This balti-style vegetable curry is full of fragrant spices and flavorful vegetables! It’s super easy to make, completely vegan, and packs a nice kick for all those spicy food lovers.
As you may already know, my husband is Punjabi, which means we eat a LOT of Indian food.
While I will never claim to be an expert at Indian cooking, I defintely get my share of practice (and tips from the family!)
In fact, this Red Lentil Dal and this Indian-inspired Butternut Squash Curry are two the of the most popular recipes on the blog.
It can be difficult to find a dairy-free curry that delivers on flavor and spice, but look no further!
This mixed vegetable curry is filled with roasted cauliflower and bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, and green beans - all accented with incredible Indian spices.
If you love Indian flavors but are intimidated by cooking your own Indian dishes, this simple vegetable curry is the place to start!
This vegetable curry recipe is:
- 100% Vegan
- Vegetarian
- Dairy-free
- Plant based
- Gluten-free
- Packed with flavor
- A touch spicy!
- An easy weekend meal
How to Make Vegetable Curry
- Place the cauliflower florets on a baking tray. Drizzle them with vegetable oil and sprinkle them with turmeric.
- Put the tray in the oven for 15 minutes. Then add the green pepper to the cauliflower and cook for 20 more minutes.
- Cook the basmati rice in a large saucepan with cold water and a pinch of salt.
- Cover the pan and bring to a boil. Cook for 12 minutes. Fluff the basmati rice when it’s done cooking.
- While the cauliflower is cooking, heat the vegetable oil in a large pan on the stove.
- Once heated, add sliced onion and cook until browned. Then add ginger paste, sliced garlic, and spices.
- Add stock cubes, tomato puree, and boiling water. Then add the tomato wedges, chili, tomato stock, and green beans to the pan.
- Cover the pan and cook until the sauce has thickened.
- Add the cooked cauliflower and green peppers to the pan and coat the vegetables in the sauce.
- Garnish the curry with flaked almonds and cilantro.
- Transfer the rice and the vegan curry to serving bowls, and enjoy!
Scroll down for the full recipe with measurements and detailed instructions.
Tips & Tricks
Use a Spice Mix
This vegan curry calls for a number of spices to get that authentic Indian flavor. If you want to simplify, you can feel free to substitute 2 tbsp of a good quality curry powder or a store bought Balti spice mix.
Vegetable Broth
I used these Maggi vegetable bouillon cubes for this vegetable curry. I find they have nice flavor and are easy to work with. They don't contain any non-vegan ingredients, but they are manufactured in a place that processes non-vegan things - so use your own judgment.
Other options are to use a store bought vegetable broth or make your homeade vegetable stock (here's my veggie stock recipe).
Time It Right
No one wants to spend forever in the kitchen—especially if you’re hungry.
So once you’ve put the cauliflower in the oven, get started on the rice and the sauce. That way, by the time you’re ready to add the cauliflower and green peppers to the sauce, everything else is just about ready to eat.
If You’re In a Hurry
If you look at this recipe and think it’s just going to take too long, there are a couple things you can do to speed up the process.
First, use a rice cooker and get your rice started earlier in the day.
Alternatively, you can use the rice setting on your instant pot. (Or try out this Instant Pot Vegetable Curry.)
Next, when roasting your cauliflower, set your oven to 450 degrees and put the cauliflower and green pepper in at the same time. Just cook them for 20 minutes. Your result will be slightly different, but still delicious!
Variations
Add Coconut Milk
If you want to add a little creaminess to your vegan curry, you can use coconut milk. Try doing half water and half coconut milk for the sauce. For a thicker sauce, add more coconut milk.
Be sure to use coconut milk (I use this brand) and not coconut cream, or it will be much too thick.
Serve with Naan Instead of Rice
Tired of eating rice? Try some naan instead!
Naan is an Indian leavened flatbread that is eaten often with curries. You can buy it at many grocery stores or just order it online.
If you’re vegan, make sure you read the ingredients, because naan is often made with yogurt so that the bread comes out softer.
This Toufayan naan is vegan-friendly. Or try your hand at making homemade naan.
Recipe
Vegetable Balti Curry
Ingredients
- 2 cups basmati rice dry, 300g
- 2 cauliflower heads cut into small florets
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 green bell peppers cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 onions finely sliced
- 2 tbsp ginger paste or minced ginger
- 4 cloves garlic finely sliced
- 2 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 2 vegetable stock cubes
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 4 tomatoes cut into wedges
- 2 red chillis cut in half, seeds left in
- 2 cups green beans 200 g
- handful slivered almonds
- cilantro cilantro finely chopped
- olive oil for cooking
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
- Put the basmati rice into a large saucepan, cover with plenty of cold water and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 12 minutes. Drain if needed. Keep warm until ready to serve.
- Add the cauliflower florets to a baking tray, drizzle with vegetable oil and sprinkle over the turmeric. Put the tray in the oven for an initial 15 minutes.
- Add the green pepper on top of the cauliflower and cook for a further 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pan, add the sliced onion and cook for 5 minutes until the onion has browned.
- Add the ginger paste, sliced garlic and all spices to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.
- Dissolve the stock cubes and tomato puree in 2 cups of boiling water.
- Add the tomato wedges, chilli, tomato stock and green beans to the pan. Cook over high heat for 6-7 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Remove the cauliflower and green peppers from the oven and add them to the pan, mix well to coat all the vegetables in the curry sauce.
- Fluff up the basmati rice with a fork. Transfer the rice and vegetable balti to serving dishes or a platter.
- Garnish with the almonds and cilantro. Enjoy!
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