Vegetable & Chickpea Coconut Curry
Oct 05, 2021
Comforting Vegetable Chickpea Coconut Curry will warm you up on cold days. Made with warm spices, this is vegan and gluten-free and best enjoyed with rice.
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Cozy up on cold days with this Vegetable & Chickpea Coconut Curry. Made with cauliflower, sweet potatoes, chickpea and warm spices, this curry is fragrant, aromatic and so filling. It is also vegan and gluten-free.
I am all for cozy curries and warm soups this time of the year. There’s nothing more comforting than a bowl of curry when it’s cold outside. Don’t you think?
I have been making this vegan tomato soup on repeat these days, have you guys tried it? Another favorite has been this Vegetable & Chickpea Coconut Curry. If you love curries and comforting flavors, then you are going to love this recipe. It has vegetables, chickpeas, coconut milk all cooked together with some of my favorite spices from The Spice Hunter!
As an Indian, spices are an integral part of my kitchen and my cooking and I am always on the lookout for quality spices. I am delighted to say that the spices from The Spice Hunter are some of the best I have ever used in my kitchen. The company was started in the 1980’s in California and takes pride in premium quality spices (and I can definitely vouch for the quality)! You can read more about their spices by visiting the Spice Hunter website.
Ingredients
The ingredients list might look long but this curry is easy to put together!
Vegetables: for this recipe I have used sweet potatoes, cauliflower and bell pepper. You can also use vegetables which are in season like pumpkin or butternut squash. Green peas and carrots will also go well.
Chickpeas: I have used canned chickpeas in this recipe since that saves me time on busy days. But if you want to use raw chickpeas, soak them overnight and then pressure cook them separately using an Instant Pot or stove-top pressure cooker and then use in the recipe.
Spices: what’s a good curry without high quality spices? For this recipe, I have used The Spice Hunter’s Turmeric, Smoked Paprika, Cumin, The Spice Hunter’s Coriander Powder and Garam Masala.
Coconut milk: to make the curry creamy, I like using full fat coconut milk. You can however also use lite coconut milk if that’s what you prefer.
Other than these main ingredients, the recipe also calls for onion, fresh ginger and garlic, jalapeño, a can of diced tomatoes and some cilantro and lime juice for the final touches.
Step by Step Instructions
1- Heat oil in a pot on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped ginger, garlic, jalapeño and onions.
2- Cook for around 3 minutes until the onion soften.
3- Then add a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and stir.
4- Cover the pot with a lid and let the tomatoes cook for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat.
5- Remove the lid and then add the spices – 1 teaspoon of Spice Hunter’s coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt to taste.
6- Stir and cook the spices for 1 minute.
7- Add the cauliflower florets, diced sweet potatoes and a can of chickpeas. Stir until the veggies and chickpea are well coated with the spices.
8- Then add water and a can of coconut milk and give it a good stir.
9- Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stir couple of times in between.
10- Then remove the lid, add sliced bell peppers. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.
11- Remove lid, add chopped cilantro and squeeze in fresh lime juice. Turn off heat.
12- Sprinkle garam masala. The curry might look thin at this point but it will continue to thicken as it cools down. Serve with brown rice or jasmine rice!
This curry was so good with white jasmine rice, we literally inhaled it! Hope you guys enjoy this recipe as much as we did because it’s:
- flavorful
- so easy to make
- can be customized to taste
- filling and delicious
And if you loved this recipe, then check out Spice Hunter on Instagram and Facebook for more recipe ideas and inspiration. Use coupon code “MANALI20” at checkout to receive 20% off on your order on Spice Hunter website.
Instant Pot Version
If you want to make this in your Instant Pot, please see the recipe card below for instructions. More or less the recipe will remain the same but you have to make sure that you cut the cauliflower and sweet potatoes into bigger pieces. If you cut them small then they will turn to mush in the IP when pressure cooked.
Tips & Notes
- You can use Spice Hunter’s curry powder in place of garam masala in the end.
- Other vegetables like pumpkin, squash, carrots, peas, spinach can also be added to this curry. If using spinach, add it towards the end, probably for the last 2 to 3 minutes only.
- The curry thickens considerably as it cools down. While reheating you may need to add some water to it.
- The spice levels can be adjusted to taste. Add more of the jalapeno or cayenne pepper for extra heat.
If you’ve tried this Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen and on YouTube to watch my latest videos.
Vegetables & Chickpea Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 1.5 tablespoons oil I used avocado oil
- 4-5 large garlic cloves chopped
- 1.5 inch ginger chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño chopped, adjust to taste
- 1 medium red onion chopped
- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon The Spice Hunter Coriander Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon The Spice Hunter Cumin Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon The Spice Hunter Smoked Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon The Spice Hunter Turmeric
- 3/4-1 teaspoon salt to taste
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 + 1/4 cup sweet potatoes diced, from 1 medium sweet potato
- 15.5 oz can chickpeas drained
- 1-1.5 cups water
- 13.5 oz can coconut milk
- 1 red pepper sliced
- tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1/2 lime juice of
- 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped ginger, garlic, jalapeño and onions. Cook for around 3 minutes until the onion softens.
