Perfect for curry night, this vegan Butternut Squash & Chickpea Coconut curry is beautiful!
Curries are always a go-to dish for me when it comes to home-cooking. Why so? Because they’re versatile, full of nutrition, and super tasty!
After travelling parts of India, I learnt one key thing about curry. All you need is the simple base, then it’s up to you to put your stamp on it.
This is what I love about making them. They’re great for unleashing a little creativity and experimenting with different ingredients.
The base for all curries I tried in India was often onion, garlic and tomato cooked and blitzed into a sauce. Next, the choice of spice and finally the main ingredients.
This curry of mine uses a warm blend of spices. The coconut milk makes it creamy and mild. Then the squash and red pepper tie in a little sweetness. I decided to add Quinoa to the rice given it’s an extra source of protein and contains all 9 essential amino acids.
I also made a little Asian side salad to go with it which I LOVE! I often make this with all curries because it’s super simple and goes great with poppadoms for starters. Leftover salad (if there’s any haha) goes great with other meals too. Some examples include chilli topping, tacos and nachos. The salad can also be used to bulk up salads and rice, or as a stand-alone salsa for ya crisp ‘n’ dip sesh.
Traditional Indian Culture and Meat-Eating:
Traditional Indian culture and Hinduism means that meat is rarely eaten. Though some regions of India differ depending on what other religion they follow.
Hindus favour a vegetarian diet. For them, it’s considered a purification of the body and mind a.k.a satvic. Beef is a no-go for Hindus given the cow is one of their sacred animals. Often you see Ol’ Daisy roaming the streets in among India’s hustle and bustle (it was crazy haha).
I found their attitude to meat-eating so interesting. Especially, coming from a Western culture where meaty options are people’s favourites. Where tikka masalas and kormas are popular choices for many in the U.K.
In India, it’s quite the opposite, with vegetarian options taking up the most room on the menus! I was in heaven!
I suppose India sparked off a whole new wave of culinary inspiration for me.
How to Make Curry Vegan?
Most vegetarian curries are vegan-friendly. Check the recipe – where milk, cream and/or yogurt are used; swap them for dairy-free alternatives.
Also, you might notice that Paneer cheese is a popular ingredient in vegetarian curries. It’s an Indian cheese that’s a great holder of flavour. Instead, you could use tofu or any other plant-based protein you wish. Perhaps you might wanna keep it simple and stick to protein-packed legumes/pulses?
If you manage to make this curry, let me know what you think in the comments. I hope you have a lovely day!
G x
Creamy Butternut Squash & Chickpea Coconut Curry
Perfect for your weekly vegan curry night, this one is tasty and full of plant-based nutrition.
Ingredients
Sauce:
- Rapeseed Oil
- 1 x white onion
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed/grated
- 1 knob of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 x vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 x 390g carton of Tesco's Italian Chopped Tomatoes with Chilli
- Sea Salt
- Black pepper
Spices:
- 1 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
Vegetables:
- 1 white potato, peeled and diced
- 1/3 butternut squash, peeled and chopped
- 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 x sweet red pepper, chopped
- Handful of fresh coriander, chopped
- 1 x 400ml can of coconut milk
- 100ml water
Grains:
- 100g brown rice
- 100g buckwheat and Quinoa mix
- 600ml water
- 1 x organic Kallo Vegetable Stock
The Salad:
- 1/2 Red Onion, very finely sliced and diced
- 2 Vine Tomato, very finely sliced and diced
- 3 inches of Cucumber, very finely sliced and diced
- Fresh Coriander, finely chopped
- White Wine Vinegar
- Rapeseed Oil
Instructions
For the curry:
- Fry off the onion, garlic, ginger in a dash of rapeseed oil on medium heat for roughly 5 mins until softened. Then add both both types of tomato and mix well. Add a large pinch of sea salt and generous grinding of black pepper. Then stir in the chilli powder, cumin, garam masala and turmeric. Simmer for a few minutes on a medium heat.
- Carefully place all pan ingredients in a blender, and blitz until smooth. Alternatively, you could use a hand-held blender. Return to the pan.
- Add the white potato, squash, chickpeas, red pepper, coriander, coconut milk and 100ml of water. Stir until all ingredients are combined and cook on a low-medium heat for roughly 25-30mins, or until main veg is cooked through.
- Whilst that simmers, you can put your rice on to cook. Add the brown rice and Quinoa mix to 600ml of hot water and bring to the boil. Stir in the vegetable stock for extra flavour and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Whilst both the rice and curry are cooking, you can prepare your Asian Side Salad for serving, along with some vegan-friendly Naan or crispy poppadoms.
For the salad:
- Mix together the finely sliced and diced red onion, cucumber, tomato and fresh coriander with a couple tablespoons of white wine vinegar and a light dash of rapeseed oil.
Notes
Allergens: Celery, Wheat
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