This is my go-to vegetable curry recipe. It's easy to make, but it packs a punch of flavor from turmeric, ginger, more delicious spices & fresh chiles.
This coconut curry recipe is everything I want on a weeknight. Scratch that – it’s everything I want… any time. I’ve been eating it as leftovers for lunch, dinner… I even ate a bowlful for breakfast the other day.
The recipe is particularly Monday night-friendly because it’s quick to make yet packs a punch of flavor. It’s filled with cozy, nourishing vegetables that will help you recover from a weekend of maybe… I dunno… too much pumpkin cake?
The ingredient shot above makes this recipe look more complicated than it actually is. Once you’ve chopped the vegetables and measured the spices, you’re only about 20 (mostly hands-off) minutes from a creamy, delicious hot curry dinner on the table.
I find this recipe really fun and soothing to make. There’s nothing better than this moment when the coconut milk and spices hit the vegetables. Of course, this moment will happen on the stove and not on the countertop, I just had to move my pot near the window to show you:
The ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom… it all smells so good! You’re going to have to take my word on it unless you can smell through your screen.
How to Make Coconut Curry
Most of the steps of this recipe are actually pictured above – it’s really that simple. Here’s all you need to do:
- Heat coconut oil in a medium pot over medium heat, add a chopped onion and cook until it softens.
- Stir in the butternut squash (or sweet potato) and chiles, and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Add the cauliflower, coconut milk, and spices, and simmer until the veggies are tender.
- During the last five or so minutes, stir in the green things and add squeezes of lemon and lime to brighten everything up.
So healthy!
Vegetable Curry Recipe Variations
This butternut and cauliflower curry recipe is very flexible, so I encourage you to use it as a template. Here are some ideas to change it up:
- Use different veggies. If you don’t have butternut squash, use sweet potatoes. If you don’t have cauliflower, then use broccoli. Green beans, carrots, bell peppers, and potatoes would be great here as well.
- If you want more heat, spice it up. Add extra chiles or more turmeric, ginger, cardamom, cayenne, or red pepper flakes.
- Vary how you serve it. You can serve this curry with basmati rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or even quinoa. You can also customize it with any type of protein that you like in your curry, or you can just make the recipe exactly as it’s written, a.k.a. my favorite version 🙂
If you love this vegetable curry recipe…
Then be sure to try my Curried Red Lentil Dip, Curried Cauliflower Soup, or Curried Lentil Soup!
Easy Coconut Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 3 red Thai chiles, or 1 serrano, or ½ jalapeño, thinly sliced
- 2 cups cauliflower florets
- 1 can full-fat coconut milk
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, plus lime wedges for serving
- 4 cups fresh spinach
- ½ cup fresh or frozen peas
- Freshly ground black pepper
for serving:
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- a few big handfuls of fresh basil or cilantro
- Naan bread, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and well-browned, about 10 minutes, reducing the heat to low halfway through.
- In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cardamom, and salt. Set aside.
- Add the butternut squash and chiles to the pot, stir, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and then add the coconut milk and the spice mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
- Add the lemon juice, lime juice, spinach, peas, and stir. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding additional lime juice, salt, and pepper, as desired.
- Serve the curry over the rice with fresh basil, naan bread, if desired, and lime wedges on the side.
You are an inspiration for creativity using extra veggies and even fruits(apples, grapes, radishes, cukes etc!Yhanks!!!!
This is the first recipe that I’ve made from loveandlemons and I am really excited about it! It looks beautiful and tastes incredible, it is the best curry I’ve ever made in my kitchen and I followed the recipe to the letter. Thank you so much, I’ll definitely be back!
Hi Rebecca, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is a winner with adults and kids alike! I used the instant pot and it came out more like a soup but the flavors were incredible still!
I’m glad everyone enjoyed it!
So, this was yummy. Unfortunately I don’t think frozen butternut squash works (they had no actual in the store). I added a little sweetened coconut milk. The squash melted and made it very soupy. Still delicious but I shouldn’t have thawed the frozen vegggies first.
Looks delicious. Is there nutritional value somewhere close?
So good!
I loved the added basil.
Can I freeze this and reheat? If so, any special instructions?
Hi Cate, yep! I thaw in the microwave or over the stove.
Made this tonight for me and a mate, decided to go with coriander at the end and was absolutely delicious is the best online recipe I’ve found for a while. My only complaint was it was only enough for two, but we are big eaters 5 stars
I’m so glad you loved it!
Can I add tofu to this dish? If so at what point?
yep! I would add it after the coconut milk.
This dish is fantastic!!!
Wow!
The spice blend along with the lemon & lime juices are amazing.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Ahhh- this was spectacular! We subbed sweet potato for the squash but otherwise did exactly as recipe states. The hit of lime+ Lemon at the end was the cherry on top. DELICIOUS! The only change I’ll make next time is wait to add the cauliflower since mine turned to a bit of mush. Even with that, though, the flavor was spot on- so fresh and tasty!! Can’t wait to make again.
Hi Maria, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Trying to only eat Vegan for Lent. We loved this recipe. Mixed with homemade Naan bread…..delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I LOVE this recipe… I did play with the veggies a bit – adding zucchini, carrots and mushrooms, and chick peas, plus had no chili peppers but used a red bell and added a dash of cayenne to the seasoning. I had so much fun making this, and enjoyed the aroma as much as the flavor!
Hi Judy, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this again for myself & daughter. I’d forgotten how easy & yummy it is! I won’t forget that again! Plenty for tomorrow too. I always put the baby spinach on top of the rice then place the curry over that. This let’s the spinach wilt nicely in between the heat of rice & the curry & when I reheat it the following day I stir the spinach into the curry after it has been reheated. It’s perfect!
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
What size can of coconut milk? Because I used a 13.5 Oz can and it doesn’t seem like enough liquid.
Hi Alison, that’s the correct size, it should be a thick stew.
Excited to make this today – just wondering if its freezer friendly and how long it will keep in fridge? Thanks
Hi Danielle, yep it freezes really well. I keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Is this ground cardamom? Do you think I could use seeds instead?
Yes, it’s ground cardamom, but you could crush the seeds and use them instead.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so, so good!
I’m so glad you loved it!
The whole family liked it! Including the teenagers.
there’s no curry in this! i’m in the process of preparing it but damn i’m adding some madras curry powder!
The spices are common ones found in curry powder blends (curry powder is a blend). I hope you enjoy.
Made this for the first time last night. My granddaughter who is a very picky eater and doesn’t like coconut agreed to try it although she didn’t think she would like it. Wrong!!! She loved it. We all did. Thanks for bringing all these wonderful vegetarian recipes to us!