- Then add a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and stir. Cover the pot with a lid and let the tomatoes cook for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat.
- Remove the lid and then add the spices – 1 teaspoon of Spice Hunter's coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt to taste. Stir and cook the spices for 1 minute.
- Add the cauliflower florets, diced sweet potatoes and can of chickpeas. Stir until the veggies and chickpea are well coated with the spices.
- Then add water and can of coconut milk and give a good stir. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stir couple of times in between.
- Then remove lid, add sliced bell peppers. Cover and simmer 5 more minutes.
- Remove lid, add chopped cilantro and squeeze in fresh lime juice. Turn off heat. Sprinkle garam masala. The curry might look thin at this point but it will continue to thicken as it cools down. Serve with brown rice or jasmine rice!
Instant Pot Version
- Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot, once hot, add oil and then add the chopped ginger, garlic, jalapeño and onions. Cook for around 3 minutes until the onion softens. Then add a 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes and stir. Cook for 1 minute and add the spices – 1 teaspoon of Spice Hunter's coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt to taste. Stir and cook the spices for 1 minute.
- Add the cauliflower florets, diced sweet potatoes and can of chickpeas (make sure the cauliflower and sweet potatoes are cut into 1 to 1.5 inch pieces here for the Instant Pot version). Stir until the veggies and chickpea are well coated with the spices. Add 1 cup of water (1.5 cups if you have an 8qt), stir and close the lid. Cook on high pressure for 1 minute or on low pressure for 2 minutes. Quick release the pressure. Open the lid, press sauté again. Add coconut milk, bell pepper, cilantro and let the curry simmer for 2 minutes on sauté. Add lime juice and serve hot.
Notes
- You can use Spice Hunter’s curry powder in place of garam masala in the end.
- Other vegetables like pumpkin, squash, carrots, peas, spinach can also be added to this curry. If using spinach, add it towards the end, probably for the last 2 to 3 minutes only.
- The curry thickens considerably as it cools down. While re-heating you may need to add some water to it.
- The spices levels can be adjusted to taste. Add more of the jalapeno or cayenne pepper for extra heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious and nutrious! Will be making again. I had some cashew butter on hand and added about 1/4 cup near the end.
I tried your vegetable curry and it was so delicious 😋 and easy to follow my family thought so to, I have a few health issues and this fits the bill with all the things im not able to eat, so I will definitely be making it more often
Thank you kind regards Carol
This tastes like the kind of curry you serve to people who don’t know what good curry is.. I checked to see if the owner of this page is white. Even the cooking method is off key. No good curry is cooked in 20 minutes. Sorry I really wanted to like it.
Hi Krystle, sorry you didn’t like it. I was born and raised in India and I am an Indian. Yes this is not a very traditional Indian curry, you can check out my website for many authentic Indian curry recipes. But I have lived in the US for 12 years and have definitely gotten used to some quick recipes like this. I can’t make a 1 hour recipe like my chole https://www.cookwithmanali.com/punjabi-chole-chickpeas-curry/ every day and so sometimes I use canned chickpeas (which we never use back home) and quick methods. Actually we don’t even have a spice blend called curry powder in India but sometimes it’s okay to take shortcuts. The vegetables definitely cook in 20 minutes, did yours not cook? That’s weird. Thanks for trying.
Something tells me you’re most def white, Krystle.
So good!!! I added red chili pepper to make it hot and carrots for more vegetables. I will be making this again!!! Thanks for a great recipe.
welcome! glad you liked it!
Really enjoyed this recipe. I make my own coconut milk from fresh coconuts (their meat blended with water then strained) and it makes a world of difference. My bell pepper had spoiled to I added some carrots with the potatoes and cauliflower. Delicious. Otherwise, I followed the instructions. I did have to cook for longer than the prescribed time but it was not a big deal as it gave me plenty of options to taste it!
I had lots of fun with this recipe. Had to make a few substitutions: no jalapeño so I used a pinch of red pepper flakes. Scaled down to three servings. Kept the spices in the proportions you listed. We thought it was great! Threw in some fresh tomatoes that needed eating. Added a chunk of frozen spinach. I’ll definitely come back to this recipe and this site.
Very enjoyable; the cauliflower was especially delicious. Because my mother is on a specific diet, I had to substitute the chickpeas for chicken, but I look forward to making it again with chickpeas.
It was a little bland and didn’t have the bold flavor I was looking for.
