![Butter cauliflower and chickpeas in a bowl with rice, mint sauce, cilantro, and pickled onions.](https://pinchofyum.com/wp-content/uploads/Butter-Cauliflower-and-Chickpeas-1.jpg)
This Butter Cauliflower Is a New Weeknight Staple.
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It’s 5pm. Here’s what you’re doing (and me, too):
- Roasting some cauliflower
- Adding a jar of butter sauce
- And a can of chickpeas, lightly smashed
- Piling a steamy scoop on some rice
- And topping the whole thing with mint cilantro sauce
And it’s the easiest little veg-forward number that three out of four in my family love. (Toddler is the holdout.)
The cauliflower is roasty and seasoned to the max, and the chickpeas get just a little bit chunky and creamy when you give them a few good smashed. They’re just a bit TOO round sometimes, ya know?
You can make a butter sauce from scratch, or you can just do as I’ve been doing and buy the KFI brand butter chicken sauce from Costco which comes in a big jar and works like a charm. I’ve also heard via your DMs on Instagram that their Vindaloo sauce is even better. If you don’t have a Costco, any brand of tikka masala or Indian-spiced simmer sauces that you love would work just as well (and you can give it some love with a bit of extra cream or butter).
Nothing will beat a made-from-scratch sauce, I know, I know. But all I’m trying to beat with this recipe is myself from defaulting to a frozen pizza for dinner. End result: a veg-forward dish that makes the house smell great and that comes together effortlessly. That’s what I’m here for.
If you can swing it, a little tangle of pickled onions on top is very nice.
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Make This Butter Cauliflower With Me
1
Season and Roast the Cauliflower.
Coat the cauliflower in spices and some avocado oil. Roast in the oven or air fryer till it’s roasty and yummy.
![Raw cauliflower in a bowl tossed in spices.](https://pinchofyum.com/wp-content/uploads/Spices-on-Cauliflower-scaled.jpg)
Don’t skimp on the spices!
2
Activate Your Yummy Butter Sauce.
Homemade, with a pureed base of onions, garlic, ginger, spices, and tomato sauce plus cream and butter, is delicious. Or… just use a store-bought sauce! Costco sells KFI brand butter chicken sauce and I’ve been enjoying it as an SOS option.
![Butter and cream in a pot with butter chicken sauce.](https://pinchofyum.com/wp-content/uploads/Butter-Cauliflower-Sauce-scaled.jpg)
Here’s a homemade run – nice lil knob of butter and some cream going in!
3
Add Your Chickpeas and Mash.
Okay, you don’t have to mash them. But sometimes chickpeas are just a bit too round. If you can understand that weird sentiment, you’ll probably enjoy a bit of mashing for texture.
![Mashing chickpeas in a pot with sauce.](https://pinchofyum.com/wp-content/uploads/Smashing-Chickpeas-scaled.jpg)
Add chickpeas and give ’em a few good smashes.
4
Add Cauliflower Back In.
Here she comes, looking nice and roasty!
![Adding cauliflower to the chickpea sauce mixture.](https://pinchofyum.com/wp-content/uploads/Cauliflower-in-Butter-Chicken-Sauce-scaled.jpg)
Those spices did us well.
5
You’re Done! Yum!
I love, love, love this with some kind of a cilantro sauce which is why you’ll see a waterfall of it on my bowl here.
![Butter cauliflower and chickpeas in a bowl with mint sauce on top.](https://pinchofyum.com/wp-content/uploads/Butter-Cauliflower-and-Chickpeas-scaled.jpg)
A golden mountain of butter cauliflower topped with rivers of mint sauce.
![A picture of Butter Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Mint Cilantro Sauce](https://pinchofyum.com/wp-content/uploads/Butter-Cauliflower-and-Chickpeas-1-Square-183x183.jpg)
Butter Cauliflower and Chickpeas with Mint Cilantro Sauce
Total Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 1x
Description
This Butter Cauliflower and Chickpeas is a weeknight staple! Roasty spiced cauliflower, a jar of butter sauce, a can of chickpeas, and a pile of steamy rice with a waterfall of mint sauce on top.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Butter Cauliflower and Chickpeas:
- 1–2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
- 1 teaspoon each cumin, garam masala, and curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 jar of butter chicken sauce (24.5 ounces) or homemade
Mint Cilantro Sauce:
- 1/4 cup packed mint leaves
- 1/4 cup packed cilantro
- 1/2 cup mayo or plain Greek yogurt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 small chunk of jalapeño, optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Roast the cauliflower: Toss the cauliflower with the avocado oil, cumin, garam masala, curry powder, smoked paprika, and salt. Roast at 425 / 20 minutes in the air fryer, or 425 / 30 minutes in the oven until nice and roasty and golden.
- Make the mint sauce: Blitz everything up until it’s nice and smooth. I like to really blend this one so it’s less chunky and more of a smooth green sauce.
- Butter sauce time: Add butter sauce and chickpeas to a large skillet. Smash the chickpeas lightly with a potato masher to give a more interesting texture if you want (I do want). Add cauliflower back in.
- Serve: Serve the butter cauliflower on rice and top with the mint sauce. Add pickled onions if you want. ENJOY!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Indian-Inspired
Keywords: butter chicken, butter sauce, cauliflower, chickpeas, easy dinner
Frequently Asked Questions For This Butter Cauliflower
I think some roughly chopped or shredded boneless skinless chicken thighs could tuck in that sauce nicely with the cauliflower and chickpeas. Or, just go straight for a meat instead of the veggies in the sauce – like these butter chicken meatballs.
Use coconut cream, coconut milk, cashew cream, and/or ghee to make it nice and creamy!
Yes! I will say, I love the roasty bits on the caulfilower and I feel like it adds a lot of flavor, texture, and color. That said, absolutely yes – save yourself some time and just throw that cauliflower right in the pan if you’re not feeling too precious about it.