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Gulpea: Afghan Tomato & Cauliflower Curry

32 min

Side

10 ingredients or less

One-bowl / one-pot

This is a go-to dish in our family. Gulpea is an Afghan tomato and cauliflower curry, a vegetarian dish that features diced cauliflower and tomatoes or tomato paste cooked in warm and inviting spices. This simple and nutritious dish is typically served with Afghan-style bread, or over a bed of steamed white rice as a side dish.

Servings

Total

32 min

Prep

7 min

Cook

25 min

Free from

Soy symbol

soy

Peanut symbol

peanut

Treenut symbol

tree nut

Sesame symbol

sesame

Gluten symbol

gluten

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp (45 mL)
    vegetable oil
  • 1
    large onion, chopped
  • 3 Tbsp (49 g)
    tomato paste
  • ½ tsp
    ground turmeric
  • 1
    medium head cauliflower, broken into bite-sized pieces
  • 1
    red hot chili pepper, minced
  • 1 cup (240 mL)
    water
  • ¾ tsp
    salt
  • 1 pinch
    ground black pepper

Serves well with

Directions

  1. Add the oil and onion to medium pot on high heat and stir until the onion has become golden.
  2. Add the tomato paste and turmeric, and stir continuously for 30 - 60 seconds to lightly toast.
  3. Then add the remaining ingredients, cover, bring to a boil, and reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring every few minutes until water has been absorbed.
  4. The dish is ready when the cauliflower is soft. Enjoy!

Storage

Let us know what you think

Nutrition info

Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food. Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul. For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician. While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.

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Stacy ElmoreHacker - Oct. 22, 2024, 9:59 p.m.

Tasted rather bland I added some teryiki sauce. Won't make again.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Oct. 22, 2024, 10:18 p.m.

Hey Stacy, sorry to hear the cauliflower curry recipe didn't meet your expectations. Is there any chance you added 3 teaspoons of tomato paste rather than 3 tablespoons? The tomato paste helps give the recipe a lovely tangy flavour 🤗

In any case, adding more seasoning, like a squeeze of lemon, extra spices (such as cumin or coriander)could help boost the flavour in case you have any leftovers. We hope you enjoy our other recipes more.


Laila - Sept. 14, 2024, 8:02 a.m.

Loved this!!!


SG - Aug. 23, 2024, 4:18 a.m.

I am shocked at how something with so few ingredients can be so delicious and comforting. Loved it!


Anke We. - July 29, 2024, 11:21 p.m.

Simple, quick and delicious :) and perfect in combination with crispy tofu bites 😋


Paulina Ochoa - July 3, 2024, 1:54 a.m.

Easy to make and so flavourful! I served it with corn tortillas and it was simply delicious


Col Bertrand - April 19, 2024, 6:40 p.m.

Easy and delicious


Elaine Rose - Feb. 27, 2024, 2:23 a.m.

Love it! Simple and so flavourful! 😃


Leo - Feb. 23, 2024, 9:19 p.m.

I'm usually not the biggest fan of cauliflower. But this stuff I could eat every single day :D Thanks for the recipe, guys! ♥️

PUL small logo PUL Team - Feb. 23, 2024, 9:20 p.m.

So glad you're enjoying the recipe, Leo! It means a lot 😊


Nadia - Feb. 1, 2024, 6:45 a.m.

Omg so simple but so outrageously good. Loved!!! Doubled it second time I made it by adding same amount of Yukon Gold Potatoes as cauliflower and multiplied everything else. 😍also used same amount of tomato sauce instead of tomato paste second time and still came out awesome

PUL small logo PUL Team - Feb. 1, 2024, 7:30 a.m.

Aww love when simple adjustments lead to incredible results. Thanks, Nadia, we're glad the Gulpea was enjoyed 😊


Bogna Tomaszewska - Jan. 31, 2024, 5:26 p.m.

Easy to make and delicious!


Maruta - Dec. 30, 2023, 10:26 p.m.

Bija garšīgi! Sarakstā pie atkārtojamām receptēm. Paldies!


Cassidy - Dec. 14, 2023, 11:18 a.m.

Great recipe, so simple yet so flavourful! Definitely recommend trying :)


Živa - Aug. 18, 2023, 12:10 p.m.

Hi, can i use other vegetables than chilli pepper, for example olives, tomatoes or normal peppers?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 19, 2023, 9:30 p.m.

Hey Živa, certainly! It won't achieve the same flavour profile but we're big fans of experimenting and adding things you enjoy 😊


Michelle S. - July 28, 2023, 1:22 a.m.

Delicious! I added half the pepper to make it more kiddo friendly 🤤


Car - July 17, 2023, 8:25 p.m.

Very nice! I made it with rice and the Vegan chickpea ‘meatballs’, which were also very good!


Natálie - July 5, 2023, 7:04 p.m.

Loved the spiciness, caraway would also compliment it nicely. Thumps up! :)


Arya - June 27, 2023, 1:51 a.m.

