Cauliflower Stir Fry Recipe

Updated: January 13, 2024, By Swasthi

Make this delicious Cauliflower Stir Fry under 25 minutes. This fusion style stir fried cauliflower is so simple that anyone can cook! It goes well with just anything. Serve along-side noodles, Basmati Rice dal, Turmeric Rice, quinoa or with cooked millets. This Cauliflower Stir Fry tastes so good that you can eat it as a snack too. I have used only cauliflower here, feel free to add different veggies liked sliced onions, scallions, bell peppers and carrots for varied flavors.

Cauliflower Stir Fry



This recipe requires basic pantry staples like oil, ground spices, fresh herbs and a basic homemade stir fry sauce (shared below). Indian chili powder, garlic powder, garam masala (or five spice) and fresh garlic impart wonderful flavors to the stir fried cauliflower.

To add another layer of flavors, I also use soya sauce, vinegar and little maple syrup, which is the stir fry sauce here. You are free to leave out this sauce if you want or incorporate more Indian flavors by using kasuri methi, amchur (dried mango powder) or chaat masala.

Expert Tips

  • Remove the leaves from the cauliflower head and rinse under running tap water (upside down). Break up or cut the florets to almost the same size. Add them to a colander and rinse them again. Shake off to get rid of excess water.
  • To get rid of small creatures in the cauliflower, add them to a bowl of slightly hot water (not very hot) with little salt and vinegar. Leave them for 5 minutes. This step helps to get rid of any small bugs hidden in the florets. Salt & vinegar helps to get rid of any unwanted residue.
  • It is important to splash water at intervals to steam cook the cauliflower.
  • To make the Indian version (without sauce and vinegar), you can also add some chaat masala/ amchur (dried mango powder), kasuri methi and cumin powder.
  • You can add your favorite sauce. But if you add too much of liquid/sauce, you may end up with too much sauce.

More Cauliflower Recipes
Cauliflower Pakora
Gobi Manchurian
Cauliflower Curry
Aloo Gobi
Cauliflower Masala
Cauliflower Kurma

Photo Guide

How to Make Cauliflower Stir Fry (Stepwise Photos)

1. For this recipe you will need 5 cups of cleaned cauliflower florets (450g,1 lb). Make sure most of the florets are of the same size as you want them to be cooked evenly. If you are new to cleaning cauliflower, read my pro tips below.

cleaned cauliflower florets to be stir fried

2. Add the following spices to a small bowl and mix them.

  • ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or chili flakes (adjust to heat tolerance)
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon Garam masala or five spice as needed
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • Also measure ¼ teaspoon salt and keep it aside (do not mix with the spices)
ground spices in a bowl

3. You may leave out this stir fry sauce but it adds another layer of flavors. Optionally make the stir fry sauce by mixing

  • ½ to ¾ tablespoon soya sauce or tamari
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or ½ teaspoon sugar/jaggery
  • ¾ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
stir fry sauce for cauliflower

4. Chop 2 tablespoons of coriander leaves or any other fresh herbs. Slice ¾ to 1 tablespoon garlic cloves. Keep them thick. If you are using small cloves, just crush them and use.

chopped herbs and garlic

5. Pour 2 tablespoons oil to a heavy bottom pan or wok and heat it.
Add garlic cloves.

fry garlic in oil

6. Stir in the cauliflower and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on a medium high heat.

stir fry cauliflower in oil

7. Sprinkle the salt.

sprinkle salt

8. Reduce the heat to low. Mix all the spices and sprinkle them all over. Mix well.

sprinkle spices on cauliflower stir fry

9. Splash 1 to 2 tbsps water & mix. Cover and lower the heat. Let cook until the florets are tender/cooked but not too soft. If the pan is too dry, you may splash a few tbsps of water in between and continue to cook. It takes me 4 to 5 mins for this step.

cover and cook cauliflower

10. Optionally if you want to use the sauce, increase the heat to medium high or high and pour the sauce all over.

pour sauce

11. Stir fry on the highest heat till all of the sauce is absorbed by the cauliflower. Taste test and add more salt, spices or sauce to your liking. Adding too much of sauce or spices is going to make your cauliflower too salty, spicy and is going to overpower the flavors. Sprinkle coriander leaves.

garnish cauliflower stir fry with coriander leaves

Remove Cauliflower Stir Fry to serving plate and serve hot as a side with just anything. We serve with basmati rice & dal, rice-curry or quinoa and raita.

Cauliflower Stir Fry Recipe

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

cauliflower stir fry recipe

Cauliflower Stir Fry Recipe

5 from 24 votes
This delicious cauliflower stir fry is simple and quick to make. Serve it with rice, quinoa, millets & dal or curry.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi
Diet : Gluten Free, Vegan

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 5 cups (450g, 1 lb) cauliflower florets (cleaned)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 tablespoon garlic cloves sliced thick
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • ½ to 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or chili flakes
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon Garam masala or five spice as needed
  • ½ to ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves /cilantro or any fresh herbs of choice

Optional (Stir fry sauce)

  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup or ½ teaspoon sugar/jaggery
  • ¾ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • ½ to ¾ tablespoon soya sauce or tamari


Instructions

How to make Cauliflower Stir Fry

  • Mix together chili powder, garam masala & garlic powder in a bowl. Keep aside. Optional – Mix together soya sauce, vinegar and sugar in a small bowl to make the stir fry sauce. Keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or wok. Add the garlic cloves and cauliflower florets.
  • Stir fry on a medium high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle salt and spices. Mix well and pour 1 to 2 tbsps water.
  • Cover and cook on a low heat, until tender/cooked but not too soft. If your pan is too dry, splash little water as you cook to prevent burning. It takes me 4 to 5 minutes for this step but can be different for you.
  • Increase the heat to high and optionally pour the stir fry sauce. Stir fry until all of the sauce is soaked up the cauliflower. Taste test and add more salt, spices or sauce to your taste.
  • Garnish with fresh herbs and serve Cauliflower Stir Fry as a side.


Notes

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Video

Watch Cauliflower Stir Fry Video

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Cauliflower Stir Fry Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 139 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Trans Fat 0.04g
Polyunsaturated Fat 3g
Monounsaturated Fat 6g
Sodium 419mg18%
Potassium 492mg14%
Carbohydrates 11g4%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 4g4%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 119IU2%
Vitamin C 74mg90%
Calcium 43mg4%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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Recipe Rating




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5 stars
As always your recipes are delicious and never fail. Tried out this one today…turned out really well.

5 stars
Love It

I have made this recipe twice and like it. I love the spice profile but can’t use the sauces. Can I use tomatoes or any other substitute? If so please suggest.

very good

5 stars
Delicious! But it requires more spices like cumin and coriander. I used fish sauce and it was amazing.

5 stars
Very nice. My wife went on a work trip so I made this cauliflower stir fry. Both my boys loved it.

5 stars
This was yummy. Followed the recipe exactly and it turned out delicious.

5 stars
I used cleaned and cut florets from the stores. So this took me only 15 minutes. Didn’t use the sauce and the spices were good enough to flavor the cauliflower. Thank you for another amazing recipe.

5 stars
This was lovely. Going to make it again

5 stars
I made this cauliflower stir fry last night. Delicious and easy. I used a teaspoon of tomato paste and left out the vinegar. Easy to make & was tasty.