This Indian Vegetable Curry is a versatile dish that’s packed with flavour. The blend of spices, cashews and yogurt makes for a rich creamy curry that pairs perfectly with any vegetables you have on hand. You can also freeze batches of the sauce for a quick curry another time. Vegetarians this is the ultimate mixed vegetable curry.
Health benefits
Anything with this many veggies is always going to be full of nutrition and gut loving fibre! Coupled with so many wonderful anti-inflammatories, digestion and immune supporting anti-inflammatory spices; protein and essential fatty-acid rich cashew nuts, this is not only really delicious but supports optimal health and healing.
Ingredients
This gluten-free Indian vegetable curry recipe features aromatic spices like fennel seeds, cumin, turmeric, coriander, and garam masala. Combined with fresh vegetables, cashews, tomatoes, and yogurt, it creates a delicious curry sauce that’s adaptable to your preferences.
How to make this vegetarian curry
To make this veg curry begin by sautéing the onions, garlic, ginger and spices (fennel seeds, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric and garam masala) over a medium heat until fragrant. Blend this with cashews, tomatoes, yogurt and water (or vegetable broth) to create the creamy base. Then, simmer the vegetables in the sauce, adding them in stages based on their cooking time. For a time-saving method, steam or roast the vegetables and stir them into the sauce. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves (fresh cilantro) to serve.
If you own a Thermomix, we’ve also included Thermomix instructions for this recipe.
Serving suggestions and how to store
Serve this Indian Vegetable Curry with brown basmati rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice. I love serving with naan bread too. For added variety, try it with a poached egg for breakfast. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
Vary this Indian vegetable curry to suit
For a dairy-free or vegan option, swap the yogurt for coconut milk. If avoiding onions, use fennel instead. You can also add chickpeas or lentils for extra protein, or incorporate chicken or fish if you prefer a meat version. Adjust the spice level by adding chilli flakes or serving with fresh red chilies for customised heat.
Take a look at the variations below for all the details as well as suggestions to alter the recipe to suit your specific dietary requirements.
Indian Vegetable Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp butter, ghee or coconut oil
- 1 onion/s (medium) peeled and diced
- 2 clove/s garlic -peeled and diced
- 1 tsp ginger root -peeled and finely grated
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 150 g raw cashew nuts (1 cup)
- 5 vine ripened tomatoe/s -roughly chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper -to taste
- 250 g natural, Greek or coconut yoghurt (1 cup)
- 180 ml water (¾ cup) or vegetable broth
Vegetables I used - see note below
- 1 sweet potato/s (small)
- 1 carrot/s (large)
- 1 red capsicum/s
- ½ cauliflower
- ½ broccoli
- 30 g baby spinach (1 cup)
- ½ cup/s peas -fresh or frozen
Serve
- Rice, quinoa or cauliflower rice (to serve)
- ½ bunch/s fresh coriander leaves
Instructions
Note
- You can chose any vegetables you like with this curry. Try to cut your root vegetables to roughly the same size and group vegetables into approx. cook times. So in this case, the carrot and sweet potato will take the longest so I add them to the sauce first, followed by the red capsicum, cauliflower, broccoli and lastly, I stir in the spinach to wilt. The cook time will depend on the size you have cut your vegetables. I like a fairly chunky curry, which is easier to cut up but takes a bit longer to cook than if you cut the vegetables smaller. Your call.
- In a large, deep pan, melt the ghee, butter or coconut oil and sauté the onion, garlic, ginger and spices over a low heat unit the onion is just starting to become opaque and the spices smell amazing.
- Transfer this to a blender or food processor with the cashews, tomatoes, sea salt, yoghurt and water and blend until it is smooth.
- Add it back to the pan you cooked the onions and spices in (no need to wash it), add your vegetables in stages (see the note above), and simmer with the lid on (it will spit), stirring frequently until the vegetables are cooked to your liking. Taste and season again (salt is really important to bring the flavour of the spices out so make sure you season well).
- My curry takes approx. 15 minutes for the root vegetables and another 5-10mintes for the quick cooking veggies (broccoli, cauliflower and capsicum). Always add leafy greens (baby spinach/coriander) at the very end once you have turned off the heat.
- Another way to cook this curry is to steam (or roast) the vegetables and just mix through the sauce (which has simmered 10-15 minutes to build flavour).
Thermomix Method
- Place your onion, garlic and ginger (also fresh turmeric if using) in your TMX and process 3 seconds, speed 6. Scrap the sides. Add the fennel seeds, cumin, turmeric powder, coriander seeds and garam masala and ghee, butter or coconut oil and sauté 3 minutes, temp 100, speed 1.
- Add the cashew nuts, sea salt and tomatoes and blend 20 seconds, speed 7.
- Add the yoghurt and water and blend 1 minute, speed 8.
- At this point, you can choose to cook your curry in a stove-top pot (point 3 above), or continue in your TMX. Personally, I like to finish this in a pot as I find the vegetables stay more intact than cooking it in the TMX. See the note above re-cook time. If you do choose to cook your vegetables in the TMX, make sure the blade is on reverse and cook at temp 100, speed 1 (cook times will vary as explained above).
- Taste and season again (salt is really important to bring the flavour of the spices out so make sure you season well).
- If you are using the steamed method (point 5 above), cook for 10 minutes, temp 100, speed 3 before pouring over your vegetables.
Serve
- This is lovely served with brown basmati, quinoa or cauliflower rice.
- Garnished with fresh coriander leaves.
Make-ahead
- Re-heat in a pot over a low heat until just hot.
- Leftovers are great for breakfast with a poached egg.
Store
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Can also be frozen (either the sauce alone or with the vegetables).
