Peanut Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry (Vegan GF)

A simple and flavoursome curry packed with vegetables and protein and it only takes 30 minutes. This vegan curry is also gluten-free and easy to use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.

Nothings beats a good curry for a speedy and healthier Friday night /weekend fake-away or even as a quick and easy midweek dinner for the family. This Peanut Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry is really easy as it comes together in one large frying pan on the hob and it’s great for using up any vegetables you have at home. I went for cauliflower as I love how it absorbs all the lovely curry powder flavours and turns so soft and tender as it cooks, but you could also use red pepper, courgette, sweet potato… the list goes on.

What goes into this Peanut Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry?

• Coconut oil:  to start the vegetables frying off or you could use olive oil or vegan butter.
• Onion: diced small, this is our curry base.
• Fresh garlic: I love garlic in most of my food and curry is no exception.
• Fresh ginger: for curries, fresh really is best but failing that, you could use dry ginger.
• Mild curry powder: to keep this recipe as simple as possible, I am just using a ready-made curry blend that you’ll find in all the shops. This curry is mild so if you like it a bit hotter, use a medium curry powder or add some dried chilli powder.
• Cauliflower: as I said, you can use any number of vegetables instead.
• Fresh tomatoes: I love how they burst in the curry without overpowering the other flavours. If you don’t have fresh, you could use the equivalent of chopped tinned tomatoes.
• Chickpeas: these are very classic in vegan and vegetarian curries and I love how plump they are. You could use other beans or legumes instead.
• Peanut butter: this is the not-so-secret to a really flavoursome curry sauce. Without being overly peanutty it adds to the richness and depth of flavour. for a nut-free option, you could use tahini or sunflower seed butter.
• Coconut milk: while I love curries, I don’t like them too creamy and this one strikes the right balance as I use coconut milk from the carton instead of the tin. For a thicker, creamier option, you can use tinned coconut milk. Low fat tinned coconut milk will be less heavy and full fat will be the creamiest.
• Fresh spinach: I love to add a handful or two at the end of the cooking, so the leaves wilt and they add a welcome dose of green goodness to the curry.

Add in all the ingredients for this Peanut Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry one by one and then leave to simmer for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are soft and all the flavours are infused. I love to serve this with a fresh squeeze of lime juice and then the classic rice, naan breads or even stuffed into a jacket potato. Leftovers also freeze really well so you can make up a batch of curry at the weekend and enjoy it throughout the week. 

As it’s not too spicy, this Peanut Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry is a great family-friendly dinner although you can add more heat as you like – sometimes some extra chilli powder or fresh chilli is great, too. It’s packed with flavour, tender vegetables and protein-rich chickpeas and comes together in 30 minutes with very minimal effort.

If you’re looking for more easy midweek dinners, how about my:

• Vegan “Drunken” Noodles
• Coconut and Chilli Banana Blossom Noodle Curry
• Aubergine and Chickpea Tomato Harissa Stew
• Jackfruit and Sun-Dried Tomato Curry Noodles
• Mediterranean Butterbean and Carrots with Potato Wedges

Peanut Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry (Vegan GF)

• Servings: 4
• Time: 30 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A simple and flavoursome curry packed with vegetables and protein and it only takes 30 minutes. This vegan curry is also gluten-free and easy to use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1 white onion, small dice
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tbsp mild curry powder
• 1 medium cauliflower, chopped into florets (400g total)
• 200g fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tin chickpeas, drained (drained weight 240g)
• 60g peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
• 400ml coconut milk (carton but tin will also work)
• 50g fresh spinach, chopped
• Salt and pepper
To serve:
• cooked rice, naan breads, fresh lime wedges, herbs, sesame seeds

Directions

1. Add the coconut oil to a large frying pan and allow to melt. Once hot, add the onion, garlic and ginger and fry for 5 minutes until softening. Add in the curry powder and fry off for 1 minute.
2. Add in the chopped cauliflower and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes to allow the tomatoes to soften.
3. Pour in the chickpeas and peanut butter and stir well. Now pour in the coconut milk, stir and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cook for 20 minutes with a lid on until the cauliflower is tender. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Now stir in the spinach and allow to wilt and serve with rice, fresh herbs, sesame seeds and lime wedges. Once cool, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 1 month.

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Peanut Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry so please let me know in the comments below. Tag me in your curries, too as I love seeing what you make.  I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With peanut curry love x