Despite not being vegan, I am always trying to find inventive ways to reduce my meat and dairy consumption, and I have found meals like today’s recipe the perfect way to do that. My favorites are recipes that try to replicate the texture and taste of the meat component in order to try and keep the essence and heart of the dish.
This taco recipe does exactly that.
I originally saw this recipe on Jagruti’s excellent Jagruti’s Cooking Odyssey blog, so full credit to her for this brilliant dish. I’ve done my best to do the recipe justice on here!
This vegan take on tacos ditches the meat filling in favor of cauliflower and chickpeas, coated in a beautiful baked tandoori mix. All topped off with a delicious guacamole and housed in a soft tortilla.
There’s a lot going on in these tacos, but it all works so well. The crunch of the coated cauliflower, the spice of the mix, and the creamy guacamole creates a really balanced mix of flavors.
It all creates a beautiful summery sensation that goes perfectly as either a lunch or dinner meal. And even better: It’s cheap enough for those living on a budget.
From start to finish this dish only takes about 40 minutes to make, and couldn’t be easier.
Vegan Tandoori Cauliflower Chickpea Tacos
Ingredients
For the Tandoori Cauliflower and Chickpea mix
- 3 cup cauliflower florets
- 1 can of chickpeas drained
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp tandoori masala/curry powder
- 1 tbsp kashmiri red chilli powder
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp dry mango powder
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp. ginger-garlic paste
- Salt to taste
Creamy and Spicy Guacamole
- 1 avocado peeled and with stone removed
- 4 tbsp coriander chopped
- 1 hot green chilli
- 2 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- Salt to taste
To serve
- Tortilla wraps warmed
- Coleslaw/Pink slaw
- Green salad of your choice
- Lime cut into wedges
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 425°F/220°C
- In a mixing bowl, add the oil, tandoori masala, red chilli powder, cumin, mango powder, lemon juice, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Mix well.
- Add the cauliflower and chickpeas to the mix. Combine well, covering them in the mixture until evenly coated.
- Place the mix on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Try to spread the mix evenly across the tray, and prevent it from bunching up or piling up.
- Transfer the tray to the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Check on it regularly to ensure the mix doesn’t burn.
- While the mix bakes, make the guacamole. Put the peeled and de-stoned avocado, coriander, green chilli, garlic, lime juice and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth. If it’s a little thick, add a little water to allow it to smoothen.
- Once baked, remove cauliflower and chickpea mix from oven. Allow to cool for 5 minutes.
- Prepare the tortillas by filling each one with pink slaw, salad, tandoori cauliflower and chickpeas, and drizzle a little bit of guacamole on top. Garnish with lime wedges and chopped coriander. Serve and enjoy.
