Vegetarian Curry, served with Cauliflower & Chickpeas

At a glance

What stands out: Vegetarian curry, loaded with cauliflower, sweet potatoes, peas, and zucchini, has a creamy red coconut sauce pleasantly spiced with just the right amount of heat.

How long it takes: 1 hour
Equipment you’ll need: sharp knife, large pan or Dutch oven
Servings: 6

The Most Rich Way to Eat Vegetables

Fragrant spices, loads of veggies, a creamy red coconut sauce…this is good vegetarian eating. It’s pretty much guaranteed to bring smiles, and it will make your body happy too.

This vegetable curry recipe is kind of a marriage between Thai and Indian curries. We associate the inclusion of cauliflower, sweet potatoes, and chickpeas more with Indian dishes but the creamy coconut milk sauce is definitely Thai-influenced. It’s a good example of fusion cuisine.

We think you’re going to love this curry! Be sure to try our butternut squash curry and red lentil curry, too!

What makes it special:

• Lots of aromatic spices. While the list of ingredients may look a bit long, remember that a curry requires lots of great spice. This recipe calls for six spices, plus fresh ginger and garlic.
• Lots of great veggies. Because it’s a vegetarian curry, this recipe includes a hearty assortment of vegetables: cauliflower, sweet potato, zucchini, and green peas.
• Very adaptable. Don’t worry if you’re missing one of the veggies. Substitute or add what you have available. (You can even add meat, if you like!) Your curry will still be fine.

Rei Said:

“we love Indian curry and Thai, and this is the reliable combo of both! One of our go-to recipes now, and everyone that’s tried it is as obsessed as we are! Thanks for sharing this.”

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What goes in

• From your spice cupboard: Garam masala (a blend of spices), ground coriander, ground turmeric, sweet paprika, red pepper flakes, ground black pepper, and salt.
• More flavor makers: Onion, garlic, grated fresh ginger root, tomato paste, fresh cilantro.
• Vegetables: Cauliflower, sweet potato, zucchini, peas.
• Protein Booster: Canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans).
• Sauce it up: Coconut milk and vegetable broth.
• Serve it up: Fragrant cooked rice, additional chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.

How it comes together

Start the rice. If you’re serving this curry with rice (we highly advise it!), you’ll want to get some jasmine rice cooking first.

Prep. Wash and cut the vegetables, measure the spices into a small bowl, and gather the rest of the ingredients. It’s best if you have everything ready to go before you begin cooking. You’ll need a large skillet with a cover. We like our straight-sided skillet because it has plenty of room.

Cook aromatics. Warm up a glug of olive oil in the pan. Add chopped onions and cook until they soften. Add the garlic, ginger, and dry spices. Cook and stir for a couple of minutes. It will smell so fragrant and spicy! Enjoy that heavenly smell but not for too long! You don’t want to burn them.

Add tomato paste. Add a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, cooking and stirring like crazy, until it coats the onions and the spices, for about one minute.

Stir in everything except the peas and cilantro. Add the cauliflower, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and chickpeas, along with the vegetable broth and coconut milk. Reserve the peas and cilantro for later because they cook quickly.

Simmer. Stir it all up, bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for fifteen to twenty minutes. The cauliflower and sweet potatoes should be fork tender but not falling apart, and the sauce will thicken slightly.

Finish. Just before serving, stir in the peas and fresh chopped cilantro. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice if you like. It’s optional but does add a nice flavor.

Serve. Serve the curry over steamed rice. Raise a glass of lightly chilled rosé to happy eating!

Ways to change it

• Add protein. The chickpeas add plant protein but if you want to beef it up with more protein, tofu, chicken, or shrimp would be good choices in this curry. Sauté them first in the oil until cooked, remove from pan, and continue with recipe, adding them back in before serving. Try air fried tofu or baked tofu, too.
• Substitute other vegetables. You can add or substitute mushrooms, broccoli, pea pods, edamame, potatoes, or whatever you have. If you like squash, try our butternut squash curry.
• Add a little heat. If your curry is mild and you were looking for fire, try stirring in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Ground cayenne pepper will add heat, as well as sriracha. If you like, serve sriracha on the side.

Make-Ahead Ideas

Get a head start on the recipe. Prep the onion, cauliflower, zucchini, and sweet potatoes ahead of time and store separately in covered containers in the fridge. The diced sweet potatoes should be covered with water to prevent discoloration. Drain before using.

Mix the dried spices in a small bowl or bag and store until you’re ready to cook. Wash the cilantro and make sure you have the other ingredients you need.

Keeping leftovers

Refrigerate: Store leftover curry in a covered container for up to three days in the fridge. We're not crazy about freezing this curry because the sweet potatoes get kind of a mushy texture and the coconut milk tends to separate a bit.

Reheat: Simmer the curry in a saucepan or skillet until warmed through. Smaller portions can be microwaved in 15 second increments, covered, until heated.

Leftover Love

Make a curry noodle soup. Have a lot of curry left over? In a saucepan, add vegetable broth to the curry, as much as needed to make a soup. Heat until simmering, then add a package of ramen noodles, stirring until the noodles are soft. If you like, throw in a handful or two of spinach or another tender green. Serve with crispy wonton strips.

Free Meal Plan

Interested in a weekly meal plan that includes this recipe? Take a look at our Meal Plan #40. You’ll find a wholesome recipe for each weekday plus a categorized grocery list. Let us do the planning for you this week!

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• Yield: 6
• Prep: 30 minutes
• Cook: 30 minutes
• Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tablespoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if desired)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
• ½ head cauliflower, cut into 1-inch pieces ( 4 ) cups
• 2 cups cubed peeled sweet potato (1-inch pieces)
• 2 cups zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced into ¼-inch pieces ( 12 ) ounces
• 1 can (16 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup low sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) coconut milk
• 1 cup frozen peas
• ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro (more for serving, if desired)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon or lime juice (see note)
• cooked rice and cilantro leaves, for serving

Method

1. Heat oil in large Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, ginger, garam masala, coriander, turmeric, paprika, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes (see note 1).
3. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, or until onions and spices are coated with tomato paste.
4. Add cauliflower, sweet potato, zucchini, chickpeas, broth, and coconut milk. Bring to a gently simmer and cook, covered, until vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.
5. Stir in peas, cilantro, and lemon juice (see note 2).
6. Serve over rice, sprinkled with cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Toasting the spices. Don’t overdo this step. If overdone, the spices can become bitter. Usually two minutes is enough time for the spices to release their wonderful aroma. Immediately add the next ingredients so the spices don’t continue to toast in the pan.

Adding lime/lemon juice. We highly recommend including the juice. It enhances the flavor of the curry. If you prefer, instead of stirring in the juice, serve the curry with wedges of lime or lemon.

Get a head start on the recipe. Prep the onion, cauliflower, zucchini, and sweet potatoes up to a day ahead of time and refrigerate separately in covered containers. The diced sweet potatoes should be covered with water to prevent discoloration. Drain before using. Mix the dried spices in a small bowl or jar and store until you’re ready to cook. Wash the cilantro and make sure you have the other ingredients you need.

Add protein. If desired, add protein such as tofu, chicken, or shrimp. Sauté them first in the oil until cooked, remove from pan, and continue with recipe, adding them back in before serving.