Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry in a white bowl with rice, with a spoon nearby

This not-so-authentic take on a vegetarian Thai red curry is an EXPLOSION of awesome flavor. And the best part? It comes together in less than 20 minutes. You typically wouldnโ€™t pair hot-off-the-presses naan with a Thai curry, but I love serving some up with this. In no time at all, youโ€™ve got yourself an amazing healthy dinner that the whole family will love.

If you’ve never made curry before, it’s nothing to be afraid of. The best way to get the curry flavor you’re used to from your favorite South Asian restaurant is to use curry paste. Yes, they sell curry powder at most grocery stores, but the flavor of typical curry spices tends to fade very quickly after grindingโ€”so powder form isn’t the best way to get robust flavor.

Spoon full of white rice and chickpea and cauliflower curry on a spoon that is resting on the edge of a white bowl of curry.
White bowl full of chickpea and cauliflower curry and white rice, with a torn piece of naan tucked into the rice.

Curry paste is the wet version of curry powder, and you can probably find it at your regular supermarket in the international foods aisle. Because it is wet, it keeps the flavor of the spices nice and robust, and having a bottle of curry paste in the fridge makes it a BREEZE to make a simple curry like this one.

For this recipe, you’re looking to pick up red curry pasteโ€”Mae Ploy brand is one that a lot of folks like, but I can’t find it at my supermarket, so I usually just use Thai Kitchen. If you’re a little more advanced, you can also make your own curry paste at homeโ€”here’s a great how-to from Hot Thai Kitchen.

Spoon full of Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry resting on a bowl of curry, rice, and naan
Red curry paste on a spoon, on a marbled background

This recipe also makes an awesome make-ahead meal prep recipe, if youโ€™re so inclined. Just pre-cook the curry and your rice, pop them into meal prep containers, and stash them in the fridge until youโ€™re ready to microwave. Enjoy!

 
Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry

Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

This Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry is packed with bold flavor, but only takes about 20 minutes to come together from start to finish thanks to using curry paste. You can find curry paste in the international food section of most supermarkets!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 2โ€“4 tablespoons red curry paste
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 1 small head cauliflower, broken into small florets
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Rice, cauliflower rice, and/or naan for serving

Instructions

  1. Heat the coconut oil and curry paste in a large skillet over medium-high heat, until the oil is melted and the curry paste is fragrant.
  2. Add in the ginger, onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook until the veggies are tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add in the coconut milk, chickpeas, diced tomatoes, and cauliflower. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the cauliflower is tender and the sauce is thick and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
  4. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Serve over top of cooked rice with a side of hot naan for serving. Serve over cauliflower rice to keep it grain-free.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 480Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 1924mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 11gSugar: 11gProtein: 14g

At Wholefully, we believe that good nutrition is about much more than just the numbers on the nutrition facts panel. Please use the above information as only a small part of what helps you decide what foods are nourishing for you.

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86 Comments

  1. I made this recipe for my family last night. Very easy recipe to follow, I followed it exactly. It calls for 2 – 4 tbsps of red curry paste I used 2 tbsps thinking that this recipe eased into the heat. It was way to hot for us to enjoy. I used a full 2nd can of coconut milk to lessen the heat which was perfect for my husband and I but our kids felt it was still to hot. I liked being able to taste the coconut milk – with 1 can you couldn’t. I served it over rice using the extra broth it was a perfect dish. I’d make it again using these modifications.

  2. I’ve had this recipe pinned for a long time. I finally made it tonight and it is absolutely delicious! Great recipe, easy, and no weird ingredients.

    Thank you for sharing!!

  3. Made it last night.. Well enjoyed by everyone at home. Simple, quick and delicious. Added to our regulars dishes.
    Thank you very much.

  4. Made this last night after finding it on Pinterest! The store was out of my go-to curry paste, and the one I bought was too mild, so I had to throw in extra tumeric, garam masala, red pepper flakes, cumin, and smoked paprika until it tasted “right” to me, but otherwise, I followed the recipe–my husband kept going back for more and our whole family loved it! ๐Ÿ™‚ Thank you!

  5. Very bland. Even after I added 8 tablespoons of curry paste. There needs to be more to this recipe in order for it to be flavourful.

  6. I made this recipe for dinner. The kitchen is smelling awesome and it was delicious.
    A keeper.

    Thanks and bon appรฉtit…from Montrรฉal

  7. This is a very good and versatile curry recipe. I used Patak curry paste- which is a pretty easy to find supermarket Indian curry paste that’s better than Thai Kitchen. I also use light coconut milk.

  8. This was SO good! I made it exactly as stated above except added small pieces of firm tofu – a huge hit in our house!

  9. This recipie was amazing. I added baby corn because I had a can of it laying around and also threw a jalapeรฑo into it to give it a little extra kick.

  10. Found this recipe and wanted to leave a comment saying thank you! I made this for my family last night and it was a hit. The red curry paste I used was hecka spicy but I wanted more with every bite! Planning to add some shredded chicken, zucchini, and fresh tomatoes to it the next go around. A little bit of sugar also helps to bring out the flavors more and I simmered mine longer to soften up the cauliflower more. <3 mushed cauliflower. Thank you again for this quick and easy recipe!