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
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!
Question about ginger
How do you store yours? I always cut off what I need, but just leave the raw part (the area I just cut from) open to the elements – I store it on my counter bowl w/onions & garlic). Should I be Saran wrapping the cut end? I just slice off the now dried end (from the last time I cut a hunk off) & it’s still fresh.
How do you store yours?
Love your site – I made the oven fajitas last night again (they are delicious with cubed fish added 1/2 way through the cooking time).
Hi Jo, I usually wrap mine in plastic and keep it in the fridge, but you can also keep it in the freezer. Check out my post on how to cook with ginger for all the details. :)
I use ginger in my smoothies everyday and often in sauces, soups, etc. After I buy it, I peel it cut in into single serving pieces, put it in a storage container and freeze it. Works great!
Very easy and quick which was great since I was short on time and didn’t really feel like cooking anyway LOL. Over all, it was OK. Not great but not bad. Better next day I think. served with rice and naan. I like cooking Indian food and this was more of a can and bag week day recipe for me versus anything authentic. Husband liked it but he agreed it was better the next day. good to throw together in a pinch but not something I would make for company or add to my “must make” rotation.
All that being said, I love this site and can’t wait to try another recipe!
I made this five days ago and I’ve had it every day for lunch ever since — and far from getting tired of it, I’ve been looking forward to lunch every day and finding excuses to eat early :) I finished it today, and I will be making it again! Combined with rice, it made a total of six meals, was Incredibly easy, and allowed me to use up tons of leftovers, including some red cabbage I didn’t know what else to do with. The only curry powder I had on hand was a store brand variety at least two years old. As warned, it was a little bland, so I added more, and threw in some red pepper flakes, and that’s all it took! Thank you for this coconut curry recipe!
This is one of the only recipes of yours I haven’t liked (and I’ve been cooking primarily from your site for about 6 months). I don’t know if it was the curry powder I used, or the IMO unnecessary tomato paste that I used anyway, but mine came out really bland. I’m really big on eating leftovers for lunch at work, and not wasting food, but after a couple of days I had to throw it out because I couldn’t stand to eat any more.
I’ll keep trying other recipes though :)
Yep, I have a feeling that the curry powder will make a big difference. :/ I guess some brands are just not as good as others.
Should I make any changes if I want to add potato? How much should I add?
I would use one regular baking potato or two small red potatoes, cut them into small one-inch pieces and saute them in the beginning with the carrots and onions until soft. Then proceed as written.
Awesome recipe! I love trying anything new with coconut, thanks!
I made this the other night, along with naan and your Indian-spiced creamed spinach. What a feast! I had some fresh broccoli and cauliflower on hand, so I used that instead of frozen, just steaming it a bit before adding to the pot. I also added in a can of rinsed/drained chickpeas for protein, and a pinch of cayenne to suit our tastes. Simple, easy to make, and absolutely delicious!
I’m making this tomorrow night – it will be my family’s first time having Indian curry! (We’ve had Thai curry before.) I am sure I will love it, and crossing my fingers that my 3 year old will try it, lol.
We all loved it, even my three year old! He kept stealing more from my plate :)
This is lovely! I added red lentils for extra protein and a few left over boiled potato pieces. Definitely a keeper, served with your naan bread, which is always a winner :-)
I used your recipe plus some chicken and peanut butter to make dinner the other night for 5 people. Ever plate when empty looked like it had just come out of the dishwasher. There was nothing left.
I’ve never really cooked with curry before. Now I’m trying to figure out what else I can make. :)
Thanks!
I made so many changes based on what I had that I can hardly really say I made your recipe but I’m really glad for the inspiration. This was the best curry I have ever made (or had) and was really well balanced. I used coconut cream with some water added to it, because I didn’t have light coconut milk. I used ketchup instead of tomato paste when I realized that it really needed more tomato flavor but I didn’t have tomato paste. I expected this to be gross, but actually the vinegar in the ketchup and the sugar added a nice sweetness and acidity. Lastly, I had no curry powder so I threw in like almost twenty spices and kept adjusting until I got what I wanted. My recipe was a bit different but I would have never thought to make something like this. Keep the great recipes coming.
This was super tasty!! I love curries but always thought it would be too complicated/time-consuming/use way too many ingredients I don’t already have… And this was none of those things!
I also added chicken, and I recommend the pre-chopped ginger that comes in a tube. Probably not budget-y, but it’s so convenient.
I think I need a better curry powder. My curry turned out kind of bland. Do you have any suggestions for specific brands?
Hmm, I don’t. I’ve only tried one brand that I just picked up at the grocery store with real no thought ahead of time. :)
Yummy curry in my tummy! This was dinner today, over a bed of jasmine rice. I used fresh broccoli and cauliflower because my grocery store had it pre-washed and chopped for super cheap! I added a 15oz can of chickpeas around the same time as the tomato stuff. I also used full-fat coconut milk and still found it to be plenty saucy. A warning, though: she wasn’t kidding when she said an EXTRA LARGE skillet. Stirring all that together was very hazardous!!!
I made this and it seems to be missing something. It was a little bitter. My curry powder is only a couple months old… Can you suggest anything remedy for this? Thanks, K.
Hmm, maybe it needs a touch of sugar or honey to balance that bitterness.
You may have also burned some of your spices on accident. I overcooked my garlic and ginger just a bit and this happened to me.
To sweeten up the curry flavor I add a small amount of lemongrass (to taste) before simmering. Smells amazing and adds a light sweetness without added sugars. You can purchase it in tubes now in some fresh produce or asian markets.