A delicious one-pot, 30-minute Vegetable Curry with Indian flavors.
This flavor-packed but easy Vegetable Curry with chickpeas and coconut milk is a weeknight favorite in our home. Chickpeas are simmered with veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots, and flavored with cardamom and curry powder. Coconut milk adds a creamy and delicious finishing touch. I have included a video so you can see exactly how to make the curry. Serve it over a bed of basmati rice or quinoa, or eat it by itself. A vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free recipe.
How about a creamy vegetable curry with Indian flavors for dinner tonight? It's packed with nutritious veggies and tastes absolutely amazing.
This Easy Veg Curry has been a long-time favorite not just in my home but in the homes of so many readers. It truly is one of those dishes that makes one feel good from the inside out yet takes very little work, apart from some chopping.
The curry requires very few spices, but they are balanced perfectly to give you the most delicious result. The coconut milk adds an exquisite finishing touch.
The time you will need to get this curry done depends entirely on your chopping skills. If you have better knife skills than I do, which you probably do, you could get this curry done even faster. But no matter how experienced you are, or not, the recipe is quite foolproof, and you can watch the accompanying video below to make the dish exactly as it's meant to be.
I would call this an Indian style curry but this is not a true Indian curry because it uses a spice mix not commonly used by Indian cooks: curry powder. I came up with this recipe when trying to put together a healthy and delicious dinner in a rush, and I wasn't going for an authentic Indian curry. But that doesn't mean this curry falls short in any way.
Why you will love this vegetable curry
- It's full of delicious flavor. There are so many textures and tastes here, and each is perfectly balanced. There's sweetness from the coconut milk and sweet potatoes, tang from the lemon, nuttiness from the chickpeas, and so much more!
- It's gorgeous. There's a rainbow of colors in this dish thanks to fresh, delicious veggies like carrots, bell peppers, green beans and sweet potatoes, making it a treat for the eyes as well as the tummy.
- It's healthy. This is one of the healthiest dishes you will ever make and eat, period. There's nothing here that's not wonderful for you, from those plump, tasty chickpeas to the mixed veggies to the coconut milk. I could eat this curry for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- It's one-pot. You not only need just one pot to make this mixed vegetable curry, you will also find all the nutrition you need in the single pot. There are legumes here and veggies and the curry tastes delicious by itself.
- It's easily adaptable to anything you have on hand. You could, for instance, use other veggies like cauliflower or zucchini or butternut squash. And you can even sub the chickpeas for another legume like white beans, with delicious results. More on that in the tips and substitutions section below.
- It's everyone-friendly. There are no gluten, soy and nuts in this recipe so you can make it for anyone. I would even call this curry a child-friendly recipe: it's vibrant with the spices, yet mellow enough with the coconut cream. The crisp carrots along with the al dente green peppers also make for a happy mouthful. Jay usually polishes it off although he did make a remark once about "too many veggies." 😉
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil. Coconut oil works perfectly with the other flavors here. If you have to substitute, any neutral oil, like avocado oil, would be fine.
- Aromatics: 1 yellow onion, 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste. If you don't have ginger-garlic paste, crush 4 cloves of garlic with a 1-inch knob of ginger.
- Veggies: 2 medium sweet potatoes, 2 medium red potatoes, 1 carrot, 1 green bell pepper and 2 cups green beans.
- Spices: 4 green cardamom pods, which are the only whole spice added here and they add amazing flavor. ½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cayenne (use as much or as little as you like depending on your heat tolerance) and 1 ½ tablespoon curry powder. Use a really good curry powder, like my homemade recipe, because it will decide how delicious your curry is.
- 1 ½ cups vegetable stock (or water). A good stock will add depth and flavor, but you can just use water with good results.
- An approximately 14 oz can of coconut milk. The full fat kind from the can is really essential to create a lovely, creamy sauce. Don't use light coconut milk.
- 14 oz chickpeas. Chickpeas are an amazing legume to use here because their texture and flavor go really well with the mixed veggies. If you'd like to substitute, use a more neutral tasting bean, like white beans.
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (or fresh lime juice). This adds a nice tang and balances out the flavors.
- 2 tablespoon fresh cilantro. For a really delicious finishing touch and garnish.
- Salt to taste
Watch how to make the vegetable curry
Tips and substitutions
- Add cubes of tofu or tempeh to this veg curry for an extra protein boost.
- You can use any of your favorite veggies to this curry so long as they cook fairly quickly. I used carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green peppers and green beans. Here are some other veggies you can use: cauliflower or broccoli florets, any squash -- summer or winter -- like butternut or acorn squash, zucchini or yellow squash, or pumpkin, mushrooms, peas and greens like spinach, chard or watercress. Tomatoes would also be a nice addition to this curry--I'd add them closer to the end, at the same time as the chickpeas, so they remain sweet and don't lose their shape.
