This delicious Curried Cauliflower is called Gobi Taktakin in India, where it’s a popular dish that’s sold on the street. And this fun way to cook cauliflower is a great side dish that’s very low in carbs.
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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, and that sounds like a 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 Curried Cauliflower 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. In India, this is made on the street and and knives are used to chop the cauliflower on huge griddles, and Bittman says the name comes from the sound the knives make as they chop.
I’m pretty sure Bittman’s version of this Indian street food is an Americanized version since it uses curry powder, but nevertheless this was tasty and a great low-carb side dish!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
What if you don’t have cumin seeds?
This Curried Cauliflower recipe uses both cumin seeds and curry powder. Mark Bittman says that cumin seeds are optional, 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 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. But please don’t skip the fresh lime squeezed over as you eat it!
How did this Curried Cauliflower 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 Cauliflower:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- 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 Curried Cauliflower with something like Herb-Marinated Air Fryer Chicken Thighs, Chicken Cutlets with Mustard Sauce, or Janet’s Mustard Chicken for a low-carb meal.
More Tasty Recipes with Cauliflower:
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:
4
Serving Size:
1
Amount 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 Cauliflower would be a great side dish for low-carb eating plans or for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.
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 might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This Curried Cauliflower 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 2023.
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