of baby spinach.
One little thing I like to do is double the whole spices and ghee, and remove half ( before making the dal) then spoon it over top of the finished dish, using this as the tempering oil. It adds more flavor but is not imperative.
Sprinkle with cilantro or scallions and serve.
Serving suggestions
Serve the Cauliflower Dal with naan bread, or rice, or on its own in a bowl, like a stew.
Storing leftover Dal
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Enjoy this Cauliflower Curry recipe and let us know what you think below! xoxo
More Favorite Indian Dinners
- Indian Shepherd’s Pie
- Emerald Dal
- Comforting Lentil Dal with Sweet Potatoes
- Our 25 BEST Lentil Recipes!
- Indian Coconut Lentil Curry
- Indian Cauliflower, Chickpea & Tofu Bowls
Cauliflower Curry with Lentils and Spinach
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner, Indian cuisine, vegan, vegetarian, weeknight dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Description
Cauliflower Curry with split lentils, coconut and spinach and fragrant Indian spices. A healthy one-pan plant-based dinner recipe, perfect for busy weeknights. Vegan-adaptable. (Inspired by Minimalist Baker)
Ingredients
- 1 cup split red lentils (masoor dal) see notes on "timing".
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 tablespoons ghee (or for vegan use coconut oil) ( ***see note at bottom!)
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 2-3 fat shallots, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger, grated or finely minced (or use ginger paste)
- 2-4 fresh or dried chilies (optional, for heat)
- 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek leaves
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 large head of cauliflower, broken into large florets (about 2 lbs), stems ok.
- couple of handfuls of baby spinach
Instructions
- Cover the split lentils with 2 cups boiling water, set aside.
- In an extra-large sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat the ghee over medium heat, add the crushed coriander, mustard, cumin, and fennel seeds, and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the shallots, garlic, and ginger and optional chilies, and saute until fragrant and golden, lowering the heat to medium-low, if need be, saute about 5 minutes. Add the curry powder and turmeric. Stir in the lentils along with the 2 cups of hot water. Add the salt and fenugreek. Give a good stir.
- Add the coconut milk and stir to incorporate, then add the cauliflower florets, coating them well. Give the pan a shake to allow any lentils to slip back into the liquid. Increase heat, bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer gently over med-low heat, until lentils are softened and cauliflower is fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and let some of the liquid cook off, about 3-4 more minutes. Carefully stir in spinach. Taste, adjust seasonings. Add a squeeze of lemon if you like.
- Garnish with cilantro or scallions and if you made the extra tempering oil (see notes), spoon this over top before serving.
- Serve with naan bread or basmati rice, or on its own in a bowl like a stew.
Notes
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge or can be frozen up to 3 months.
***For extra flavor (as is, this is “gently” spiced) Create a tempering oil. Double the ghee and double the whole seeds. After sauteing the seeds in the oil or ghee, spoon half of this into a small bowl and set aside -to drizzle over the finished dish (this is the “tempering oil”) super tasty!
Timing: If your lentils seem extra-large, or your cauliflower florets seem extra small, cook the lentils a few minutes before adding the cauliflower, so the cauliflower doesn’t get overcooked. ****I used tiny lentils and extra-large florets.
You could also roast off the cauliflower separately (toss with oil, salt, and pepper at 400F until tender) and stir it into the cooked lentils.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 448
- Sugar: 5.7 g
- Sodium: 668.8 mg
- Fat: 23.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 18.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 49.3 g
- Fiber: 11.1 g
- Protein: 18.6 g
- Cholesterol: 7.6 mg
Forgot to rate it. 5 stars!
This turned out very well. Easy to prepare and tons of flavor. Long list of ingredients but most pantries are stocked with all of them. I also learned how to mage ghee, which is used in this recipe. I used Puy lentils as that’s what I had, and they worked well. Probably not not the nice color of the red ones, but great taste. Will make it again.
Delicious, followed the recipe but added the juice of a lime and some extra chilli and curry powder, to boost the flavour a bit.
This is one of the best home-made curries I’ve ever made (and I absolutely love Indian food). I skipped the fenugreek leaves and substituted spinach for kale and it was gorgeous. This spice combination will be my go-to for future recipes when I need to use up some veggies.
Fantastic recipe. My husband who usually turns up his nose at anything without meat absolutely loved it. I did need to simmer for slightly longer to get my cauliflower tender but all the flavours were spot on.
I added fenugreek seeds instead of leaves as that’s what I had.