- I'll share with you a secret that will cut cooking time down even more: use frozen veggies. Frozen veggies will do wonderfully, and imagine how easy your life will be if all that dinner involves is chopping up an onion and then opening a bag of frozen veggies, a can of chickpeas, and another of coconut milk. I would use a bag of stir fry veggies or peas and carrots, or chopped spinach.
- Sub the curry powder with garam masala, if that's what you have. Or stir in a couple of tablespoons of Thai curry paste, red or yellow, for the flavor base (in that case, you probably will need less cayenne).
- Once you have added the coconut milk, make sure you reduce the heat to a simmer. Turn off the heat as soon as you've added the final ingredients. There is a small chance that the coconut milk will curdle if you boil it too long, but if it does, don't be alarmed--the curry will still taste fabulous.
Is this curry spicy?
While some Indian style curries can be spicy, this creamy curry balances out any spiciness from the cayenne and ginger nicely with the creaminess of the coconut milk and the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. You can always adjust the amount of cayenne up or down based on your spice preference. Some curry powders (including mine, which is linked below in the recipe card) can have red chillies in their ingredient list, so make sure you factor that in when adding cayenne.
What to serve with this mix vegetable curry
- Brown rice or white basmati rice. Drizzled simply over some rice this curry is divine and a wholesome meal.
- Quinoa. Quinoa goes nicely with any spicy curry or stew, and this one is great with it.
- Jeera Rice/Cumin Rice. This is a recipe that takes just about 15 minutes to make and is so simple, yet gives so much flavor. It is amazing with the veg curry.
- Carrot Rice. The carrots in the rice nicely complement the flavors of the curry.
You could serve this curry with vegan naan but keep in mind that this veg curry with coconut milk is more like a stew and naans need something thicker and spicier to hold on to because they're densely textured. If you absolutely want to eat it with bread, serve it with French or Italian bread, which has a crumb that's porous enough to absorb the curry.
More lipsmacking vegan curry recipes
Easy Vegetable Curry
Equipment
- Dutch oven (or large saucepan)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
- 4 green cardamom pods (slightly crushed)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ to 1 teaspoon cayenne (use more or less based on your preference)
- 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (diced into ½-inch cubes)
- 2 medium potatoes (yellow or red is fine, diced into ½-inch cubes)
- 1 large carrot (sliced into thin rounds)
- 1 large green bell pepper (diced)
- 2 cups green beans (chopped)
- 1½ cups vegetable stock (or water)
- 14 oz chickpeas (canned or cooked from scratch. Drain thoroughly before adding)
- 1½ tablespoon curry powder (or substitute with garam masala. It will produce a slightly different flavor but works just as well)
- 14 oz coconut milk (one can, stirred)
- 3 scallions (green and white parts chopped, optional)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped, for garnish)
- Salt to taste
For serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil. Add the onions followed by the cardamom pods and saute over medium heat until the onions start to sweat and turn translucent.
- Add the turmeric, cayenne and ginger garlic paste and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Add the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and carrots. Season with some salt and cover the pan. Turn the heat to low and let the vegetables cook about five minutes. If the veggies start to stick, add some water.
- Now add the green beans and green peppers and ½ cup of water or vegetable stock. Cover again and cook five more minutes.
- Check to see if the potatoes and sweet potatoes are cooked and fork-tender. If they are not, continue to cook, covered, for a few more minutes.
- Stir in the chickpeas, curry powder and another cup of vegetable stock. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add the coconut milk and scallions, if using, and just let the curry heat through.
- Stir in the lemon and cilantro and add more salt if needed. Serve hot.
Video
Recipe notes
- Add cubes of tofu or tempeh to this veg curry for an extra protein boost.
- The vegetables can be any kind, really, as long as they are veggies that cook fairly quickly. I used carrots, sweet potatoes, potatoes, green peppers and green beans. Here are some other veggies you can use: cauliflower, broccoli, any squash -- summer or winter -- like butternut or acorn squash, zucchini or yellow squash, or pumpkin, mushrooms, peas, greens like spinach, chard or watercress.
- You can even use frozen veggies, and imagine how easy your life will be if all you have to do to get a delicious dinner ready is to chop an onion and then open a bag of frozen veggies, a can of chickpeas, and another of coconut milk. I would use a bag of stir fry veggies or peas and carrots, or chopped spinach.
- Sub the curry powder with garam masala, if that's what you have. Or stir in a couple of tablespoons of Thai curry paste, red or yellow, for the flavor base (in that case, you probably will need less or no cayenne).
- Serve rice, plain or dressed up, with this curry. I wouldn't serve it with an Indian bread of any kind, like a naan, because a veg curry with coconut milk is more like a stew and naans need something thicker and spicier to hold on to because they're densely textured. If you absolutely want to eat it with bread, serve it with some French or Italian bread which has a crumb that's porous enough to absorb the curry.
