No meat required.
My husband has what he calls “The Vegetarian Test.” Vegetarian food is successful for him if it is just plain good. Not good for vegetarian food. Not even better than most vegetarian food. Just plain good, even when it’s measured by the same standards he would apply to any non-vegetarian food.
As someone who cooks meatless meals often, I approach them from a different angle than he does, but I still hold every vegetarian dish I cook to the standards of his test. And these Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato-Chickpea Curry passed with flying colors!
Slabs of golden cauliflower, bathed in turmeric oil and roasted until deliciously tender and perfectly browned, resting on a pool of curried tomatoes and chickpeas, drizzled with tangy yogurt sauce and showered with cilantro confetti. Talk about delicious. The rich curry, aromatic with a touch of spice, lends a flavorful back note to the nuttiness of the cauliflower, while the cold, creamy yogurt and cilantro bring a tang and freshness to balance the plate.
This dish may seem complicated (three components!) but it’s surprisingly simple to make and prepare in advance. Both the curry and the yogurt sauce can be made 2-3 days ahead of time and held in the refrigerator—they’ll only get more delicious as they sit!—and the cauliflower, which uses only five ingredients and minimal prep work, can be ready in a half hour. This makes it a great option for weeknight dinners or quick lunches . . . I’ve even grabbed the leftover cauliflower florets and dunked them in yogurt sauce for a midnight snack! Call me crazy, but it’s really addictive!
Vegetarian food can and should be just as delicious as any meat-forward dish. Whether you are trying to embrace more meatless cooking for environmental or personal health reasons or just want a new recipe for a truly delicious dinner, I hope you try these Cauliflower Steaks. I think you’ll find they pass the “vegetarian test” and then some!
Enjoy!
Cauliflower Steaks with Tomato-Chickpea Curry
(Serves 4)
For the tomato-chickpea curry:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more as needed
6 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece ginger root, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
¼ tsp cayenne
1 28-oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained (juices reserved) and chopped*
1 15-oz can chickpeas, drained
For the cauliflower steaks:
1 large head cauliflower
3 tbsp vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
For the yogurt sauce:
1 cup plain whole-fat yogurt
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
1 ½ tablespoon cilantro leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
Special equipment: baking sheet, aluminum foil
Method
For the tomato-chickpea curry:
Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, and cook over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes (if the onions start to brown, add a few tablespoons of water to the pan to prevent them from coloring). Add minced garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant; stir in ground spices and ½ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until fragrant.
Add chopped tomatoes, the reserved tomato juice, and ½ cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the sauce is cooked down and thick, about 15-20 minutes. Add chickpeas and cook 5 minutes more to heat through.
For the cauliflower steaks:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil.
Slice the cauliflower head into slices ¼-inch thick.** Place the four center steaks in a shallow wide baking dish (reserve the rest of the cauliflower, which will be crumblier, smaller pieces, for something else). In a small bowl, stir together oil, and turmeric. Drizzle spiced oil over cauliflower steaks and rub over to evenly coat.
Arrange steaks on foil-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Bake for until browned on the bottoms and the stalk portion of the steak is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
For the yogurt sauce:
Stir together yogurt, garlic, cumin, cayenne, and cilantro. Season with kosher salt.
To serve:
Place a spoonful of curry on the bottom of the plate and top with cauliflower steak. Drizzle with yogurt sauce and sprinkle with cilantro leaves.
*The cleanest, easiest way to do this is to drain the can of tomatoes into a colander set over a bowl to collect the juices. Then you can slit the tomatoes in the side while they’re still in the colander to release any juices before transferring them to a cutting board to chop.
**There will be quite a bit of cauliflower from the front and back of the cauliflower that crumbles away before you get to the center of the cauliflower where you can get nice clean steaks. Don't throw this away! Make another batch of the turmeric oil to toss it in and roast it off. It will be absolutely delicious!
Originally posted May 21, 2021.
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