Are you into fusion cuisine? Where you take culinary traditions from two different regions or cultures and fuse them together in one recipe? If you haven’t tried it before, you have to try these curried cauliflower and chickpea tacos with creamy cilantro sauce.
Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs. It pair perfectly with both curry flavors and tacos. I use it here to make a creamy cilantro sauce that is my favorite part of these tacos.
The curry roasted cauliflower also adds huge flavor as well. It is warming, complex, and adds a hint of spice.
I also added chickpea for protein, and used them to make refried bean-like mash that helps all the ingredients stay in the taco as well as adds necessary moisture.
Variations to the Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Sauce recipe:
- Make the chickpeas crunchy. Add them with the cauliflower in the first step instead of the second. They will dry out more and get more crunchy.
- For a lighter version, swap Greek yogurt for the mayo. I like the mayo because it adds more richness, and I always have it on hand.
- Make it vegan: be sure to use a vegan mayo, or try a coconut based yogurt instead.
- Other uses for the creamy cilantro sauce: You could use it to do more than just tacos. It would make an excellent sauce for grain bowls, stuffing pitas, as a salad dressing, or as a dip for fries!
Curried Cauliflower and Chickpea Tacos with Creamy Cilantro Sauce
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 mins
- Yield: 2-3
Ingredients
- 3 cup cauliflower, florets and stems
- 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp cumin
- 2 TBS olive oil, divided
- ½ tsp salt, divided
- ½ cup cilantro, leaves and stems
- 1 garlic clove
- 2 TBS lime juice
- 1-3 TBS water
- ¼ cup mayo or vegan mayo
- 6-8 corn tortillas
- ½ cup shredded red cabbage (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Toss the cauliflower with the curry powder and cumin, 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ teaspoon salt on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
- Add 1 cup chickpeas to the cauliflower, tossing to combine, and bake for 5 minutes, to heat the chickpeas through.
- Combine the cilantro and garlic in a mini food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, lime juice and 1 tablespoon water. Process until smooth. Remove from processor, reserving 2 TBS.
- Add the remaining ½ cup chickpeas, reserved 2 TBS cilantro sauce, and 1-2 TBS water to the food processor. Process until the chickpeas are about the texture of refried beans. Use enough water to make the paste moist without being too soft.
- Mix mayo into remaining cilantro sauce. Heat corn tortillas according to package directions. Spread the tortillas with the creamy chickpeas, top with the curry roasted cauliflower and chickpeas and red cabbage, if using. Drizzle with the creamy cilantro sauce.
Recipe inspired by Eating Well Magazine.
