It’s somehow still 80 degrees in Chicago but all I’m craving is super nourishing, cozy recipes. I mean, that’s what October is for, right?
SO I’ve got a warm bowl of vegan chickpea curry for you with a little spice, a lot of veggies, and beautiful peanut and coconut flavors. ALSO KNOWN AS COZY LOVE IN A SKILLET. Gettin’ jiggy with it.
I whipped up this curry over 5 years ago because quite frankly, you guys have always loved all my curry meals and cauliflower was trendy as hell. Throw in some chickpeas for a little protein and BOOM: you’ve got a 30-minute, easy weeknight dinner that’s healthy and flavorful.
And for those of you who are trying to get more veggies in your life, don’t worry I’ve got you covered. There’s cauliflower (like I mentioned), carrots, red bell pepper, peas, and a little anti-inflammatory boost thanks to turmeric.
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Everything you’ll need to make the best chickpea curry
This dish has tons of delicious veggies, coconut flavor with a hint of peanut butter (my fav), and can be made as spicy or as mild as you like. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Coconut oil: we’re cooking down all of those gorgeous veggies in a little coconut oil to get them nice and tender.
- Garlic & ginger: the ultimate flavor boosters! I highly recommend using fresh garlic and ginger.
- Vegetables: this curry recipe is filled with carrot, cauliflower, red bell pepper, green onions, and peas (the best).
- For the curry sauce: everything gets simmered in a mix of light coconut milk from the can, water or vegetable broth, red curry paste (instead of curry powder), naturally creamy peanut butter, and soy sauce.
- Spices: you’ll also need ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, and salt.
- Chickpeas: get a delicious boost of plant-based protein from chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans!
- To garnish: I love topping this chickpea curry with fresh cilantro, extra green onion, and chopped peanuts or cashews.
Make this chickpea curry your own
This wonderful cauliflower chickpea curry recipe is easy to customize with ingredients you have on hand! here’s what I can recommend:
- Pick your protein. If you don’t have any chickpeas, feel free to swap for cubed tofu, chicken, or shrimp.
- Choose your veggies. You can really use any vegetables you have on hand. I think broccoli, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, and spinach would all be great additions.
- Add a kick of heat. If you’re like me and love the heat, try doubling that ground cayenne pepper. You could also top your bowl with red pepper flakes or hot sauce. Note: I’m not responsible for how HOT you make it. I’ve warned you.
Perfect chickpea curry in 5 simple steps
The best part about this recipe is that you add everything to your pan and let that goodness simmer away. It’s no fuss and is perfect for busy weeknights.
- Cook your veggies. Start by heating your coconut oil in a large skillet or pot, cook the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then saute the green onion, carrot, and cauliflower for a few minutes.
- Add the curry sauce. Stir in all of the sauce ingredients and spices until they’re well combined and coating the veggies.
- Fold in the pepper & chickpeas. Add the bell pepper and chickpeas, then simmer the curry.
- Add the peas. Stir in the frozen peas last and simmer for an additional minute.
- Serve & enjoy. Serve the chickpea curry in bowls, top with your fav garnishes, and enjoy as-is or with an easy side!
Delicious ways to serve this chickpea curry
You can absolutely eat this curry straight from the pan (it’s THAT good), but I love serving it with one of these sides:
- My famous Coconut Rice, jasmine rice, or basmati rice
- Fluffy quinoa
- Cauliflower rice for a grain free, low carb option
- A toasty slice of naan bread
Storing & freezing tips
- To store: store any leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
- To freeze: be sure to not overcook the vegetables. Let the curry cool completely before transferring it to a freezer safe bag or container. Freeze for up to 2 months, and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop after thawing it in the refrigerator.
More vegan dinner recipes you’ll love
- Vegetarian Tofu Cashew Coconut Curry
- Easy Vegan Mac and Cheese
- Vegan Coconut Tomato Lentil Soup
- Crispy Broccoli Sweet and Spicy Sesame Tahini Noodles
- Butternut Squash, Chickpea & Lentil Moroccan-Spiced Stew
Get all of my vegan dinner recipes here!
I hope you love this delicious & easy vegetarian chickpea curry recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!
Ambitious Kitchen
Cookbook
125 Ridiculously Good For You, Sometimes Indulgent, and Absolutely Never Boring Recipes for Every Meal of the Day
Thai Peanut Coconut Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- For the curry:
- ½ tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 small head cauliflower, broken into florets (3-4 cups)
- 1 bunch green onions, diced
- 1 (15 ounce) can lite coconut milk
- ⅓ cup water or vegetarian broth
- 2 tablespoons red curry paste
- 2 tablespoons natural creamy peanut butter (or cashew butter)
- ½ tablespoon gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos
- ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, plus more if you l ike heat
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 red pepper, julienned
- 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup frozen peas
- To garnish:
- Fresh cilantro
- Green onion
- Chopped peanuts or cashews
Instructions
- Place a large deep 10 inch deep skillet or a large pot over medium high heat. Add in coconut oil, garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, then add in green onion, carrot and cauliflower florets. Saute for 3-5 minute until cauliflower begins to turn a slight golden brown and onions soften.
