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.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!
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’ve never had curry before trying this recipe (was feeling adventurous) and it was delicious! It ended up costing me closer to $7-8 but when mixed with rice makes for much more than 6 servings. I would say it’s a little on the bland side. I, like with most things to be honest, like to put hot sauce on it (sriracha or Louisiana). My roommate said cayenne pepper is good for that. I’ll definitely be holding onto this one.
I made this yesterday to freeze along with yellow jasmine rice. YUM! I experimented around with the curry, added some more as I went along and used more tomato paste as well. I’m really pleased with the results and looking forward to a nice tasty dish for lunch at work.
Made it for the second time last night. Found my sweet spot with the curry I have – perfect hit of heat! Also, Beth, you inspired me to get the jasmine rice for this, which I haven’t had in years and I forgot how much I love it! I was literally biting off the serving spoon – plain rice – man, it’s good! Also, had to buy a 6 oz. can of tomato paste for the 2 Tbsp here – and I’m going to use the rest for the African peanut stew. Yum!
Great recipe! Just made it or the first time. Appreciate your site with healthy and inexpensive recipes.
I would give this zero stars if I could. I’ve had many good recipes from this website but this turned out terrible. It tastes like carrot soup. I don’t recommend this one.
I definitely recommend adding some cashews. Great!
I made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious–my husband says a keeper recipe. I had frozen stir fry veggies in the freezer–broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper, snow peas that I used. So, so good. And there’s lunch leftovers. Yea!
Thank you so much for all you do to help us eat deliciously while still on a budget.
I’m in love! I have had such a hard time with curries until now. I’ll have to try with a different curry blend next time because I used half a bottle of Thai red curry paste and had to add tumeric and cayenne to make it mildly spicy. I would love to know what brand of curry powder you use Beth!
I added a can of chickpeas for extra protein. I’ll be making this again!
I made this last night and it magically came out perfect (fresh cauli and carrots, frozen peas and previously sautéed mushrooms I had to use). I eyeballed most of it, had to add water here and there, upped the curry, etc. I have to agree with Beth that it’s all about the curry. I used a madras curry that I randomly picked up in Chinatown. It’s fresh, but unlike any curry I’ve tasted before. I’ve been eating Indian and Thai curries forever and still, this was unique. I tried to research this – madras looks like an Indian curry, but this brand is Vietnamese. (kim tu thap – wiki’s entry of this is all in Vietnamese!) Anyway, I had to open my taste buds up and away from my expectation – and I loved it! I think I will buy a book about curries because they seem so complex and varied. I just wanted to point this out to folks experimenting with curries – I thought I knew me some curries, but this was a bit of a pleasant surprise. (served with homemade naan that I stuffed with roasted garlic – it worked!) 5 stars!
This has become a staple in my house. Not only is it a breeze to make, but it freezes beautifully, and can be served with or without meat. Lately I’ve been making it with extra broth and a hefty dollop of peanut butter.
So this is decent by its self very bland as far as curry is concerned. I added some turmeric more salt and coriander. I did not have tomato paste…. I added peas to it and spinache at the very end for extra fiber and ate it over gf noodles. Delish
I’ve made this three times now and it’s still a favorite of mine. I put one cup each in 4-5 ziplock bags and freeze for a nice easy single-serving dinner. Served over rice is even better. I usually put in whatever veggies I have on hand-it’s basically turned into frozen veggie stew!
Not the worst curry I’ve had but far from the best… Not a big fan of the tomatoes. If you were to make this recipe I’d personally try it without the tomatoes first to see if you like it or else you’ll be stuck with a ton of salty tomato curry that you only eat because you’re too stubborn/cheap to throw it out. Going try it without the tomatoes next pay day and see how that goes.
Oooh I bet the coconut milk makes it awesome. I have included your recipe in my March Real Food Meal Plan. Thanks for sharing!
This was the first recipe I made from this site, and it turned out really well! It was just as good as all the homemade curries I’ve spent hours making and was much simpler and cheaper. We added a bit more paste to thicken the sauce and added a squeeze of lime juice. I will definitely be trying more recipes from this site! I