So simple but very tasty!! Goes well with rice and salata 🙌🏻


Ori - June 22, 2023, 5:30 a.m.

I made this for the first time. Each serving of gulpea, I'm finding room for seconds. I'm a little sad I only have one serving left to take to work, haha. I can't wait to try more Afghan recipes!


Martunia - May 31, 2023, 8:17 p.m.

Lovely and so simple. I had it with rice and salata 👌


Miruna - April 19, 2023, 5:04 p.m.

I LOVE it!


Celina - April 14, 2023, 9:13 p.m.

This is so good! I made it today and it went so quickly, truly only a half an hour. My family and I had it together with rice and the Salata, as recommended and the flavours together were so delicious 😋
Thank you for this great recipe 🫶🏻

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 15, 2023, 3:20 a.m.

Awe so happy to hear, Celina, thank YOU 🥰


B - Feb. 23, 2023, 10:55 p.m.

Very good.


Dave - Sept. 15, 2022, 11:46 p.m.

I made this with a few minor adaptations and it was great! (I assume it would have been just as good without the changes.) I used chili-infused olive oil and then I tossed in about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes and some chopped garlic. Just as an experiment I added about half a teaspoon of liquid smoke (I figured it might give it a fire-cooked flavor). Now I have a way to eat cauliflower, something I'd been avoiding for a long time!

Congratulations on the wedding, by the way! Here's wishing you many decades of happiness.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 16, 2022, 1:53 a.m.

Mmm sounds delicious, Dave, thank you for taking the time to share! Your kind wishes mean so much 🤩


Miriam - Aug. 20, 2022, 1:43 a.m.

I never really knew how to cook cauliflower so that I like it. My least favourite vegetable in my childhood.
But since I'm very interested in trying recipes from other cultures than my own (German), I had to give this one a go.
And wow! I so enjoyed it! Exactly what I like in a dish: simple, delicious, flavourful. And healthy too!
I added a teaspoon of Dukkah and served it with some plain soy yoghurt.
I had 2 plates as it was so delicious and am stuffed now, but it was worth it! 😊😇
I think I will try some more Afghan Cuisine.
Thanks for this recipe, I highly recommend it 👍

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 20, 2022, 2:30 a.m.

Oh, Miriam, thank you for sharing your love and light - you're the best! It means so much. Happy cooking 💛

Miriam - Aug. 20, 2022, 2:39 a.m.

Food connects hearts 💛🤝💛


Gabby - Aug. 14, 2022, 6:44 p.m.

Can I use tomato paste from a tube, or is canned tomato paste different?

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 14, 2022, 9:20 p.m.

Hey there, Gabby, yes you can! Tomato paste in a tube may have salt already added to it, so you could hold off on adding salt to the dish to start and add it after giving the curry a taste if needed 🙂


Lu - July 26, 2022, 5:17 p.m.

Can I use frozen cauliflower for this¿ It's the only thing I have.
If not, are there any recipes here that I can make with frozen cauliflower¿

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 28, 2022, 7:13 a.m.

Hey Lu, yes you use frozen cauliflower 🙂 We also have a few other recipes that include cauliflower here: pickuplimes.com/recipe/?sb=&a…


Pat B - June 9, 2022, 6:15 p.m.

This meal has so much flavor and is so easy to make it has been added to our dinner rotation!

PUL small logo PUL Team - June 10, 2022, 11:11 p.m.

Woohoo! Thank you, Pat B, enjoy 🤗


Christina - April 13, 2022, 1:49 p.m.

Such a wonderful, simple, wholesome recipe! And fast to make, too! Thanks!

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 13, 2022, 5:42 p.m.

Beyond thrilled it's being enjoyed, Christina, thank you 😃


Mina - March 30, 2022, 10:18 p.m.

Perfect recipe I did add some Italian season.


Katie - March 18, 2022, 6:39 p.m.

I added chickpeas and substituted chili flakes since I didn’t have fresh hot chili. Excellent and simple!

PUL small logo PUL Team - March 18, 2022, 6:57 p.m.

Mmm delicious ideas, Katie, thank you!


Lili - Jan. 19, 2022, 2:07 a.m.

This dish is indeed very easy to make and SO fragrant. The whole house smelled divine. I should have doubled the batch of cauliflowers as suggested. I would not hesitate to make this recipe when I have guests over. We served it with rice but with naan bread, it would certainly be a hit.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Jan. 19, 2022, 7:14 p.m.

Awe we're so honoured that you'd serving the dish, Lili! Thank you 🤗


Sailesh Repakula - Jan. 3, 2022, 8:53 a.m.

Hello guys I’m Sailesh and I’m from India
I love your recipes and there are few ingredients which are not found in many places as you have audience from many parts of the world so can you guys give some tips like replacing ingredients
Ty you

PUL small logo PUL Team - Jan. 3, 2022, 7:03 p.m.

