1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon mild or hot curry powder
1 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
Kosher salt
1 cup Paneer cheese, diced in chunks (can sub for One 14-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained)
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets (about 2 cups)
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
One 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, roughly chopped
1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons garam masala
One 28-ounce can no-salt-added tomato puree
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
6 cups cooked brown rice, for serving
Lemon wedges, for serving
Whisk together 2 tablespoons of the sour cream, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 tablespoon water, 1 1/2 teaspoons of the curry powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the paprika and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. Add the cauliflower and toss to evenly coat. Cover the bowl and marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
Meanwhile, pulse the garlic, ginger, onion and 2 tablespoons water in a food processor until smooth. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a 6-quart Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion mixture, garam masala, the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, and the remaining 1 teaspoon paprika. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture starts to stick and brown on the bottom of the pan, about 4 minutes. Add the tomato puree, 1 cup water, the chickpeas and 2 teaspoons salt. Cover partially with a lid and simmer gently until the sauce is slightly reduced and the onion mixture is soft, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the broiler with a rack positioned about 4 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with foil. Arrange the cauliflower in a single layer and broil, tossing halfway through, until the cauliflower is browned and just cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. (can saute cauliflower instead of broiling).
Stir the cauliflower and peas into the sauce and return to a simmer, then remove from heat. Stir in the remaining 6 tablespoons sour cream, the butter and cilantro. Serve the tikka masala in bowls with brown rice and lemon wedges. Garnish with cilantro.