Mm
Made this and could not believe how delicious …had a party of 4 and gave some for them to take as well! great recipe and comments helped too! Love it
Vaishali
That's awesome to hear! So happy you loved the curry. 🙂
Cynthia R
Wow. That was so creamy, flavorful, well balanced and easy. My husband said “the best Indian I’ve ever eaten”. Yay for you. Yay for m
Cathy
Little Backlund. My husband dislikes vegetarian meals and I'm not fond of curries. We both love this! I've made it twice now and its wonderful both times. I do leave out the cilantro as I'm one of the lucky 4ish% of people to whom cilantro tastes like soap. Love this recipe
TL
So this recipe doesn't need any sugar?
Vaishali
No sugar!
Anonymous
I made this! Almost exactly to the recipe, but i used the suggested peas and carrots because i had no sweet potato, and I minced fresh ginger and garlic because i didnt have the garlic ginger paste. Omg- best curry I ever had! So delicious! And thank you so much for the suggested swaps and ways to make it quicker and easier. I cant stop eating it!
Vaishali
So happy you loved it! Thanks for letting me know.
Anonymous
Wonderful Taste, easy to make. Proportions very accurate.
Vaishali
So happy you loved it!
Barbara
This was truly delicious! I made a few personal adaptations, but it was great. Thank you. This dish is good enough to serve to guests!
Regina
I just tried this tonight and it was amazing! Even my picky teens who feel like they must have meat at every meal loved it. My son just helped himself to seconds.
Vaishali
So happy to hear, Regina. Thanks for the nice comment.
marbrill
I really liked this and LOVE the ginger/garlic paste. My personal taste is for a higher sauce:veggie ratio. With so many amazing vegetables I basically doubled the coconut milk/paste/spice content and still felt it could have been more — and even scooped in more
paste! But the beauty of this recipe is that it’s so easily personalized.
Vaishali
Awesome, so happy you made it!
mary
we've all made a good throw-together last minute curry, but there's something about your ratios here that have alchemised a truly decadent result. i served mine over rice with a simple cucumber raita and naan. i cannot WAIT for my next bowl xx
Vaishali
So thrilled you loved it Mary!
Mandy
Made this two weeks ago and am making it again today. Delicious. Easy to make and everyone loved it.
Vaishali
Awesome, so happy to hear, Mandy.
Joe
Hello,
I was looking for a recipe to use up all the leftover or yet to be used veggies. So, in with the onion and ginger garlic paste was kale, broccoli, snow peas, potato, carrot, red pepper, and cauliflower. I served with a curry roasted cod. Good flavor from the sauce although a little thinner than I like, but will make again and serve over quinoa. The family enjoyed this dish. Thank you for sharing.
Vaishali
Awesome, happy to hear. You can just use the thick part of the coconut milk for a thicker sauce.
Lilluz
Hello! My children don't like coconut milk; can I use milk instead? How much salt will be roughly needed? I am not a good cook so wlways struggle with this... Thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes!
Vaishali
Hi, don’t use milk as it would separate. A nut milk like cashew or even oat milk would work although they won’t be as creamy as the coconut milk.
Lilluz
Thanks for the suggestion of the cashew/oat milk 🙂
Could anyone who has made this curry tell me how much salt they have used please?
Thanks in advance 🙂
Vaishali
Hi, I don't usually give recommendations for salt as everyone prefers a different level of saltiness. I'd add about 1 1/2 teaspoons, but again, that's purely a matter of personal preference and some might find that too salty.
Mallory King
Made this last night, it’s so good! Even better the next day too. Will definitely make this again, thank you!
Vaishali
So awesome to hear, Mallory!
Scott Throneberry
This is a terrific flavorful recipe. I took the stock tip and skipped bread since I served it with crispy panko crusted fish bites and skipped the rice this time. My house smells wonderful!
Vaishali
So happy you loved it Scott!
Jess
Hello, Can I freeze this?
Vaishali
Yes, use an airtight container. There is some chance of the coconut milk separating a bit after freezing, which could give a curdled look but it should taste fine.
Deb Cazavilan
Hello Vaishali,
I have been following you a very long time and love those recipes of yours that I've made. I also enjoy reading your writing very much.
A long time ago, I got over ambitious and made your freezer tikka masala paste in a way too large quantity. (I get excited about sauces in the freezer for quick meals.) Trouble is I've never been able to find your recipes that make use of the paste. I'm worried I will never use the half dozen containers I have in my freezer. I'd love to know your favorite use. Thank you!
Haley
I have made this once a week for about a year now and I am still obsessed. I’m generous with the spices and add 1 TBS sugar with the coconut milk because I’m a heathen. I serve with rice. It’s delicious and even my four year old loves it. Thank you for the recipe!
