Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos

Crispy roasted cauliflower baked down with lentils in a cozy, spiced yellow curry ginger sauce tucked into a charred tortilla: these Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos are the best weeknight comfort food. 

Indian food is truly the best. Still, while I have a few Indian recipes (aka my Healthy Indian Spiced Chicken and Cauliflower and Creamy Curried Lentils with Roasted Eggplant), I really don’t make it that often. In all honesty, Indian food is one of those cuisines that feels so intimidating — like I can’t make it without generations of Indian grandmothers passing down sacred family recipes. Hence, I’ve always resorted to ordering from my favorite local Indian spot… which is for real some of the best Indian food I’ve ever had (beats out any of the Michelin star big city spots!!). It’s just so good. Recently, however, I’ve been craving a bit of a challenge in the kitchen — a challenge to make food that’s just as good as the classic, family Indian recipes, but is a bit more approachable. Aka, I made these Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos: the perfect balance between your traditional good Indian flavors and a modern, simpler twist. And, let me tell you, they’re truly the best. You have to make this one!!

the breakdown…

These Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos are seriously one of the simplest, hearty vegetarian dishes out there. You’ve got the lentils for some protein, a super easy addicting sauce, and some lighter additions with the cauliflower and greek yogurt, as opposed to meat and coconut milk or cream, respectively. Plus, most of the cooking time for this dish is totally hands off — making it extremely easy for those busy weeknight dinners!! And who doesn’t love a taco?? I mean, c’mon!!

To start everything off, let’s make the spice mixture. Spices are everything in Indian cooking, so definitely don’t skip on this blend. I go in with a mixture of yellow curry powder, garam masala, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper flakes. You can really use any curry powder here, but any of the yellow varieties are my favorite. In fact, that’s what makes this dish a “korma.” On top of that, however, I go in with some additional Indian spices with garam masala — which is actually a spice blend in itself. This blend, however, is made with tons of somewhat obscure spices, so you’re really better off buying garam masala pre-mixed.

toss it up!!

Once it’s all mixed up, go ahead and toss half of that blend with the cauliflower florets. I like to make a full blend ahead of time and separate half of it on my cauliflower and have for the rest of the sauce, simply because it’s much easier than measuring everything twice. Plus, by tossing your cauliflower with some spices before throwing it into the sauce, your cauliflower gets perfectly crispy while still locking in a ton of flavor. Oh, and, with a little greek yogurt thrown onto your cauli too?? You get an amazingly spiced crust that forms around the outside of each floret. It’s truly so hard to not eat this stuff straight from the pan.

But, alas, you’ve got to save it to throw into that creamy korma sauce. To start this off, saute some onion, garlic, and ginger in a bit of olive oil. Avocado oil or coconut oil would also be delicious, especially if you’re looking to make things more authentically Indian. But, really, most of the flavor comes from that spicy garlic and ginger and the remaining half of the spice blend. It’s truly so good!

so easy to throw together…

With that flavor locked and loaded, go ahead and add the bulk of the dish: the lentils, diced tomatoes, and vegetable broth. It may seem like a lot of liquid, but the lentils will help cook everything down properly. Once the lentils are nice and softened, you’ll be left with the perfect consistency for a sauce. All there’s left to do is toss in the cauliflower and stuff it in a tortilla!

I love to serve these Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos in a charred flour tortilla. I find this to be the lightest option, and easiest for a busy weeknight meal. That being said, you could easily stuff these in some warm fresh naan, too. Really, I would probably make this recipe into a naan sandwich type of thing if I wasn’t going for the easiest option… I’m a naan snob and really only like it homemade which I don’t always have time for. Thus, charred tortillas are the perfect solution. Stuff your mixture into a tortilla freshly charred over and open flame, top it with some fresh herbs and almonds, and get chowing down. Truly, this dish is the perfect cozy meal for any night of the week. You could serve it up with basmati rice, some simple greens, or just as is. It’s truly the best easy Indian recipe!

I hope you love these Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))

Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos

Recipe by Annie PatrickCourse: Main CourseCuisine: Indian, AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Total time

50

minutes

Crispy roasted cauliflower baked down with lentils in a cozy, spiced yellow curry ginger sauce and tucked into a charred tortilla: these Easy Cauliflower and Lentil Korma Tacos are the best weeknight comfort food. 

Ingredients

• 3 tsp yellow curry powder

• 3 tsp garam masala

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp salt

• ¼ tsp cinnamon

• Red pepper flakes, to taste

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

• ½ + 1 cup plain greek yogurt

• 1 large lemon, juiced

• 1 + 1 tbsp olive oil*

• 1 yellow onion, diced

• 5 cloves garlic, finely diced

• 1 inch fresh ginger, grated

• 1 cup red or black lentils

• 1 15 oz can petite diced tomatoes

• 2 ½ cups vegetable broth

• 8-10 charred flour tortillas, to serve

• Fresh cilantro, tarragon, or chives, to garnish

• toasted chopped almonds or pistachios, to serve

• crumbled feta cheese, to serve (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a small bowl, whisk the curry powder, garam masala, garlic powder, salt, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes.
• Toss the cauliflower florets with HALF of the spice mixture, ½ cup of the greek yogurt, the lemon juice, and 1 tbsp of the olive oil. Spread out on the baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the cauliflower is crispy but not too soft.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium high heat. Once hot, toss in the onion and saute for 4-5 minutes, or until translucent. Then, toss in the garlic, ginger, and remaining half of the spice mixture and cook for another 30-60 seconds, or until the garlic is fragrant.
• Pour in the diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, and lentils, and bring to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the lentils are cooked through. During this time, gradually whisk in a few tbsp of the korma mixture to the remaining 1 cup of the greek yogurt (This will make it so the yogurt does not split into speckles once added to the korma because of temperature shock). Then, mix the tempered korma-yogurt into the rest of the sauce.
• Once crispy, toss the cauliflower back in with the sauce and continue to cook for 5-7 more minutes.
• Serve a big spoonful of the sauce into each charred tortilla, and top everything off with some herbs, nuts, and feta (if desired). Enjoy!

Notes

• Avocado oil or coconut oil would also be delicious, especially if you’re looking to make things more authentically Indian.