Vegetable Coconut Curry Recipe

Are you looking for a dish that packs a ton of spice, veggies, and flavor all into one? If so, this vegetable coconut curry could be just the answer to your cravings. There are so many wonderful things about this dish, including the fact that it's filled with veggies, which you can feel good about putting in your body. The butternut squash, eggplant, cauliflower, and green beans are plenty filling, and they pair so well with the coconut curry sauce. A melody of spices makes up the coconut curry sauce, and the combination of chili pepper and coconut milk is a match made in heaven. 

Recipe developer Catherine Brookes of Blue Sky Eating came up with this delicious recipe that is wonderful for vegetarians and meat-eaters. "I love the variety of flavors and texture that an array of veggies bring to this tasty curry," Brookes raves. "It's full of goodness and color and a great one to make in a big batch if you're cooking for lots of people." Not to mention, it's easy to make, but you'll discover that soon enough.

This recipe requires quite a few items. Head to the store and get olive oil, mild curry powder, turmeric, cumin, ground coriander, diced onion, red pepper, eggplant, garlic, ginger, red chili pepper, butternut squash, cauliflower, coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, vegetable stock, green beans, salt, and pepper to taste. If you want to add or swap veggies, Brookes says you can also use zucchini, peas, corn, and sweet potato.

To make this dish, you will need a large pot. Place it on your stove and turn the heat to medium-high. Toss in the olive oil and once it gets hot, add in the curry powder, turmeric, cumin, and ground coriander. Stir well and cook the ingredients for about 1 minute, until the aroma of the spices fills the kitchen.

"The special method is blooming the spices in the olive oil before adding the rest of the ingredients. This helps their flavors to develop more deeply, giving the curry much more punch," Brookes notes. 

Now that the spices are fragrant, you can begin adding veggies. Toss in the onion, red pepper, and eggplant first. Continue cooking with the olive oil and spices until softened, which should take about 6 to 8 minutes. Next, add the garlic, ginger, and chili. Stir well and cook for another 2 minutes.

As you can see from the ingredients list, there are still a few things that you haven't used. At this time, you can add the butternut squash, cauliflower, coconut milk, chopped tomatoes, and vegetable stock to the pot.

Turn the heat up and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Let the coconut curry cook for about 20 minutes before you add the green beans and cook for another 5 minutes. "The taste is a balanced combo of spice, sweetness and tang, with a slight creaminess from the coconut," Brookes explains. 

Season the coconut curry with a little bit of salt and pepper to taste — this is just based on your personal preferences. Spoon the coconut curry into bowls and serve with rice, fresh chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. Brookes also provides a few additional serving suggestions, stating that it would be good "with rice, naan bread, poppadoms or even over noodles." 

"Leftovers should keep well for up to 3 days in the fridge, but you can also freeze them for later," Brookes notes.