Homemade Vegetable Curry
A vegetable curry is one of the best ways to make eating your veggies taste incredible. It’s the best way to get loads of nutrients without even noticing. This vegetable curry is so good, you’ll be shoveling it down by the spoonful. It’s full of big flavor and all the best veggies you can eat, like cauliflower, and carrots. It features crisp tender veggies in a seriously flavorful broth. Serve with naan bread or rice and it’s one of the most satisfying plant-based dinners around.
How to Make Vegetable Curry
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 35 mins
Yield: 3-4 servings
Ingredients
- ½ large onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 head cauliflower, broken into small florets
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 large carrots, sliced
- 350 ml vegetable stock
- ¼ cup butter
- 2 Tbsp. Babassu oil
- 2 Tbsp. curry powder
- ½ tsp. cumin
- ½ tsp. coriander
- ¼ tsp. dried ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Step 1
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and carrots; cook and stir until tender.
- Season with curry powder, cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, and red pepper flakes.
Step 2
- Add the cauliflower and potatoes to the pan, and stir to coat with spices.
- Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper, then add the stock.
- Add water if necessary.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
- Stirring occasionally.
Note: If you don’t have babassu oil you can substitute coconut or culinary-grade argan oil instead.
What’s a Curry, Anyway?
Curry is a very loose term. Per Bon Appetit, in many countries it was a word used by colonizers to simplify what they saw as foreign cuisines. Today, curry is usually a dish with a spiced sauce and meat or vegetables, often eaten with rice or flatbread like naan. Many times the spice curry powder is included in the sauce, or sometimes curry paste. The dish is made in many countries, including India, Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, and England.
Ingredients In This Vegetable Curry
Knowing curry has a loose definition, I designed this vegetable curry to include a sauce with curry powder and feature a variety of healthy vegetables. It’s important to note that it’s not as thick of a sauce as with a tomato or coconut milk-based curry.
What to serve with curry? Rice, naan, and more…
There are a few options, depending on how much time you have. Here are our recommendations for serving this veggie curry:
- Naan bread: Store-bought naan bread is a great quick side dish for this vegetable curry. But if you have time, try homemade!
- Rice: Start a pot of rice before you even begin prep, and let it cook while you make the curry. Brown generally takes about 30 minutes with our quick method (below), and white takes about 15 minutes.
- Quinoa: I’ve eaten it with quinoa and while not authentic, it tastes good and is very filling!
Is this curry spicy?
Well, yes and no! The heat level in this vegetable curry is directly related to the curry powder that you use. Here’s the thing: some curry powders are spicy, some are mild. It really depends on the brand! And there’s no way to know based on the label. So, you’ll have to do some trial and error to find the curry powder brand you like with a heat level that works for you.
Make Ahead and Storage
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.
You also can make rice in advance if you’re serving with rice! 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.
Is this an authentic Indian curry?
While this isn’t a 100% authentic Indian curry, it uses the flavors of Indian cuisine to make a fast weeknight dinner.
This vegetable curry recipe can be made…
Vegetarian, vegan, plant-based, dairy-free and gluten-free.
Sources:
https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/health-benefits-of-babassu-essential-oil/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/81051/vegetable-curry/
https://www.acouplecooks.com/vegetable-curry/
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/what-is-curry