Vegetarian Curry with Cauliflower & Chickpeas

Fragrant spices, loads of veggies, a creamy red coconut sauce … this is really good vegetarian eating. It’s pretty much guaranteed to bring smiles, and it will make your body happy too. A vegetable curry is one of the tastiest ways I know of to get those healthy veggies into your daily diet.

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

I think you’re going to love this curry! Be sure to try my butternut squash curry, too, another vegetarian curry that’s so good.

About This Curry Recipe

While the list of ingredients may look a bit long, remember that a curry requires lots of great spice. This recipe calls for six aromatic spices, plus fresh ginger and garlic. Because it’s a vegetarian curry, it has five vegetables, plus fresh cilantro.

Don’t worry if you’re missing one of the spices or veggies. Your curry will still be fine. Remember, you’re the cook and you have full control over your curry. Make it how you want and don’t sweat the small stuff. It’s not like you’re having a celebrity chef for dinner, right? Your family or friends will love the dinner you prepared for them.

Here’s how to make this delightful curry, with a few extra tips and suggestions:

Ingredient List

• 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: With coconut milk and vegetable broth.
• Serve it up: More cilantro, lime or lemon juice, and fragrant cooked rice.

How to make This Vegetarian Curry

Start the rice. If you’re serving this curry with rice (I 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. I like my 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!

Recipe Variations

• 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 my 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

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.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Refrigerate: Store leftover curry in a covered container for up to three days in the fridge. I’m 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.

More meatless main dish recipes

• Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers – Southwestern style
• Gnocchi with Kale & Sun-Dried Tomatoes – ONE PAN!
• Moroccan Stew with Butternut Squash and Chickpeas
• Vegetarian Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms
• Lentil Soup Recipe with Pasta
• Red Lentil Soup Recipe — Middle East inspired
• Pizza Stuffed Spaghetti Squash
• Vegetarian Nachos with Creamy Cilantro Lime Drizzle
• Tortellini with Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce and Spinach