- Next, add in coconut milk, water, curry paste, peanut butter, soy sauce/coconut aminos, red cayenne pepper, turmeric, and salt, and stir well to combine.
- Then stir in bell pepper, and chickpeas; simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.
- Before serving, stir in frozen peas and simmer an additional minute, then pour into bowls or divide into meal prep containers.
- Garnish with cilantro, green onion and chopped peanuts/cashews. Great with brown rice or quinoa for a full protein packed plant based meal. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Recipe by: Monique Volz // Ambitious Kitchen | Photography by: Eat Love Eats
This post was originally published on February 22nd, 2018, and republished on October 4th, 2023.
This recipe goes crazyyyyyyy. We are always fighting over leftovers :,) I’m not a fan of chickpeas so I make without, and I use crunchy PB and love the texture it adds. Such a great meal prep
Haha love that! Crunchy PB sounds amazing.
This was excellent. We used PB2 Original powder and water to make the peanut butter. Served it over tricolor quinoa. Great for a chilly winter dinner. Can’t wait to make it again.
Perfect! So happy you loved it!
Awesome recipe. Replaced chickpeas with white beans.
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
This is quick and delicious! Makes enough for leftovers for lunch. Great recipe.
So glad you loved it!
Great recipe, but the taste got much better after 4-5 hours of cooking, rather than the 10 minutes.
Glad you enjoyed! Noted on the flavors – did your veggies come out mushy after cooking that long?
This recipe was FANTASTIC!
i happened to have cauliflower and all other ingredients.
Everyone enjoyed this recipe!
Thank you!!
Amazing! Glad it was a hit!
O may have commented in the past. My husband LOVES this dinner – he goes for anything pb curry! I don’t eat meat and he does and this one is a winner! He requested it tonight. Thank ypu!
Amazing! So happy he loves this one!
Your on a roll here! This recipe looks so good. That favorite combo of coconut sauce and almond butter, Packed with veggies and I like the red curry paste, coconut milk, veggie broth it is served in. A great healthy Thai Curry to enjoy this fall! Janet
So good!! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Is there a slow cooker version of this recipe?
This was perfection. Easy, delish, versatile. I made a batch and made a second for my lunch for the week that’s how good it was! I like a thicker sauce so skipped the broth which was great for me.
Love it! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
I recently tried this recipe, added some sweet potato to it and it was delicious!
That sounds amazing!
This recipe is delicious! After his first bite, my husband said, “Wow, put this recipe on repeat!” And he’s not really even a chickpea fan. The only modification I made was a 1/2 tbsp brown sugar and a squeeze of lime juice. Served with grilled jumbo shrimp and cilantro rice fanned around the plate. It was a beautiful presentation on top of being so good. Thank you!
Sounds like the perfect meal! Happy to hear it was a hit!
Hi! I am definitely trying this ! If I swap chickpeas for shrimp, do you think I can add in at same times as the chickpeas would have gone in or do I need to sautée on side and then throw in at end?
Hi! Great question. The shrimp will only need about 3-4 minutes to cook, so feel free to stir it in when you have that much time left for the curry to simmer. Otherwise, you can definitely sauté on the side and just mix the shrimp with the curry!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was so tasty! My husband and I really enjoyed!
Wow, love it. Most dinners I feel like I have to make a side to fit veggies in and this one is loaded so no need for a side. I added a few baby potatoes that I had sitting in my pantry and that fit nicely too. Love this recipe! Thank you. ♥️
Love a well-rounded meal! Great idea to add potatoes, too 🙂
This was delicious! I used red onion in the beginning, and added some curry leaves, too. The water
I added was from cooking the chick peas (soaked the night before, then pressure-cooked for 20 minuts in fresh water and a bit of oil).
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed!
Made this dish last night exactly as written and my husband and I both absolutely LOVED it! Will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Look forward to trying more of your plant based meals since deciding to try to eat less meat in 2024! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Amazing! Hope you keep finding new fav recipes here!
This curry was amazing! Tons of flavor and packed with veggies. I will definitely be making this regularly going forward. It would be great with some tofu tossed in also. I’m looking forward to trying other veggie combinations and maybe doubling the batch to put some in the freezer!
