Skip to main content
Bon Appétit

Curry Vegetables

4.0

(30)

curry vegetables recipe
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

When I was growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, our curry vegetables were cooked in coconut milk made from scratch. We’d grab sun-dried coconuts that had fallen from the trees, remove the husks, and crack the nut open. Then we’d grate the pulp with a hole-punched piece of metal, mixing with water, squeezing, and straining it to make coconut milk. These days, I rely on the canned stuff (Native Forest for aroma and consistency and Trader Joe’s for its concentrated coconut flavor) to make this Caribbean-style curry with a mix of vegetables: zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, mushrooms. It’s got a brilliant yellow hue from grated fresh turmeric (or ground turmeric in a pinch), an assertive curry flavor (look for Chief or Lalah's brands), and a little heat. But if the music is playing a bit too loud and you want to turn it down, that’s what coconut milk does. It balances out sharp, intense, or spicy flavors. —Rawlston Williams

All products featured on Bon Appétit are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through the retail links below, we earn an affiliate commission.

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

6

Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, divided

6

cups 1" pieces mixed vegetables (such as zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, and/or mushrooms)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1

2" piece turmeric, peeled, finely grated, or ½ tsp. ground turmeric

2

Tbsp. curry powder (preferably Chief or Lalah’s)

2

tsp. ground coriander

1

medium onion, finely chopped

2

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1

2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

1

habanero chile, Fresno chile, or jalapeño, finely chopped

1

13.5-oz. can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (preferably Native Forest)

1½

cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1

Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. honey

1

15-oz. can green pigeon peas or other canned or frozen green peas, rinsed

Small handful of chopped cilantro

Juice of ½ lime (optional)

Roti or steamed white rice (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425°. Melt 3 Tbsp. coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Transfer oil to a large bowl, add vegetables, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Divide vegetables between 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until almost tender and starting to brown in spots, 10–12 minutes. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large skillet over medium. Add turmeric, curry powder, and coriander and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and spice mixture starts to look dry and clumpy, 6–8 minutes.

    Step 3

    Add chile, coconut milk, and broth to skillet and bring curry to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one third (it should be almost thick enough to coat a spoon), 13–17 minutes. Stir in honey; taste curry and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

    Step 4

    Add pigeon peas and reserved roasted vegetables to skillet and return curry to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are fork-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cilantro. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir in lime juice if using. Serve curry vegetables with roti alongside.

Explore Bon AppétitCurryCaribbeanTurmericCoconut MilkZucchiniSquashVegetableCauliflowerCarrotEggplantOkraMushroomEasyWeeknight MealsMainDairy-FreeGluten-FreeVegetarianLunchDinner
Sign In or Subscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Curry Vegetables?

Leave a Review

Reviews (30)

Back to Top

  • Really good and easy to make! Suggestions: Make two bags of mixed frozen veggies (sweet potatoes, onions, sweet peppers, cauliflower, brussel sprouts) Cheat with an air fryer if you forget to pre-heat the oven Use more spices! I eyeballed it, but definitely used more than what was called for Cut the frozen peas in half You only need to salt and pepper once (either vegetables or curry)

    • Samantha R

    • Ohio

    • 1/9/2023

  • Terrible! Don't waste your time & $ on this!! I've had much better curry. It looks awful, the taste is mediocre.. Brown curry dish.

    • Jane Doe

    • California

    • 5/9/2022

  • I will never go vegetarian in my life, and this is still truly one of the most delicious homemade curries I've ever made.

    • Tayla

    • Alexandria, VA

    • 10/7/2021

  • One of my FAVORITE recipes I've made from BA lately. Didn't change anything, used carrots, zucchini and cauliflower. The perfect balance of savory and sweet sauce.

    • Casey M

    • San Francisco, CA

    • 10/5/2021

  • Good, flexible recipe for using up a lot of vegetables

    • Anonymous

    • USA

    • 9/23/2021