Gobi Matar Masala Cauliflower and Peas – Cauliflower and peas in a creamy Indian spiced tomato sauce. Perfect vegetarian meal or a great side dish to your grilled chicken.
Some days my ADD is out of control. This recipe is the result one of those ‘out of control’ days.
Originally, I was going to make an Italian seasoned roasted cauliflower and creamy peas. Two different dishes, two different recipes, two different posts. Gobi Matar Masala Cauliflower and Peas was definitely not on my mind.
Yet, when I got in the kitchen, I didn’t feel like doing that. I wanted to combine them, not combine them, not make what was originally planned, stick to the plan…my mind is a crazy place at times.
My daughter has been very picky as of late and Indian food is one way I can get her to eat any vegetable (even mushrooms if I cut them, shhh, please don’t tell her.)
I have been concerned about her lack of interest in anything not processed and when I started thinking Indian, I just went with my gut and made a recipe. I did not consult a cookbook, blog, Pinterest or a friend.
I just followed my instincts and made a dish using the limited knowledge I have of the cuisine. So of course, the base is similar to the chana masala recipe I made a while back, but still wonderfully delicious. But this has fueled me to learn more about Indian cuisine so I can branch out. Stay tuned for more recipes. But I’d love to find a good cookbook to study from, so if you have a suggestion, please post it in the comments.
Gobi Matar Masala (Cauliflower and Peas)
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 8 oz mushrooms; sliced
- 1 head cauliflower; cut into florets
- 1-16 oz pkg frozen peas
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1-15 oz can crushed tomatoes
- 1-15 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup cream
Spice Blend
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp chili powder (Indian not Mexican)-MORE for spicier
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8-1/4 tsp sugar (optional)
Instructions
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Heat a large skillet or pot over medium-high and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 mins, allowing them to sear and get golden.
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Add the cauliflower and the butter and cook for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the cauliflower to get some color and soften.
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Once the cauliflower has soften, remove vegetables from the pan; set aside.
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Add the crushed tomatoes to the hot pan, off heat and mix in the spices.
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Once the spices have been fully blended, slowly add the cream, whisking in until smooth.
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Return the cauliflower and mushrooms to the pan, mix into the sauce.
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Cook on medium heat, and add the canned tomatoes.
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Bring to a low rolling simmer and cook for about 10 minutes or until the cauliflower has fully softened to the desired texture.
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Reduce heat to low and stir in the peas gently the mixture. Once they are heated through, serve.
Recipe Notes
This can easily be made vegan: omit the cream altogether and sub more EVOO for the butter.
I’d like to thank my friend Rini of Healing Tomato. After I made the dish, I told her what I did and she gave me the name. Otherwise, I’d have no idea what to call it.
Update: Since making this, I’ve dabbled a bit more in Indian food. You might like:
- Chicken and Sweet Potato Curry
- Slow Cooker Butter Chicken
- Butter Chicken
- Potato and Pea Curry
- Tuna Curry
22 Comments
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
April 16, 2015 at 4:37 amThis is SUCH a wonderful Indian dish! Indian is my favorite cuisine to cook. The spices, colors, flavors..I can’t get enough!
Michelle
April 16, 2015 at 11:30 amI’m right there with you Rebecca. It’s so full of flavor.
Kristen @ A Mind Full Mom
April 16, 2015 at 5:42 amI love to hear that I am not the only one who suffers from ADD 🙂 I love this masala recipe. My daughter loves cauliflower and Indian spices, so I must make this for her.
Michelle
April 16, 2015 at 11:31 amI love that your daughter loves cauliflower! That’s so wonderful.
Abigail
April 16, 2015 at 7:33 amLove cooking with spices and especially Indian food as that’s one of our fave cuisines! This cauliflower and peas looks so vibrant and flavorful!
Michelle
April 16, 2015 at 11:31 amThe spices are fun, I think turmeric is my favorite, a little goes a very long way.
Sheena @ Tea and Biscuits
April 16, 2015 at 7:40 amLove this! We are huge fans of Indian food in our home, definitely my husband’s favorite type of cuisine 🙂
Michelle
April 16, 2015 at 11:32 amSo happy to hear that Sheena, hope you all enjoy it.
Laura @MotherWouldKnow
April 16, 2015 at 11:38 amCauliflower is such a great vegetable “base” for sauces and spices. I love Indian cuisine and although I’ve probably had it in restaurants, I’ve never tried it at home. A great weeknight side dish!
Michelle
April 18, 2015 at 9:23 amIt’s really easy to make at home, all you needed is some basic Indian spices, all of which are available at most markets these days, even my tiny rural grocery stores have them. You’ll be set after that.
allie @ Through Her Looking Glass
April 16, 2015 at 12:03 pmWhat a gorgeous meal Michelle. I’ve never made anything Indian before, and I learned so much from this post about spices alone. It’s time to widen my horizons…
Michelle
April 18, 2015 at 9:23 amThanks Allie. I am working on a post just about Indian Spices, look for it in a few weeks, I’m still researching now.
Cynthia/What A Girl Eats
April 16, 2015 at 6:38 pmI really love indian food…one of my favorite cuisines! Your cauliflower looks like my cup of tea!
Michelle
April 18, 2015 at 9:24 amThank you Cynthia, hope you enjoy it.
Healing Tomato
April 16, 2015 at 9:16 pmI love all your Indian recipes. This recipe is so great with all the right spices blended into it. The garam masala makes this recipe very flavorful and aromatic. Congrats on a wonderful recipe.
Michelle
April 18, 2015 at 9:24 amThank you HT. Appreciate your support as you are an expert.
Josie
April 16, 2015 at 10:04 pmThis looks so colorful, and I bet it smells amazing while the aromatic spices are cooking! Yum 🙂
Michelle
April 18, 2015 at 9:25 amSmells wonderful yes and for a very long time! 😉
Aida @ TheCraftingFoodie
April 18, 2015 at 3:31 pmThis looks so good! A lot of Indian food is made from a similar base – onions, garlic, ginger, spices (either whole, ground, or a mixture of the two), and often tomatoes. I cook Indian food at home almost every day, but I don’t often post it on my blog bc I don’t really cook from recipes. It’s just what I learned from my mom and grandmother 🙂
Michelle
April 19, 2015 at 4:21 pmOh Aida, please recreate some of your family recipes, what a treasure for you to share with us. I have had a hard time with those family recipes because I wasn’t taught by measuring, but my wrist flicks of spices and such. Trying to make them for the blog, measuring them out has been hard and I have yet to get them 100% perfect like my grandma’s.
Gin
April 30, 2015 at 9:17 pmThis looks absolutely delicious, and reminds me I don’t use nearly enough cauliflower! Gotta get some. Thanks for a great recipe!
Michelle
May 1, 2015 at 3:15 pmThank you Gin! We all need more cauliflower in our lives. 🙂