Plant-based cauliflower chickpea red curry recipe

Bring some exoticness to your evening meal time with our fabulous new plant-based chickpea cauliflower red curry recipe. This recipe combines the delicious oriental flavours of coconut, ginger, lime, chili and coriander to create a decadent but light evening meal.

Chickpeas are a great source of vegan protein and also provide slow-release energy, helping to keep you going for longer! They also help to create a substantial meal – so they are good to add if you are feeling particularly hungry. For the vegetables, we like to use cauliflower and red pepper, but you can use any vegetables that you have in your fridge. Vegetables are great for supporting our digestive health, so too is coconut milk.

The recipe for the curry paste can be made in advance. It is not very hot or spicy, so if you like a strong heat to your curry, add more chilis, or you can even add in some cayenne pepper. Remember, you can make lots of this paste – it freezes well. Simply freeze it in small containers, a few tablespoons at a time. Then an hour before you need it, take it out of the freezer and allow to defrost. This is a great way to use up any fresh coriander that need using.

Serving suggestion: This curry is great with some plain boiled rice, with quinoa (yum!) or any other of your favourite wholegrains.

Cauliflower chickpea red curry recipe

Servings: 8

Ingredients:
Curry paste
4 small dry red chili *use fresh if available
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp chopped ginger
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp grated ginger
1 stick lemon grass (omit if not available)
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 tsp lime zest
2 tbsp lime juice

Veggies / sauce
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 cups coconut milk (the non-dairy milk version)
1 tin coconut milk
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3cm ginger, grated
½ cauliflower, broken into large florets
2 red peppers, cut into large chunks
2 cups cooked chickpeas
Large handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped

Directions:

If you are using dried chilis, put them into a bowl and cover in boiling water. Leave them to soak for 15 minutes. Then drain (reserve the water) and chop them into fine pieces.

Make the red curry paste. Put all the curry paste ingredients into a blender, then blend for 90 -120 seconds until they create a smooth paste.

Heat a large pan over a medium heat. Add 4 tbsp curry paste and cook for 1 minute, until you can start to smell the spices. Then add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil.

Once boiling add the cauliflower, garlic and ginger and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the red pepper, cooked chickpeas and half of the fresh coriander. Cook for a further 6-8 minutes, until the veggies are cooked but still slightly crisp. Taste. Add more spice or curry paste if needed.

Before serving, stir in the rest of the fresh coriander. Serve, topped with fresh coriander.

Plant-based food at La Crisalida health retreats 

We love vegetables here at the retreat – the more the better! They form an integral part of our plant-based diet, served together with wholegrains, seeds, pulses, legumes, nuts and fruit. Learn more about the plant-based food served at La Crisalida Retreats follow this link: plant-based food at La Crisalida Retreats.

If you have enjoyed this plant-based vegan recipe, you can try more, there are many on this health and wellbeing blog  – use the search box to find your favourite ingredients or click on “food recipe” to see more.

Happy cooking!