Indian › Curried Coconut Quinoa and Greens with Roasted Cauliflower

Curried Coconut Quinoa and Greens with Roasted Cauliflower

Quinoa cooked in coconut milk with spicy Indian flavors, mixed with greens and topped with roasted cauliflower. A simple, vegan and gluten-free meal.

Updated by Kathryne Taylor on October 22, 2024

117 Reviews

347CommentsJump to recipe

Afternoon forecast: too many decisions up in the air. I stayed up to an ungodly hour last night trying to plan out what I need for my new [rent] house and where to put everything. I don’t know why I didn’t drag my blinky-eyed self to bed earlier, as my subconscious sorted some things out while I was asleep. Isn’t that how it always goes?

So today, in addition to sucking down two mugs of strong coffee and stumbling across a promising oatmeal cookie recipe, I’ve made some executive decisions. I’m feeling good about my pendant lamp choice for the dining area and can’t wait to hang a new framed print on the living room wall.

I’m sorry, my mind is all over the place. Please be patient with me over the next couple of weeks. I’ll be going nuts trying to get organized in my new place. At least I have lots of quinoa leftovers for sustenance. This dish is a new favorite. Although it definitely doesn’t qualify as authentic Indian food, the Indian flavors of turmeric, curry powder and coconut milk complement quinoa nicely. Dinner’s ready!

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Curried Coconut Quinoa and Greens with Roasted Cauliflower

• Author: Kathryne Taylor
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 4

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 117 reviews

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Quinoa cooked in coconut milk with spicy Indian flavors, mixed with greens and topped with roasted cauliflower. A simple, vegan and gluten-free meal.

Ingredients

Roasted Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-sized florets
• 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Sea salt

Curried coconut quinoa with greens

• 2 teaspoons melted coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon curry powder of choice (optional)
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 can (14 ounces) light coconut milk
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup quinoa, rinsed well in a fine mesh colander
• ⅓ cup raisins
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 4 cups baby arugula or chopped chard, spinach, maybe even kale*
• Optional garnishes: 2 green onions, chopped, and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Toss the cauliflower florets with coconut oil, cayenne pepper and a light sprinkle of sea salt. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes on the middle rack, turning halfway, until the cauliflower is tender and golden on the edges.
2. Cook the quinoa: In a large pot with a lid, warm the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is turning translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, curry powder and cardamom and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk, water, rinsed quinoa and raisins. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes.
3. Fluff the quinoa with a fork. Stir in the salt, vinegar and greens (if you intend to eat this dish as leftovers, I recommend storing leafy greens separate from the quinoa, as the greens don’t reheat well). Divide the quinoa into bowls and top with roasted cauliflower. Garnish with green onions and red pepper flakes if you’d like.

Notes

Loosely inspired by the sweet potato wrap at The Mixx in Kansas City.

*Greens options: I’m pretty sure chopped spinach or chard would work great in this recipe. If you’d like to try kale, remove the ribs first. To soften the chopped kale, you might want to sauté it in a little coconut oil or massage it first, like you would for a raw kale salad.

Change it up: For added protein, mix in some cooked chickpeas or pre-steamed lentils. For what it’s worth, though, I find this dish to be very filling as is.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

• Category: Main
• Cuisine: Indian