Another FABULOUS recipe! I had everything but the fenugreek – and it was still delicious. Thank you SO much.
Just finished a bowl of this deliciousness!! I subbed 2 cans garbanzos for lentils, added a bit more curry powder, and didn’t have the fennel or fenugreek. All my other spices were already ground. But hey, it was awesome!! Thanks! Just found your website and I see sooooo many things I want to make.
Super easy to make even for an amateur like myself. My boyfriend is a chef for a living and I knew we had all those whole spices laying around. Then after I started making it, I realized that we only had fenugreek seeds rather than leaves. I crushed them up and tossed them in the pan before adding the lentils so I hope that I was able to get the same flavor! Either way it turned out very tasty.
Very nice, but too mild as written. Needs about twice the amount of all spices, especially if you don’t use the spiced ghee (I don’t want the extra calories.) I used 4 red Thai peppers, but it still needed more heat so I put in a little hot curry powder. Lovely appearance & texture.
I was so excited to try this when I saw it was released, and it totally lived up to expectation!! Flavours are wonderful and the tip of doubling the whole spices to use as tempered oil is a definite must. It really lifts it. Yet another winner for us from Feasting at Home. Thanks again, Sylvia!
This is amazing! My teenagers could not get enough – ate 2-3 bowls each and more tonight. We have LOVED every recipe from this site. Thank you!!
thanks Abby!
Made this for my family as my first ever Indian dish! My dad makes a lot of curries and he was very impressed.
I love this recipe. It was fast and delicious. I did roast the cauliflower first and I spiced it up a bit. It is a definite keeper.
This recipe is brilliant. I roasted the cauliflower and added at the end. I also upped the spice and cooked the lentils a bit longer. Other than that, unchanged. Served with yogurt and flatbread. So so good. Thank you for this. Will become a regular,
This recipe was great! It came together quickly and was hearty, healthy comfort food. I added chickpeas and used cauliflower rice (cooked separately) instead of florets based on what I had on-hand. I loved toasting extra spices to add to the top for extra flavor and crunch. We will definitely make this again!
I was very excited to do this recipe. I thought that it miss some flavour. I had 2 teaspoon of honey and add alot of salt. Next time, I’ll grill my cornflower in the even with some cumin in it before add it to my pot and maybe double some seeds.
It was delicious 🙂 pretty sure it will taste better tomorrow !
Yes, this is intentionally “gently spiced” but glad you figured how to bump it up to your taste.
Wow the best cauliflower curry I’ve ever had. The lentils was a perfect pairing. We loved it and even my 3 yr old cleaned her plate.
I did the lemon, no peppers but my husband and I put in some red pepper flakes to get it spicier for us. Yum!
Delicious. Best recipe for cauliflower I have ever made. Full of flavor. Has the yum factor I’m always looking for. Didn’t use peppers, but will try next time.
Great to hear Anne!
What kind of red peppers did you use in this recipe? I would like to make this dish again with a bit of heat added but not burning heat. The peppers you used look very small. Are they very hot? Looks like you used them whole (without removing seeds and pith). Any suggestions on what kinds to look for? Any help would be appreciated!
I got these at the Asian Market and they were not labeled. You could try a couple of whole serranos, slit lengthwise but stem end intact. Or a few dried Arbol chilies?
I just made this for dinner, it’s delicious! I will definitely make this again
Awesome Ashley!
Excellent.
Really enjoyed this! I recently stocked my indian spice cabinet, so I had everything except yellow curry. I used a very generic garam masala instead – I think this is why my recipe came out very mild. But I loved it anyway! The cauli and coconut combo w lentils is soothing and satistfying, and for me, a successful recipe is one that is forgiving if I don’t have every exact ingredient, and flexible enough to customize (i added carrots, because I love them!). This fits the bill. Thank you for a keeper!
Loved it! Blend of the red lentils and cauliflower, with the spices in coconut milk resulted in unique flavors. Being of Indian origin, our staple diet is Indian, however, we had not tasted such distinct flavors – it was truly refreshing. Thank you, Sylvia!
Hello
The only thing that makes, this not vegan is the ghee because ghee is not vegan
Right, but you can sub coconut oil. 🙂 Ghee is traditional, but coconut oil is perfectly fine.
This turned out delicious, wouldn’t change a thing. We made our own ghee for this which was surprisingly easy and the flavors were subtle, yet satisfying. When you make ghee do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Thanks! Use unsalted butter for ghee. I will note the recipe.
Made this last night and it was so good. A very comforting dish. Happy New Year!
Good only.