Vaishali
Hi Haley, that's so awesome to hear--you made my day!
Savitri
Wow, this curry is very delicious!!!
I made it with your homemade curry.
Thank you Vaishali for sharing this recipe.
Greetings from Savitri from The Netherlands.
Vaishali
Awesome, so happy you loved the curry!
Jennifer Bliss
Yummerz! Can't go wrong with a good curry!
Kristen
A bit too much potato for me. I added mushrooms, zucchini and broccoli. The flavor was incredible and I will make again- maybe add white beans instead. I’ve never had anything like this so I find it was a win for my family!
Vaishali
So happy to hear!
Cathy
This is my 'go to' vegetarian curry. I love it. It tastes like the curries I had in Sri Lanka! I use various different vegetables that I have in, but generally keep to the vegetables suggested.
Vaishali
So happy to hear Cathy!
Shelley Gosselin
Made this for my meat loving hubby and vegetarian nephew. Used green bean, sweet potato, broccoli, leeks and tofu. We loved it! Took me an hour versus 30 minutes though!
Vaishali
Hi Shelley, so happy you liked it! Whether you use fresh veggies or frozen, and prep times for different kinds of veggies, can definitely change the time needed. 🙂
Krisy
Spectacular!!! I did not have a pre-made curry seasoning so I whipped up on fresh one real quick by toasting the spices and grinding them up. I had no curry leaves or fenugreek seeds for the curry seasoning, but it still turned out spectacularly flavorful.
I had baby red potatoes, green beans and red and orange bell pepper so used those along with the garbanzo beans.
I only eat two meals a day so have to pack a little more protein in, so I pressed and fried up some tofu seasoned just with salt, cayenne and paprika.
I will be making this often!!
Vaishali
So happy to hear! Those are great choices for veggies to add to the curry. And love the idea of tofu in there as well. 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
Leah
This is the best curry recipe that I’ve made!! I didn’t have cardamom & I swapped green beans for broccoli & cauliflower. It was amazing, everyone loved it!!
Vaishali
Leah, so awesome to hear that! Happy you enjoyed the curry. 🙂
Trisha
This was the best curry I’ve made and I’ve made a lot of curries! My husband a big meat eater also loved it and went back for 3rds. We finished it and I wanted to keep some as leftovers.
I made two changes- I didn’t actually use the cardamom because I had run out and I used broccoli and added some spinach in addition to the veg in the recipe.
Thanks for this recipe!
Vaishali
Trisha, awesome to hear!
Melissa
Does the nutrition information include the serving of rice or are there that many carbs in the curry itself? Thank you!
Leanne
Daughter loves this curry & I was totally surprised when my husband came home from cricket, had 2 bowls & declared it delicious. Surprised as he is usually a lover of the meat curries more.
Brooke
This was so delicious and easy to make! I use whatever veggies I have on hand and sometimes use noodles instead of rice to switch it up. It’s a hit every time 🙂
Sandhya
Delicious and healthy recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Lia
Hi
Can thia recipe be frozen?
Celine
Made this over the past weekend for a large group of family and friends. I doubled the recipe and it was all gone in minutes! Terrific recipe, and one I'll make over and over. Thanks, Vaishali
Adam
I make this curry at least once each week, and it always is a hit with everyone. The easiest veg curry recipe and the tastiest. Thank you.
Marie
This is a fabulous recipe! I’ve made it 3 times, along with the Indian Style Rice with Cashews, Raisins and Tumeric, for company. A huge success?. Thank you for this recipe! Love it!
Kimber
When do you add in the cayenne pepper?
Vaishali
With the turmeric!
Rebecca Schuster
The instructions don't mention chickpeas! When do you add the chickpeas?
Vaishali
Toward the end, with the curry powder!
Anonymous
Step 6
Anonymous
Item 6
onesonicbite
My husband loves real trees, and seeing that pine allergies go through the family I have a sneaking suspicion that I will eventually develop one, so I figure to let him have his fun for now. BUT when we went to the tree farm I felt less weird because the guy at the farm was talking about the different lots they had, and the one we were on were exclusively a specific species since they couldn't irrigate water to that land, and the trees were didn't need much water. Making the trees low maintenance. I rather have that land be used for growing trees that will be chopped down (and regrown) than giant cookie cutter homes. But then again, I am not sure how other types of Christmas trees are grown and what they are like, I know the kind we got aren't very popular since the branches aren't as sturdy as fake trees.
Chrissy
This time of year in NYC, there are people selling live Christmas trees on the streets and as it gets closer to Christmas it does make me a little sad to see the ones that are still left and may have been cut down for no reason. I am plenty happy with our fake tree.
wisteria7
This dish has everything I love in life (for food)