By Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff

Cauliflower in vegan sauce made with cashews and herbs 

Cauliflower is a picturesque and nourishing vegetable. Cooked with a good sauce and placed in a nice bowl, it is as sumptuous as it is full of essential nutrients.

The nutrition profile of cauliflower is quite impressive. Cauliflower is very low in calories and rich in a variety of vitamins and minerals, which are helpful in reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease. One cup of cauliflower provides us with 50% of our daily requirements for vitamin C, 14% of vitamin K, 12% of vitamin B6 and 15% of folate. So, let us dress up this already good-looking vegetable with a vegan, creamy and spiced cashew sauce. The addition of cashews also enhances the protein profile of this dish.

For the sauce:

1 cup fresh tomatoes, cooked and skin removed or 1 cup canned tomatoes (along with their juices)

½ cup whole cashews or cashew pieces soaked in 1½ cups of hot water for 20 to 30 minutes

1 tablespoon chopped ginger  

2 tablespoons cilantro leaves chopped, after removing thick stems

½ teaspoon salt

For the cauliflower sauté:

2 tablespoon peanut, safflower or sunflower seed oil 

¾ cup spring onion, cut into small pieces including all of the greens

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped finely

1 medium head of cauliflower, cut into large florets to obtain 4 to 5 cups 

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

½ teaspoon (or more for a spicier version) Kashmiri chili powder

2 teaspoons jalapeno pepper finely minced after removing seeds (optional for a spicier version)

1 teaspoon salt 

2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice. 

A few chopped curry leaves, if available or ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

First, make the sauce. If using fresh tomatoes, boil them in 3 cups of water for 2 minutes until skins start to split. Transfer the tomatoes into a bowl of cold water. Remove the skins from the tomatoes, cut them into small chunks and put them in an electric blender. (If using canned tomatoes, you don’t need to cook or remove skins. Simply place them along with their juices in the blender.) Add the soaked cashews with ½ cup of the water the nuts were soaking in. Add the ginger and cilantro leaves. Puree the mixture, adding more water if needed, to make a thick pourable sauce. Set the sauce aside. 

Next, heat the oil in a pot over a moderate flame and sauté the onion and garlic for a minute. Add the cauliflower. Sprinkle turmeric powder, Kashmiri chili powder, the optional jalapeno and salt and stir fry for 2 minutes to mix the spices. Add ½ cup water, lower the heat and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, add the cashew sauce and stir to mix. Cook for 5 minutes, checking to see if the cauliflower is cooked but not mushy. Add the lemon juice. Taste the cauliflower to correct the seasoning, adding more chili or salt. Garnish with curry leaves or cilantro and serve with rice or bread. 

Makes 6 servings.

Recipes by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, copyright 2025. Shanta is a Sunset District resident and the author of “Cooking Together” and “Flavors of India,” available at Other Avenues Food Store at 3930 Judah St. Shanta writes recipes and articles on food and nutrition. She teaches vegetarian and vegan cooking classes at her home and gives cooking demonstrations for the public at SFPL branches frequently which you can find by viewing San Francisco Public Library’s event page. You can also view her recipes via videos on YouTube by searching Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff’s YouTube videos.