This easy vegan curry is packed with spiced roasted mushrooms and a sweet coconut milk sauce – the flavors are amazing! With this versatile recipe you can add in any other veggies or protein you wish to make it the perfect meal for your family.
I can never get enough simple and flexible curry recipes, so here is my latest offering. We’ve got meaty roasted mushrooms, we’ve got a sweet coconutty sauce, and we’ve got space for anything else you want to throw in there too!
It’s so simple to put together, with pretty common ingredients (you do need a well stocked spice collection is all) and it’s completely vegan as written so this can be a real crowd pleaser.
I definitely recommend you treat it like a base recipe and add some other ingredients – frozen peas, cubed paneer or tofu, a can of beans? It’s all good here!
It’s as simple as…
This isn’t quite a 30 minute meal but it does come together with very little effort. I find the extra step of roasting the mushrooms doesn’t add much time, if any – they just roast while you’re preparing the sauce, and it’s all hands off at that point.
What to know about the ingredients
- You can use any type of mushrooms, but I tend to go for chestnut mushrooms and I quarter them. Larger mushrooms could be cut into cubes, and smaller ones could be left whole.
- It’s fine if you need to use a white or brown onion instead of red.
- Your coconut milk should be full fat.
- If you don’t have tomato paste, you could use a few tablespoons of passata (tomato sauce) and then reduce the amount of broth you use.
The best add ins for your mushroom curry
This is very much a base recipe! Raid your fridge, freezer and cupboards and find something else to join the party.
- Frozen peas are one of the easiest additions and the most likely to be in your freezer right now. They add a delicious sweetness and a pop of bright color. A mix of frozen vegetables will work great too.
- A few handfuls of fresh spinach or kale can be wilted in at the end.
- For protein, you can’t go wrong with a can of beans or chickpeas.
- If you don’t need the curry to stay vegan, a block of paneer or halloumi, cubed and fried, is a delicious addition.
- Some broccoli or cauliflower florets, roasted alongside the mushrooms, can work well here too.
Creamy Mushroom Coconut Curry
Ingredients
Roasted Mushrooms
- 14 oz (400 g) chestnut mushrooms, quartered
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced – if your onion is large just use half
- 2 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- olive or vegetable oil, for roasting
Creamy Coconut Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
- 2 tsp ginger, grated or finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 1 Tbsp garam masala
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) vegetable broth
- 14 oz (400 g) canned coconut milk
- 2-3 tbsp cilantro (coriander), chopped
- 1 lemon, for squeezing
- salt and pepper, to taste (be generous!)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F.
- Start the mushrooms roasting. Put the mushrooms and onions in a 9×13 baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil (enough to coat everything lightly) and sprinkle the curry powder, smoked paprika and garlic powder over the top. Mix well, season generously with salt and pepper, then place in the oven for 20 minutes.14 oz chestnut mushrooms, 1 small red onion, 2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- While they roast, prepare the sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a wide bottomed saute pan* over a low heat. Cook the garlic and ginger until soft. Add the spices, cook for a few seconds until fragrant and toasty.3 cloves garlic, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp chili powder, 1 Tbsp garam masala
- Add the tomato paste to the pan, cook for a few more minutes, until the spices are well integrated into the paste. Add the vegetable broth and whisk through. Let it bubble and thicken for 2-3 minutes.1 Tbsp tomato paste, 1/3 cup vegetable broth
- Finally, add the coconut milk and sugar to the pan and stir through. Season generously with salt and pepper. Allow the sauce to simmer, uncovered, until the mushrooms are ready. It should thicken up a little and reduce in this time.14 oz canned coconut milk, 1 tsp sugar
- After 20 minutes, the mushrooms and onions should be nicely browned, but leave them in a little longer if you need to (cook time might be longer if you use a glass or ceramic baking dish, for example).
- When the mushrooms and onions are finished, pour them into the pan with the sauce. Make sure to get as much as possible of the roasting oil in there as well – it adds lots of flavor! Add the cilantro and a couple squeezes of lemon juice.2-3 tbsp cilantro (coriander), 1 lemon
- Serve with rice and/or naan, and lemon wedges for squeezing.
Fabulous recipe, thanks so much. Really tasty (added broccoli to It)