Cauliflower Spinach Tofu Curry has it all. Redolent with spices, the smell alone is a meal. The cauliflower, spinach and tofu not only add important nutrients, but they also add a balance of textures for the lively sauce. Since you are making this yourself, you get to control the heat of the finished dish.

Will you like this even if you don’t follow a vegan diet? Absolutely. Forget that it’s vegan. This curry is simply delicious. The original recipe comes from Rainbow Plant Life with my tweaks below.

And if you freeze your tofu first and purchase Super Firm tofu, which is now available in many markets, the tofu will have a wonderful meaty texture that is perfect for absorbing the sauce. If you can’t find Super Firm tofu, use the firmest tofu available. Then freeze that, thaw it and press out any additional liquid before cutting it. Either way, pat the tofu dry after very gently squeezing out some water.

I know that the ingredient list appears to be very long, but don’t be scared off. Most of it is spices, that if you do South Asian or Mediterranean cooking, you will likely have on hand. There is no difficult prep and measuring of the spinach, coriander and cauliflower does not need to be too precise. We happen to like a lot of cauliflower so I probably used more than the amount listed below. Just eyeball it. Same goes for the spinach and coriander leaves.

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We ate this Cauliflower Spinach Tofu Curry with both Basmati rice and naan. For serving you can also add some yogurt (dairy or dairy alternative) and toppers like roasted cashews, soybeans or Chakri and a chutney of your choosing. If you have time and the inclination, prepare a raita, like this favorite of mine. And a fruit platter for dessert.

Recipe

Yield: 4 to 6 servings, depending on sides

Ingredients

Curry

2 tablespoons avocado oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice

2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds

2 teaspoons whole black mustard seeds (can sub brown mustard seeds)

6 cloves garlic, minced or grated

2- inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated (Pro tip: Freeze your fresh ginger and grate it frozen – no need to peel it first. The ginger lasts a long time and is much easier to grate. The vendor at the farmers’ market told me about this when I purchased young, fresh ginger.)

1 serrano pepper, diced (You can use more if you are into fiery food. This gentle heat was enough for us.)

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 teaspoon sweet or hot paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated (or ground) nutmeg

15 to 20 dried curry leaves

1 (13.5-ounce/400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk

1 (8-ounce/227g) can plain tomato sauce

1 tablespoon cane sugar or coconut sugar

1 smallish cauliflower head, cut into small florets (450 to 500g florets)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Freshly cracked black pepper to taste

1 (14 to 16-ounce) block of super-firm tofu, previously frozen and defrosted

2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt 

2 teaspoons garam masala

3 cups (45g) baby spinach, chopped

½ to 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup (16g) cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Directions

Make the curry. Heat the oil in a 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop and the cumin seeds just turn golden, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the garlic, ginger, and serrano peppers, and cook for 90 seconds, stirring frequently. Add the turmeric, coriander, paprika, cinnamon, nutmeg and curry leaves and cook for 30 seconds. (Note: If using a stainless steel pan, this might stick, so stir almost constantly; add a splash or two of water as needed.)

Deglaze the pan by pouring in the coconut milk, scraping up any browned bits with a spatula. Add the tomato sauce and sugar and bring to a rapid simmer. Stir occasionally and simmer for 3 minutes.

Add the cauliflower, salt, and pepper, and spoon the curry over the cauliflower. Cover the pan with a lid and adjust the heat to maintain a decent simmer. Cook for 12 to 13 minutes, opening the pan to stir occasionally, until thickened a bit and the cauliflower is fork-tender.

When the cauliflower is tender, add the garam masala and spinach to the curry. Stir and briefly cook until the spinach is wilted.

Nestle the cubed tofu into the curry and toss to combine. Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, and season to taste with salt as needed. Serve over rice or with naan or roti. (Keep leftovers separate from rice, or the rice will eat up all the sauce).