I gotta give a big shout out to Neil, whose tweet inspired me to try again with a recipe that I completely failed with the first time around. Neil tweeted about an amazing vegetable and chickpea curry he had made with coconut milk and it just so happened to be exactly what I was craving, so I knew I was going to have to try it again. I approached the recipe with a bit more thought and planning this time and I’m happy to report that we now have a WINNER! Woo!
And by winner I mean I couldn’t stop sneaking spoonfuls of the sauce between photographs. It’s one of those dishes that just makes you say, “MORE!” Curries aren’t the prettiest of dishes, but their powerful flavor more than makes up for their lack in appearance. Using a pre-blended curry powder makes this dish a breeze. There’s no measuring out ten different spices, just one perfectly blended mix. I used a hot curry powder, but there are plenty of mild versions on the market. The beauty of a mild curry powder is that you can simply add some cayenne pepper to make it hot, or any heat level between.
I used another one of my favorite short cut items for this dish: frozen vegetables. I used a one pound bag of frozen cauliflower and broccoli. Not only was it a fraction of the price than if I had purchased them fresh, but I had exactly the amount I needed, the chopping was already done for me, and they are pre-blanched, so the cooking time was much shorter. Gotta love it.
The summary: This is a very easy, super flavorful, filling, and inexpensive dish that will help you use up leftover vegetables from your refrigerator or freezer. I made my vegetable choices based on what I had on hand, but you can feel free to experiment. For a little extra protein, try adding chickpeas, like Neil did!
Coconut Vegetable Curry
Coconut Vegetable Curry
Servings 4 -6 (5 cups total)Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 inch fresh ginger ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp curry powder* ($0.30)
- 1/2 lb. carrots, 3-4 medium ($0.55)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.52)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.11)
- 1 15oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.75)
- 1 lb. frozen broccoli and cauliflower pieces ($1.65)
- 1 14oz. can light coconut milk** ($0.99)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp sugar ($0.02)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped ($0.25)
Instructions
- Peel the ginger using either a vegetable peeler or by scraping with the side of a spoon. Grate about one inch of the ginger on a small holed cheese grater. Mince the garlic. Sauté the garlic and ginger with olive oil in an extra large skillet or large pot over medium heat until softened (1-2 minutes). Add the curry powder and continue to sauté for one minute more.
- Meanwhile, peel and cut the carrots into rounds. Dice the onion. Add the carrots and onion to the skillet and continue to sauté until the onions are soft and transparent.
- Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes (with juices) to the pot. Stir until the tomato paste has mixed in with the juices and created a thick sauce. Add the frozen broccoli and cauliflower pieces and stir to combine. Let the pot simmer over medium heat until the broccoli and cauliflower have heated through (5-10 minutes).
- Turn the heat down to low and add the coconut milk. Stir until the coconut milk is thoroughly mixed with the tomato sauce. Allow the curry to heat through over low heat (5 minutes). Stir the salt and sugar into the sauce. Taste and add more salt if desired. Top with a handful of fresh, chopped cilantro.
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Notes
Nutrition
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Step by Step Photos
Begin by mincing 2 cloves of garlic and grating about one inch of ginger on a small holed cheese grater (remove the skin first, either with a vegetable peeler or by scraping with the side of a spoon). Sauté the garlic and ginger with 2 Tbsp olive oil in an extra large skillet or a large pot over medium heat. Sauté just until soft (about 2 minutes).
Add 2 Tbsp of curry powder and continue to sauté over medium heat for about one minute. This will toast the spices and magnify their flavors. 2 Tbsp seems like a lot, but there will be a lot of vegetables to cover and the coconut milk really mellows things out quite a bit. That being said, every curry powder is different, so you may want to start with a smaller amount and work your way up. After you add the frozen vegetables is a good place to taste and determine if more is needed.
Meanwhile (or before, if you need more time), dice one small onion and peel and chop 1/2 lb. of carrots (about 3-4 carrots).
Add the onions and carrots to the skillet (or pot) and continue to sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent.