Amazing! Great idea to add tofu, too!
I am not sure what happened but this was incredibly spicy and I halved the cayenne! It was so bad my husband and I were sweating, mouths burning at the table. Any idea how you can make this mild? I tried adding lime juice and a little pinch of sugar but it didn’t help much. It had great flavor underneath the heat.
So strange! Was your curry paste spicy by chance? That’s the only other ingredient that could contribute to the heat besides the cayenne. Double check your curry paste to make sure it’s mild, and feel free to omit the cayenne altogether!
So delicious and easy! Must make for weeknight
Made this recipe tonight and it was fabulous . The ingredients complimented each other.. i love thai and i really enjoyed this recipe.. served over rice..
Thank you, Debbie! So glad to hear that!
This dish was awesome! I did add ground turkey and kept the chick peas, didn’t have the frozen peas but didn’t miss them. Also added a few more carrots and some fresh broccoli, plus maybe a bit more peanut butter. My rice of choice is brown basmati, organic, it was all delish, thanks!
Oh sounds amazing! I am so glad you’re loving this recipe and it turned out amazing for you, Janice 🙂
This was super tasty and enjoyed by adults and my 4 and 6 year old. The sauce was magically rich and comforting. I bumped up all the veggie quantities, so we could have leftovers, and it fit in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. I also cut back on the curry paste by a half tablespoon because my kids are sensitive to spice. It was perfect for them and adults could add hot sauce to taste. We served over rice.
Delicious! I am so glad you are loving this recipe and it turned out amazing for you, Christina!
Hi Monique- big fan of all your recipes. I’m excited to try this one!! I only have green curry paste – do you think that would be ok or would that kind of alter the flavor too much?
That should work, it might alter the flavor profiles a bit, but not drastically. enjoy!
Hi Monique- big fan of all your recipes. I’m excited to try this one!! I only have green curry paste – do you think that would be ok or would that kind of alter the flavor too much?
This is a delicious recipe that we make regularly. I like to add snow peas and water chestnuts for some extra crunch. I have also made the recipe with stir fried shrimp instead of the chick peas. Both are delicious!
YUM! Sounds absolutely amazing. So glad you found this recipe and are loving it!
Fantastic recipe.
Delicious and easy
Thanks so much, Mandy!
Delicious! Followed exactly as written.
Yay! SO glad you are loving this recipe ❤️
I made this for my college housemates served with brown rice and everyone enjoyed it! I used regular instead of lite coconut milk and paprika instead of red cayenne pepper, but otherwise followed the recipe!
First time on this site and I’m a fan! Made this delightful Thai cauliflower coconut curry tonight. Recipe is clear. Had everything on hand. The prep was quick. Came together quickly. Family loved it. Delish!
Ahhh yay! So happy to hear it came out great and everyone enjoyed it
This is the most delicious cauliflower recipe I’ve found. The flavor balance is perfect. Prep everything ahead so you can easily follow instructions. I have made this so many times and everyone loves it!
Thank you so much! Thrilled to hear you’re loving this one 🥰
Wow, I really loved this recipe! It’s definitely going into my regular rotation. Not too complicated and very flavorful.
This was great and even better as leftovers. I served with lime wedges and punched up the coconut flavor with toasted coconut as a garnish.
I wanted to love this recipe…easy to make and packed with delicious ingredients. My vegetarian daughter, however, said it lacked flavour. (I didn’t put in the cayenne because she wants flavour, not heat.). Any suggestions for enhancing the flavour for the leftovers would be greatly appreciated.
So sorry to hear that! I’m surprised, because the ingredients are pretty boldly flavored. Do you think it needed more salt or soy sauce?
That might be it…I’ve had problems over doing it on the salt lately, so may have gone too far the other way! My daughter did tell me the flavours came through better the next day. Thanks for the advice.
Of course 🙂 Glad to help!
This was heavenly! I make a similar dish, but the addition of the peanut butter really put the flavours over the top. I am serving this with baked naan bread.
I’m so glad you loved it, Cheryl! Thank you!
Delicious! I did all my chopping over the weekend. Used regular coconut milk. Will definitely make again!
Awesome! So happy you loved it, Barbara 🙂
This recipe was amazing. Really easy and delicious!!!
Beautiful. Creamy, flavorful, kids loved it. Love how the vegetables absorb the sauce and they’re so delicious when you get those bites. Served with rice and topped with cashews.
Nice, I’m so happy you all loved this one! 🙂
Love this recipe so much!!
Could I use yellow curry paste instead of red? I have a lot of yellow on hand but not red. Sounds like a delicious recipe & excited to try it!
Definitely! It’ll have a different flavor but I bet it’ll still be delish 🙂