Hi there, Sailesh, thank you for taking the time to share the feedback! It's super valuable to help us improve. Are there any ingredients that tend to be less accessible? We'd love to take note of them and try to provide some alternatives if possible 😊


Gesa - Sept. 16, 2021, 3:45 p.m.

I have made this spicy colourful cauliflower dish several times as a side dish to rice or potatoes. I like how the tomato paste and the turmeric slowly coat the cauliflower and turn everything so vibrant and I really like the combination of flavours.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 16, 2021, 5:06 p.m.

We appreciate this so much, Gesa, thank you!


River - Sept. 13, 2021, 9:06 p.m.

Finally trying this recipe this week, super excited! Right now we've got a lot of jasmine rice at my place and we've been making tons of delicious curry. What kind of rice would you say this goes best with? Your Cauliflower Chickpea Coconut Curry has become a staple in my house, and we love serving it with our heaping piles of jasmine rice and sometimes saffron basmati rice!

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 14, 2021, 4:59 a.m.

Hi River! If you already have jasmine rice on hand, that will pair well 🙂 We also enjoy this one with brown rice or flavoured rice, such as: pickuplimes.com/recipe/afghan…. Generally, any cooked rice or flatbread works nicely. We hope you enjoy it!


Walden - Sept. 10, 2021, 1:34 p.m.

Woderful Recipe!I have tried it tonight.I use fresh turmeric root instead of turmeric powder and I add a pinch of kasoori methi(dried fenugreek) ,Dr.Michael Gregger's super-charged spice blend as well as garam masala.It turns out really good.Thank you.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Sept. 12, 2021, 3:30 a.m.

Thanks a bunch for sharing your experience with this one, Walden!


Walden - Sept. 10, 2021, 1:34 p.m.

Woderful Recipe!I have tried it tonight.I use fresh turmeric root instead of turmeric powder and I add a pinch of kasoori methi(dried fenugreek) ,Dr.Michael Gregger's super-charged spice blend as well as garam masala.It turns out really good.Thank you.


Arfa - Aug. 29, 2021, 8:41 p.m.

An additiin to the recipe if u want to try ,gotta engance the flavor so mich more ! Just add grounded garam masala on top of cauliflower as soon as water is evaporated ,another thing my Mom adds is 2 cloves of garlic being fried golden in 1 tbsp of oil ,and that splash of golden brown garlicky oil is spread on cauliflower in the end ,after stove is turned off. I hope u like this ,as it adds to the taste of cauliflower so much ! Peace from Pakistan .

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 29, 2021, 9:52 p.m.

Hi, Arfa! Thank you for sharing your experience with this one. We love to hear other variations. Sending lots of love to Pakistan 💚


Lanny - Aug. 17, 2021, 6:22 a.m.

Delicious. Cooked it today and my son said: so very good, finally you got a cauliflower dish right on. 😁Thank you so very much for sharing this recipe and all recipes and all tips and advices and all you do for us. You are a sunshine in the day and the brightest star a night miss Sadia. God bless you and Robin, who must be most amazing man in the world if he has your heart.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 18, 2021, 6:29 a.m.

Oh, Lanny, you're too kind! Thank you for being here and supporting PUL. It means so much more than we can express ❤️


Monica - Aug. 1, 2021, 1:30 a.m.

This recipe made me love cauliflower, which before I thought it was kinda gross.

PUL small logo PUL Team - Aug. 4, 2021, 5:09 a.m.

So interesting to hear, Monica, thanks for sharing!


Julian - July 10, 2021, 6:56 p.m.

I'm a beginner cook, and was quite anxious to start learning. But, finding your blog made it all seem doable. I tried to make this yesterday, and it was great! The instructions were easy to understand and follow, and the result made it all the better :)
Thank you so much! If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't know where to start, haha

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 16, 2021, 3:53 a.m.

Aww this means so much, Julian, a sincere thank you for sharing! We're so grateful that PUL has been part of your journey with cooking 😃


Lilly - July 10, 2021, 3:31 p.m.

Just tried this dish and it's delicious 🤤
I can imagine this with potatoes as well.
I'm always confused what to do with cauliflower.

By the way, i cooked the leaves and the bigger stamps with it as well and it's good :) I'm just wondering if that's normal or if I should rather throw it out ?

PUL small logo PUL Team - July 16, 2021, 3:19 a.m.

We're so happy you're enjoying the recipe, Lilly, potatoes are a great idea! We opted not to add the leaves to this one based on our own preferences, but you can definitely enjoy them in recipes if desired 😊


Anastasia - April 11, 2021, 7:48 p.m.

I bought my first fresh cauliflower of this year today and I knew that I would find a perfect recipe for it on your site! The cauliflower tasted incredible and looked beatifully golden. Thank you so much for ever delicious dishes and inspiration for cooking!

PUL small logo PUL Team - April 12, 2021, 5:14 a.m.

We appreciate this so much, Anastasia! So happy you enjoyed the curry 😍