Curried Sauteed Cauliflower
Curried Sauteed Cauliflower is called Gobi Taktakin in India where it’s a popular street food, and this fun way to cook cauliflower is a great low-carb side dish.
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Back in the early days of my blog I did a series of recipes adapted from Mark Bittman’s book The Best Recipes in the World (affiliate link). This international cookbook has dishes that Bittman traveled all over the world to sample, great job if you can get it, right? I think I liked every recipe I made from the book; I just wish I could try them all in the original countries.
This is a recipe where the chopped cauliflower, onion, and spices are quickly stir-fried over high heat, and I like the way the cauliflower still has a little crunch when it’s done. Mark Bittman says that cumin seeds are optional in the recipe, but they’re so traditional in Indian cooking and they add so much flavor that I’d probably opt for a recipe like Curry Roasted Cauliflower if you only have ground cumin.
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
- cauliflower
- Peanut Oil (affiliate link)
- cumin seed
- red onion
- Sweet Curry Powder (affiliate link)
- Hot Curry Powder (affiliate link)
- salt and black pepper
- cilantro
- lime
What is Curry Powder?
This recipe uses curry powder (affiliate link) which is a blend of spices used in Indian food. Most Indian cooks would blend their own spices, but if you’re intimidated at cooking Indian food, using the pre-mixed curry powder blend makes it easier. There are many good commercial brands but I love both the sweet curry powder and hot curry powder from Penzeys, and I’ve used those for years. I use a combination of sweet curry powder and hot curry powder when I make this, but use whatever curry powder you have.
What if you don’t like cilantro?
The recipe as Bittman wrote it has chopped cilantro mixed in and also sprinkled on top as a garnish, but if you’re a cilantro hater I think mint or flat parsley would be good in this. And please don’t skip the fresh lime squeezed over as you eat it!
How did this Indian dish get the name Gobi Taktakin?
This dish of chopped cauliflower cooked with red onions, cumin seeds, and curry powder is called Gobi Taktakin in India, and Bittman says the name comes from the “tak-tak” sound made by knives of the street vendors when they chop up the cauliflower in the pan as it cooks.
How to Make Curried Sauteed Cauliflower:
(Scroll down for complete recipe with nutritional information.)
- Chop up the cauliflower into small pieces. (In India I’m guessing the pieces are even smaller than the ones I made.)
- Finely chop enough red onion to make 1/2 cup.
- Heat the oil, sizzle the cumin seeds for 30 seconds, then add the cauliflower, red onion, and curry powders, and start to cook over medium high heat.
- Continue cooking about 6-8 minutes, stirring a few times (but not too often so the onion and cauliflower will get slightly browned.)
- It’s done when the cauliflower is cooked through but still slightly crisp.
- When cauliflower is done, turn off the heat and mix in most of the chopped cilantro (or other herb of your choice), saving some to sprinkle on top.
Make it a Low-Carb Meal:
I’d eat this with something like Herb-Marinated Air Fryer Chicken Thighs or Janet’s Mustard Chicken for a low-carb meal.
More Tasty Recipes with Cauliflower:
Spicy Cauliflower Rice
Easy Cheesy Baked Keto Cauliflower
Greek Cauliflower Rice Bake
Curried Sauteed Cauliflower
Curried Sauteed Cauliflower is called Gobi Taktakin in India, where it’s a delicious and popular dish that’s sold on the street.
Ingredients
- 1/2 large head cauliflower, chopped into very small pieces
- 2 T peanut oil (see notes)
- 1 tsp. cumin seed (more or less to taste)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1 tsp. sweet curry (or more to taste)
- 1/2 tsp. hot curry (or more to taste)
- salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, or more (see notes)
- 1 fresh lime, cut to squeeze over when eating
Instructions
- Use a large frying pan which will hold all the cauliflower in a single layer.
- Preheat the pan for 30 seconds over medium-high heat, then add oil and heat about 1 minute.
