This Indian Chicken Cauliflower Masala is inspired by one of the Master Chef Australia challenges I saw on television. They prepared this dish in three hours…. I created a simpler version of the Master Chef Tikka Masala and added more vegetables to get to the recommend quantity. I love Indian food, it’s so rich in flavors and full of spices. In this food blog, recipe and tips for a delicious Indian Chicken Cauliflower Masala. Check my other recipes too!
Indian Chicken Cauliflower Masala: What ingredients do you need for 4 diners?
- 1 hour of your time
- Wok
- Saucepan
- Blender or other food processor
- Steel pan for the rice
Ingredients
- Chicken breast: 350 gr cut into small parts, I mean 2 by 2 cm or so….
- Cauliflower: 1 medium cut in similar parts
- Green peas: 200 gr defrosted or fresh
- Coconut oil: 2 tablespoons
- Yoghurt: 2 tablespoons
- Garam masala: 1 teaspoon
- Rice for four persons
- Optional: Naan bread
Ingredients for the Masala
- Garlic: 4 big cloves
- Cashew nuts: 150 gr unsalted
- Tomato paste: 70 gr
- Peeled tomatoes: 400 gr
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon
- Red onion: 2 pieces cut in slices
- Coriander seeds or powder: ½ teaspoon
- Ginger: fresh 3 cm, take of the skin and cut it in big parts
- Turmeric: fresh 2 cm. Be careful with cleaning, you will get yellow easily
- Cumin: 2 teaspoons
- Cinnamon: ½ teaspoon
- Garam masala: 2 teaspoons
- Red chili pepper: 1 cut in pieces
- Coconut creamy cooking milk: 250 ml (use a good creamy one, not too watery)
- Salt: 1 teaspoon
- Black pepper: 1 teaspoon
- Coriander leaves: 4 tablespoons, cut the leaves without the steels
If you don’t like cauliflower you can replace it for broccoli of course
How to make Indian Chicken Cauliflower Masala?
First we start marinating the chicken in the yogurt and garam masala. Cut the chicken breasts in small parts; add the yogurt and 1 teaspoon of garam masala herbs and put all in a bowl or plate and set aside. You can marinate this 1-2 hours before if you have the time. Clean the cauliflower and cut in small part similar like the chicken pieces. Start cooking the rice for four persons, as described on the packing.
Clean, cut and or peel all the spices; garlic, unions, turmeric and ginger for the sauce (masala). Heat up one tablespoon of coconut oil in a sauce pan. Fry all the above spices and stir for couple of minutes; add the dry herbs, garam masala, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper to the mixture and fry a couple of minutes more. This is starting to smell good, right!?!?! Then add both of the tomato cans, coconut milk, lemon juice and cashew nuts to the pan and put the fire down.
Heat up the other table spoon of coconut oil in the wok and add the marinated chicken. Stir and fry till they get brownish ± 5 minutes on a strong fire and then add the cauliflower to the wok; stir now and then till all looks cooked and fried for ±5 minutes more.
Don’t fry the cauliflower too much, it will cook further in the sauce later on.
Next step; get the blender and blend the all the ingredients (of course not the chicken and cauliflower…..) to a red sauce and very tasty masala. Taste if you miss any salt or other spices and add if you think you miss something. Then add the peas to the sauce and still and finally add the chicken and cauliflower to the mixture!! Leave all there for 10 minutes with the lid on the pan and small fire. Toast the optional naan bread and finish the rice in the meantime.
Your Indian Chicken Cauliflower Masala is ready!!!! Prepare the plates with the rice and on the side the delicious masala put some coriander on top for decoration and the naan bread in a basket on the table.
If you eat the meal the next day, you will found out that it taste even better; the herbs have the time to get into the vegetables and chicken!!
सुख भोजन or enjoy your meal in Hindi!! Check here my Gado-Gado recipe!
