They may not be everyone's favorite vegetable, but in our home, Brussels sprouts make happy dinners -- and diners. Especially when I serve them in this creamy, easy Brussels sprouts stew with the creamy goodness of coconut and cashew nuts.
Over here, dinners are more often than not cooked in short order. (Jay, poor kid, knows not to question the PBJ when it puts in a familiar appearance, because it means mom is up to her eyeballs with a work deadline, and needling her at a time like that will very possibly result in "annoyed mom.") So I get to sigh in guiltless relief when I can feed us something healthy and tasty that takes under 30 minutes to make from scratch. Like this Brussels sprouts stew.
The winner here is the creamy sauce: it's silken and rich and it coats your tongue with the sparkling flavors of spices, herbs and garlic. The cashewnuts add some protein muscle, and the Brussels sprouts themselves are cooked to a velvety softness that almost melts in your mouth. You could use this sauce for almost any vegetable: cauliflower would work, so would zucchini or even carrots.
The reason Brussels sprouts get a bad rap is because they are widely -- and correctly -- known as a "healthy food" and somewhere in our crooked brains we have equated that term with "tasteless" or "boring." Cooked the right way, though, Brussels sprouts are neither boring nor tasteless; in fact, they are spectacular. I love roasting them with some garlic, or pan-frying them with some lentil paste and Indian spices. But this stew, an easy recipe if there ever was one, is quite possibly my new favorite way to eat this mighty veggie.
Even if you are only an occasional Indian cook, you likely have most of these ingredients in your pantry already. Black mustard seeds, turmeric, and garam masala (or curry powder would do too) are the only "specialty" ingredients you need here. The curry leaves are optional, although they do add some delicious, fresh flavor, so use them if you can. And one more secret: don't shy away from using frozen Brussels sprouts in this recipe, if you can't find them fresh. No one will be able to tell. 😉
Looking for more vegan Brussels sprouts recipes?
- Air Fryer Brussels Sprouts
- Garlic Rosemary Roasted Brussels Sprouts
- Spaghetti with Brussels Sprouts
- Vegan Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad
- Creamy Vegan Orzo Risotto with Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts Stew Recipe
Easy Brussels Sprouts Stew
Equipment
- Saute pan or wok
Ingredients
- 1 pound Brussels sprouts (use the smallest you can find. If you can only find large ones halve them for quicker cooking)
- 1 medium red onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 2 tablespoon cilantro minced
- 4 cloves garlic smashed with a knife or in a mortar and pestle until they are almost a paste
- 1 sprig curry leaves (about 12 individual leaves, optional)
- 2 medium tomatoes (diced)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne (or paprika)
- 2 teaspoon garam masala (can sub with curry powder or even sambar powder-- they will all result in flavor differences but will all be delicious versions of each other)
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 14 oz coconut milk
- Salt to taste
- Juice of 1 lemon (or lime)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a wide saucepan and add mustard seeds. When they sputter, add the cilantro, curry leaves if using, and garlic. Saute for a minute.
- Add the onions and saute for a minute until they begin to turn translucent. Add the tomatoes and powdered spices-- the garam masala, cayenne and turmeric. Saute, stirring frequently, until the tomatoes release most of their liquid and get pulpy.
- Add the cashews, Brussels sprouts and some salt to taste. Cover the saucepan to let the Brussels sprouts get tender, around 5-8 minutes. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing's sticking to the bottom. If necessary, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan.
- Add half the coconut milk and let the sauce come to a simmer. Check if the Brussels sprouts are tender by piercing one with a fork in the center. Add the remaining coconut milk and just warm through without letting the stew boil.
- Check salt and add more if needed.
- Serve the stew hot with some rice or bread. Squeeze on some lemon or lime juice over the stew while serving.
Kathy Ingallinera
I love making this. I live on an island in southeast Alaska and good tomatoes are hard to find, so I just use a can of diced tomatoes and it works great. I love the way the house smells when this is cooking! Easy and fun to take for a work lunch as it gets people asking questions.
Vaishali
So happy you love it! The aroma is quite amazing. 🙂
valerie a warren
I really liked Brussels sprouts cooked this way. I used frozen Brussels sprouts and canned tomatoes as I had them on hand. I think this recipe would also be good with eggplant. I will make this again.
Wilma
This looks amazing !!!
I need to replenish my coconut milk.
I use words like " laaam/tvp" to play on words.
Some people just don't get it.
They lose!!!
Your recipes are amazing .Love you V.
Wilma B
Uma Rao
Can I use plain milk instead of coconut milk? Cashew should be powdered?
Vaishali
Plain milk will split. You can use cashew milk or oat milk. It won't give you the same richness as coconut milk, though. Cashews should be whole or you can use cashew pieces, don't powder them.
Uma Rao
Thank you Vaishali 😊👍
Nan
This came out fantastic!!!!! A few additions: I added more tomatoes, added Cauliflower, curry powder & really good veggie broth to make it a little thinner. My friend who I cook for called it a masterpiece.
Thank you!!!!
Lisa
I actually skipped the cashews entirely and it was still delicious. Thought the idea of curried brussel sprouts sounded like it wouldn't be good, but a) I had too many of them and needed to use and b) felt like curry and happened to have curry leaves, so decided to try. Also, the Holy Cow "green bean casserole" is one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten, so decided to trust you - it was so good!
Vaishali
Hi Lisa, so happy you enjoyed the curry, and good to know it worked well without the cashews--that's good feedback and a nice option for those looking to cut down on fat. I am so happy to hear you love the green bean casserole. Green beans are so underappreciated, but I've grown to love them for how easy they are to find and cook. 🙂
Wendy
Is there another vegetable that would work instead of tomatoes? I liked the stew but want to leave out the tomatoes next time.
Vaishali
You can just leave the tomatoes out, although they add a great tang to balance out the coconut milk.
Marianne
I will not be able to find coriander leaves where I live. What would you suggest I use instead and how much? Thank you.
Vaishali
Mint would be great, 1 tbsp is fine. Coriander leaves are just cilantro, but assuming you know. 🙂 I'll clarify--it's an old habit to call them coriander leaves. 🙂