Quick Cauliflower Curry Stir Fry

Watch the Video Tutorial

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You want the robust flavour of a Thai curry, but as quickly done as a stir-fry, this recipe is your answer. Cauliflower is seared to develop a more intense flavour, then stir-fried in coconut milk and Thai curry paste. It's a flavour-packed, healthy dish that is delicious as vegetable side dish, but is also robust enough to be a vegetarian entree. Adding meat or other proteins is also an option too!

Ingredients

• 350 g cauliflower florets. Don't cut them too big, and cut them so that there is a flat side which will allow for nice browning.
• 1 tsp fish sauce. To make this vegan you can substitute soy sauce or a pinch of salt
• ⅔ cup coconut milk, see this post for how to choose good coconut milk.
• 2 Tbsp yellow curry paste, store bought is fine. I use Mae Ploy brand for this recipe, but if you want to make it from scratch, here's my yellow curry paste recipe.
• 1 tsp paprika, this is completely optional. I only add it to brighten the colour up a bit.
• 1 ½ Tbsp palm sugar, or light brown sugar
• ¼ onion
• ½ cup cherry tomatoes
• Chopped cilantro for garnish, optional 
• Fried shallots, this is an optional garnish for some extra crunchy yumminess. You can buy fried shallots from Asian grocery stores, but I recommend refreshing them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes to make them crispier. If you want to make it from scratch, here is my DIY fried shallots recipe.

How to Make Cauliflower Curry Stir Fry

Here are the steps, but if this is your first time, I highly recommend watching the video tutorial to ensure success!

1. In a large skillet over medium high heat, add just enough oil to coat the bottom. Before the oil gets too hot, add the cauliflower, sprinkle on the fish sauce or salt, and toss briefly to mix. Arrange the cauliflower so that the flat side is touching the pan. Let sear for a few minutes until browned.
   
   Tip: You can sear the cauliflower on one side if you wanna be quick, or you can flip the florets and sear them on another side as well to maximize flavour.
2. In a wok, add half of the coconut milk and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Stir in curry paste and paprika (if using) then reduce the coconut milk until thick and the coconut oil starts separating from the paste and the paste is sizzling.
3. Add palm sugar and stir to mostly dissolve it. Add the remaining coconut milk and stir to mix. 
4. Add onions, stir briefly to break up the layers, then add the cauliflower and keep tossing until the florets are done to your liking. Timing will depend on how cooked the cauliflower is from searing, and how soft/firm you like them. If the sauce dries up before the cauliflower cooks, add a splash of water to buy it some more time. 
5. Once cauliflower is done, add the tomatoes and toss for 30 seconds to heat through. Turn off the heat, then taste add more fish sauce or soy sauce as needed. 
6. Toss in cilantro to finish. Plate and top with some fried shallots if you wish, and serve with jasmine rice!

Recipe Variations

There are many different ways to change things up for this recipe!

• Use a different curry paste! Red curry paste, green curry paste, or even massman curry paste will all work and yield different flavours.
• Add protein. If you want to make this a complete meal, you can add meat or vegan protein right into it. If using meat, thinly slice them into bite-sized pieces, and let it marinate in a little fish sauce while you prep. Then, add it in after step 3, before adding the onions, and cauliflower after the protein has mostly cooked through.

Recipe Tips

• The searing step might seem like extra work you are tempted to skip, but that is the step that makes all the difference. When you sear the vegetable you brown it which means you're developing bold, intense flavour. AND you're also drying it out of its liquid which means you're concentrating the natural flavours.
  
  If you throw them raw into the wok, 1) they'll take way longer to cook, so you're not really saving that much time, and 2) you'll be eating an equivalent of boiled cauliflower by the time it's done in terms of texture.
• Always, always taste! When cooking with store bought curry paste, there can be a huge range in terms of saltiness, spiciness, and strength of flavour. So it's important to taste and adjust before you put the dish on the table. For more on variation between brands, see my store-bought curry paste review!

Watch The Full Video Tutorial!

All my recipes come with step-by-step video tutorials with extra tips not mentioned in the blog post, so make sure you watch the video below to ensure success - and if you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. Thank you!

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