- Add cumin seeds and saute 30 seconds.
- Then add onion, cauliflower, curry powders, salt and pepper and cook 6-8 minutes, stirring only occasionally so the onion carmelizes and cauliflower gets slightly browned. (It’s done when the cauliflower is cooked through but still slightly crisp.)
- Add most of chopped cilantro (or other herb) and stir, then put on serving dish.
- Top with the rest of the chopped cilantro.
- Serve with cut limes to squeeze over.
Notes
I used Penzeys sweet and hot curry. You can use any neutral-flavored oil if you don't have Peanut Oil (affiliate link). Use mint or parsley if you’re not a cilantro fan.
Recipe adapted from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World (affiliate link).
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 107Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 164mgCarbohydrates: 10gFiber: 4gSugar: 4gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Curried Sauteed Cauliflower would be a great side dish for any phase of the South Beach Diet, or any other type of low-carb eating plan.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Side Dishes to find more recipes like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You can also Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was posted in 2005, when I was obsessed with Mark Bittman’s book! It was updated with better photos in 2014 and was last updated with more information in 2021.
38 Comments on “Curried Sauteed Cauliflower”
Just wanted to say this is one of my all-time favorite recipes! I LOVE cauliflower, curry and cilantro so this was a win, win, win for me! Thanks!
Barbara, I am trying to venture more into Indian cooking too, because I love the flavors. This was certainly easy enough, but some of the dishes are kind of overwhelming for me. (And I am still puzzled as to how those people knew it was my birthday in 2005; must have said something about it the day before I guess!)
I started to read the comments and suddenly thought 'how could I have missed your birthday'? Then I saw the date. I bought an Indian cook book in the second hand store recently and the recipes look much easier than I expected.
I like this cauliflower recipe.
Chris, glad you like it!
This looks great, Kalyn. I'm always looking for new ways to enjoy cauliflower, a veggie I overlook too often.
Miri, I love cumin seeds (and ground cumin too!) Love hearing about the other dishes; wish I could taste them all.
Thats a beautiful dish you have made there!
The most popular version of street food cauliflower is something called Gobi Manchurian(Gobi means Cauliflower in Hindi and manchurian is to denote its supposed Chinese origins – which I can assure you there are none!)Its cauliflower cut into florets and then dipped in a soy, cornflour and tomato sauce based batter and deep fried into fritters and then dunked into a soy and tomato sauce concoction.
Your version is more homestyle cooking and I love that you have used cumin seeds. The other homestyle classic is Aloo Gobi which is cauliflower and potatoes stir fried with ginger and some spices – lovely.
Thanks Dara. It was really good with the lime.
Jamie, it has been fun to try the recipes again, and of course I love having the photos improved!
Kelsum, so glad you like it!
you know I love this and why. Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables in Indian recipes.
Kaylin, this is such a great recipe! I have long wanted to add cauliflower to our family dinner repertoire but never know what to do with it. We all love Indian food and this is such a stunning, flavorful way to eat more of this fabulous, healthy vegetable. I love how you are redoing your old recipes!
I have fallen in love with cauliflower all over again and these spices make me certain that I would adore this recipe.
C.J. you are so observant. Actually it was my birthday when I posted this in 2005, but it's not today! And I can't figure out how all those people knew it was my birthday pre-Facebook! Love the cauliflower-curry combination!
P.s. Happy Birthday Kalyn!
Hah! You made cauliflower one of my favorite ways! I usually use lemon instead of lime but I love the color and mild flavor of the curried cauliflower. Easy, fun and a great flavor twist!
Thanks for spreading the curried cualiflower love Kalyn.
Thanks Priya. Wish I could go to India and eat it there!
wow, that looks wonderful !!!
Thanks Katherine! Ditto here.
I love cauliflower, curry AND Mark Bittman! This looks phenomenal. I can't wait to try it!