Next add 2 Tbsp tomato paste and one 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes (with the juices). Stir until the tomato paste has mixed in with the juices.
Check the freezer aisle for a one pound bag of frozen broccoli and cauliflower. This one was disguised as “Winter Blend” and has a picture of a red bell pepper on it, but when I flipped the bag over and looked at the ingredients, sure enough, it was JUST broccoli and cauliflower. :D
Stir one pound of frozen broccoli and cauliflower pieces into the tomato mixture and let it heat through.
I used this can of coconut milk that I had scored at Trader Joe’s the last time I was in Baton Rouge (99 cents! Woot!). You can certainly use full fat coconut milk, but you may need to add some water to make it more saucy. Full fat coconut milk has much less liquid than light coconut milk. Oh, and no, “coconut beverage” (the kind meant as a dairy milk substitute) will not work here. It’s too diluted.
Turn the heat down to low and then stir in the 14-ounce can of light coconut milk. Allow the sauce to heat through, then stir in 1/2 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning if desired. Top with a handful of fresh, chopped cilantro.
You’ll definitely want to serve the curry with either rice or naan to soak up all of the delicious sauce!
I may use white beans, because I believe I have those on hand. When would you suggest adding the chickpeas or white beans?
Personally I think chickpeas would be better just because the texture is a little more firm.
Do you think white beans work instead of chickpeas??
They may, but the texture is much more soft than chickpeas.
This is just an amazingly tasty recipe. I can’t wait to try it with a spicier curry powder!
I used the advice up above and stir fried chicken strips in the pan first and then started the meal from there, adding the chicken back in at the very end. Everything else was kept the same.
I made this last night and the whole house smelled amazing! As the saying goes “broccoli on the side gets denied” We have been trying to make meals with the veggies built right in and this was right up our alley.
The wife and I liked it and it was easy, the kids ate a decent amount. I would consider this an easy weekday meal, probably not good enough for company but worth the minimal effort for a healthy weekday meal with the fam.
Ha! “Broccoli on the side gets denied.” That is super funny :)
I was rushing through a busy Trader Joe’s picking up ingredients for this recipe. While they were out of light coconut milk, I accidentally picked up coconut cream. Needless to say I only realized after I added it, but the dish turned out great! My version is probably super creamy, but it sure it yummy! I added a bit of red pepper flakes for more kick, I’ll definitely prepare this recipe again…maybe next time with coconut milk ;)
Wow I did the same thing. I wouldn’t make it any other way after trying it with the coconut cream.
Making this now and my kids can’t believe how great the house smells. The curry powder I got must be a spicy one because it has a kick to it. Either way easy recipe and great meal!
Im going to use this recipe to impress people it was that good.
delicious and so easy! thank you!
to shorten prep time, you can also buy ginger/garlic paste from any Indian store. i find that useful, and handy when i don’t have fresh. tastes fine.
thanks for the recipe.
Made it for lunch today. Really delicious. I left out the broccoli and added chickpeas for more protein. Can’t wait to have leftovers tomorrow.
If I wanted to cook chicken into this how could I go about it?
In my opinion I would use a bit of sesame oil and quickly stir fry small strips of chicken and add them at the very end. If you were to add them raw during the cooking process you’d end up with boiled curry chicken.
I usually love every single recipe you put on here. I meal plan my weeks with your website. Perhaps it is my taste in curries, but this did not strike my fancy. I also found that it needed to be cooked much longer in order for the carrots to cook properly. On to the next!
Okay… I might have to take it back. It might have been my mood because I dropped off this curry at my brother’s house and his reply was, “That curry was awesome.” I STILL think the carrots need more cooking time though :) So five stars because my brother is super hard to please.
wow! this looks delicious, and just what i’ve been craving on these chilly days. thanks for making it easy, and not a major project.
I love how simple and delicious this looks. Pinned!
Oh my gosh — so easy and soooo good! I’ve tried many curry recipes that were just so-so, but this one was fabulous. I can tell this will become one of my “go to” recipes. Thank you so much for posting this.