Thanks for trying
I think the “bold” flavor you’re looking for is in a Thai coconut curry, not Indian.
Easy to make but mine turned out a bit tasteless. Not spicy at all and no taste of the coconut! What did I do wrong?
hmm not sure, maybe try doubling the spices and use more coconut milk and less of the water next time? It’s not a spicy curry but definitely has flavor.
This was such a delicious, nourishing meal! I added shiitake mushrooms and cabbage. I’m not sure about the commenters who called this bland?? Honestly a lot of Americans have old/subpar spices in their kitchens- that’s the most logical explanation for me. I’m looking forward to exploring more of your recipes!
glad you enjoyed it Lizzy!
I don’t see garam masala in the IP version of the recipe. Is that intentional? If not, when should I add it?
it’s a typo, just sprinkle some towards the end
Recipe was great, thank you. I( like things very mild, so I skipped the jalapeno and just did the rest. I found I had larger chunks of cauliflower, so cooked it for longer to let it soften. This made the chickpeas really tender too. I was really craving a curry, and this hit the spot beautifully. Thanks for sharing.
Do you think I can freeze this dish? I want to make enough for my sister when she comes.
it should freeze okay
So delicious! We added peas at the end, which was a perfect addition. Served over basmati rice. My meat eating husband loved it. So flavorful. Every recipe I’ve made from your vault has been incredible. Thank you!!
glad to know!
Perfect balance of flavors! Wonderful recipe that we’ll be making again and again! Thank you!
glad to know Lynn!
Made it and I’m in love😍
It is sooo gooood…
Thank you for the amazing recipe💛
All the best from Estonia
Thank you!
Hi – i am cooking for 18. would i get away with just tripling the ingredients above? thank you
probably I have never tried it personally though but should be okay
Easy and just Fabulous! Make it, you wont be sorry ! Thank you, Manali ! I LOVE IT! Another good recipe, Followers, is her corn soup. It is satisfying and filling all on its own. Start developing a folder for her recipes 🙂
Thank you Kim, so glad you enjoyed it!
This is a good recipe, but like the previous comment I had to triple the amount of spices (maybe as mine were pre-ground instead of fresh). I also used a touch of cardamom and curry powder too, and served it with rice, raita and garlic naan.
Very tasty, thank you! 🙂
I made this dish for my family and they loved it! It was easy and filling. Thank you!
glad to hear!
Made this today – nice recipe, though I had to triple most of the spices to get the flavor I wanted. Used green beans instead of bell pepper but otherwise followed the recipe precisely. Also think it would have been better with another can of chickpeas. Thank you for the recipe. I imagine the flavors will be richer tomorrow and then I plan to serve it with a dollop of yogurt.
Hi, Manali. This looks like a great recipe and I’m planning to make it for a couple of girlfriends coming over for an Indian feast. I’ll be cooking other things as well and would like to know about making this the day ahead — will the veggies get soggy if I do that? I know that typically, Indian food is even better the second day, after all the flavors marry, but I don’t want mushy vegetables. Thanks! Will rate this after I cook and eat it.
Hi Jennifer, you can make it in advance. No problem. The only problem is that the curry will thicken quite a bit since there’s coconut milk as it sits in the refrigerator. I would suggest heating up on stove-top and adding some water or coconut milk as needed.
Hey there. This looks delicious. Cooking it tonight and very excited. Can it be frozen? Thank you.
yes should freeze fine, sorry for the late reply!
How will this turn out if i omit the tomatoes, due to allergy.
hmm maybe replace with pumpkin puree?
Made for dinner tonight, didn’t have cauliflower so substituted halved brussel sprouts ,otherwise every thing the same. It was lovely and quite delicious, I’m saving the recipe, thank you for it.
glad to know Lirra, thanks for trying!
Came out awesome. Tasted bit like Thai curry. Enjoyed it !
glad to hear Harry!
This was ok. I thought it was missing something so I double checked the recipe to make sure I didn’t forget anything and I had not. I followed the recipe to the letter.
Thanks for trying, sorry it didn’t live up to your expectations.
Dear Manali,
I have made this dish for my family and everybody loved it👌 . It was so tasty and so healthy with all the veggies. Thank you for your recipe.
Diana
Sounds delicious, I was born in south India. I love any thing and every thing with coconut. I will definitely try this recipe. Thanks Manali.
Hope you give it a try! 🙂
Sounds delicious almost like thai/ indian fusion. May I know if it’s cooked/ baked/ boiled sweet potatoes or raw ones? Wanted to know if it will get cooked if I add them raw.. Thanks again for always posting delicious recipes.
It’s raw, if you dice them into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces they will get cooked, we are cooking for 15 minutes after adding them- enough time to get them cooked. Hope you try it!