Healthy Vegetarian Curry Recipes

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

West Indian Vegetable Curry

Bring the taste of the Caribbean Islands to your kitchen with this inspired side dish. Hindu immigrant workers brought wet and dry curry mixtures to Trinidad and Tobago. Here a habanero pepper is added for a brief time while the mixture simmers to impart subtle heat without overpowering the dish. Calabaza, also called West Indian pumpkin, has a brilliant orange, firm, sweet flesh, much like acorn or butternut squash. This vegetable dish is often served over rice or with coo-coo, the Caribbean rendition of soft polenta.

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Photo: Randy Mayor

Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

Aromatic Indian spices infuse this vegetarian dish with an exotic blend of flavors while coconut milk creates a creamy finish. Serve over quick-cooking couscous.

View Recipe: Vegetable and Chickpea Curry

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Thai-Style Vegetable Curry

Make our homemade Vegetable Stock ahead and this nutrient-packed Thai-style curry featuring fresh ginger (learn how to prepare fresh ginger), carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and fresh spinach comes together quickly. Serve over hot cooked rice noodles.

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Read More: 13 Key Ingredients in Thai Cooking

Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Fall Vegetable Curry

Embrace Indian flavors and the best of fall produce by making this quick, weeknight meal that only takes 30 minutes from start to finish. No Madras curry powder? Try 1 1/2 teaspoons regular curry and 1/2 teaspoon red pepper for a substitute.

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Photo: Randy Mayor

Tofu with Red Curry Paste, Peas, and Yellow Tomatoes

The red curry paste featured in this recipe is a blend of clarified butter (ghee), curry powder, vinegar, and other seasonings. Use either Indian or Asian curry paste; it comes in mild and hot versions, so adjust the heat to suit your preference.

View Recipe: Tofu with Red Curry Paste, Peas, and Yellow Tomatoes

Photo: Randy Mayor

Curried Noodles with Tofu

Coconut milk gives this meatless dish a velvety richness. Look for green curry paste in the Asian foods section of your supermarket. Use it conservatively, though a little goes a long way.

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Photo: John Autry

Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita

This Indian-inspired dish features quinoa, a high-protein grain that cooks relatively quickly. We like the heat that Madras curry powder brings, but use regular curry powder if you prefer.

View Recipe: Curried Quinoa Salad with Cucumber-Mint Raita

Photo: Randy Mayor

Chickpea and Spinach Curry

In less than 10 minutes, this fiber-rich dish is ready for dinner. Serve with warm pitas or over basmati rice. You can top with a dollop of low-fat plain yogurt to contrast the earthy spices.

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Photo: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Indian-Style Tofu and Cauliflower Chutney

This dish is a riff on the Indian dish aloo gobi, with tofu standing in for traditional potatoes. Sprinkle with cilantro for a burst of distinctive fresh flavor.

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Photo: Randy Mayor

Chickpea Curry with Yogurt

Whole milk yogurt contributes a silky, creamy texture to this mild Indian vegetarian stew. Serve with steamed or sautéed spinach and Indian bread. Replicate naan, the Indian flatbread, by cooking flour tortillas in a grill pan or cast-iron skillet until blackened in spots. The cinnamon sticks and bay leaves are removed before the dish is served, but the cardamom pods are more difficult to fish out. Be careful as you eat not to bite into one.

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Photo: Karry Hosford

Spicy Yellow Soybean, Lentil, and Carrot Curry

This meatless meal offers plenty of protein thanks to lentils and soybeans (look for canned soybeans next to the garbanzo beans in the supermarket). Don't forget to add a dollop of yogurt for a cool contrast to the heat.

View Recipe: Spicy Yellow Soybean, Lentil, and Carrot Curry