We’re always on the lookout for fast flavorful dinners, and this one is now regular rotation. Try this quick Vegan Curry! Here, coconut milk and curry powder make healthy vegetables taste like a decadent treat. And, it takes under 25 minutes to whip up! It’s an ode to the simplicity of plant-based ingredients and great seasoning. This spin on our chickpea curry has even more veggies and nutrients without affecting the overall cook time…which is crucial on weeknights, in our book. This easy recipe comes out so delicious in such a short time: you’ll feel like a kitchen magician.
What’s a curry, anyway?
Curry is a pretty loose term. Per Bon Appetit, it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw in foreign cuisines. Today, the word “curry” usually describes a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England. Keep in mind that curry powder is a Western invention! Curry powder takes the common spices of Indian curries and packages them into a spice blend. Authentic Indian spices are mixed up by the cook and vary based on the region and household.
Looking for an authentic Indian dinner?
If you’d like an authentic Indian dinner recipe, head to our Masoor Dal (Indian Red Lentils). This recipe was shared with us directly from Asma Khan, an Indian chef with a popular restaurant in London. You’ll love these creamy flavorful lentils, and you can serve with basmati rice as well! Another great resource for authentic Indian recipes is chef and author Madhur Jaffrey.
Ingredients in this vegan curry recipe
Making a curry is not part of our cultural heritage; it’s an ode to the flavors and techniques of an Indian-style tomato based curry! We hope you’ll find it’s a great way to eat lots of veggies…fast! Here’s what you’ll need to make this curry in a hurry:
Yellow onionBell pepper: A medium red bell pepper provides 169% of your daily vitamin C (source), so we’re always sneaking peppers into our recipes!Garlic Fresh gingerSpinachChickpeas: Chickpeas add plant-based protein, helping this dish stay fillingPeas: Peas are also legumes and add a hit of plant-based proteinOlive oilFire roasted tomatoesCurry powder and cuminCoconut milk: While many Indian curries use dairy, some use coconut milk for creaminess, which is perfect for a vegan curry
Fire roasted tomatoes…and a substitute
Canned fire roasted tomatoes are one of our secrets for quick dinners. Why? These tomatoes are charred over an open flame, making their flavor taste sweeter right out of the can. Ever tried some tomatoes that taste metallic or bitter out of the can? Fire roasted tomatoes solve that problem. They’re a type of tomato, not a brand, and you can find them in many grocery stores in the US these days. Can’t find fire roasted tomatoes? No problem! Just use the best quality crushed tomatoes you can find. One thing we’ve found in making this vegan curry is that some brands of crushed tomatoes can be very thick. If your tomatoes are very thick, just stir in a little more coconut milk after simmering to balance out the sauce.
Serve with rice or other grains
This quick vegan curry is best served with rice or another whole grain! We like it with basmati rice, a long grain rice with an aromatic flavor that’s traditionally grown in India and the surrounding countries (Pakistan, Nepal, etc). Because of that, it’s best paired with Indian-style curries (whereas Thai curries are great with jasmine rice). Of course, you can serve this curry with any whole grain you’d like! If you want to stray away from rice, there are lots of rice substitutes. Try quinoa, cauliflower rice, or even lentil rice (we get ours online).
Another side to pair with a vegan curry
This vegan curry is so filling, you might not need a side dish! But if you’d like another side, naan bread is a nice side for an Indian-inspired curry. You can easily find packaged naan bread at the grocery, but often it’s not vegan. If you prefer, you can make our Vegan Naan Bread: it’s warm, soft and full of garlic flavor.
Make ahead and storage info
Can you make this quick vegan curry ahead? Yes! To meal prep, you can easily make it 1 day in advance and refrigerate until serving. Then just reheat it gently in a skillet, being sure not to overheat it so that the sauce doesn’t evaporate. Leftovers stay good for about 3 days in the refrigerator. Or, you can make the rice in advance if you’re serving with rice! This is especially helpful with brown rice, which takes up to 40 minutes to make. To reheat the rice, place it in a pan on the stovetop and add a splash of water. Heat gently for a few minutes until the water evaporates and the rice is warmed through.
More curry recipes
This quick vegan curry is a favorite whole food dinner that we make on the regular! Here are a few more great curry recipes we love:
Try quick and easy Vegan Chickpea Curry Go for Thai-style flavors with Shrimp CurryEnjoy beautiful Vegetable Curry or vibrant Butternut Squash CurryOpt for legumes with Quick Coconut Lentil Curry
This vegan curry recipe is…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free. 4.7 from 3 reviews **Fire roasted tomatoes are a special type of canned tomato that’s become widely available at most grocery stores. If you can’t find them, use the best quality tomatoes you can. All brands vary widely: we’ve found that some can be rather thick, so in that case we stir in a little more coconut milk at the end.
