This is one of our favorite vegetarian meals! Thai red curry with chickpeas is spicy, rich, and super comforting, making it a fantastic way to eat more vegetables. Plus, if you wish to make a vegan version of this dish, you simply have to skip the fish sauce 🙂
As we mentioned in our recipes for Thai red curry noodle soup and Eggplant stuffed with chickpeas and spinach, red curry paste is a phenomenal ingredient that you will soon find yourself using in several different recipes. It is packed full of flavor and very easy to use, yet the flavor and heat can vary significantly between different brands. So try not to be discouraged if the first one you try is too spicy for you or not very flavorful.
In case you haven’t noticed by now, we are huge fans of chickpeas 🙂 We always keep one or two cans of chickpeas because we use them so often. Chickpeas are a wonderful option if you are trying to eat less meat because they are a great source of proteins and they are packed full of nutrients. Plus, they are super budget-friendly and versatile.
If you wish to reduce the fat content in your curry, feel free to use light coconut milk. However, unlike in the Red lentils and coconut soup, here it would not be suitable to replace the coconut milk with cream. It’s an essential part of the flavor of this recipe, and will not be same without it.
You may feel some reservations about fish sauce if you haven’t used it before. It doesn’t exactly sound very appealing, does it? Well, you’d be surprised by how much depth of flavor it can bring to a dish. The key is to use it in small amounts. If it is your first time using it, taste your Thai red curry with chickpeas, add only half the amount, and let it cook for a minute or so before tasting again. Keep on adding until you are happy with the flavor. If you like it, perhaps you’ll want to try our Thai red curry chicken noodle soup 😉
Thai red curry with chickpeas
Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas
- 4 oz broccoli
- 7 oz cauliflower
- ½ red bell pepper
- ½ yellow bell pepper
- ¼ small onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 2 tbsp ginger
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- 2 tsp red curry paste
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- ½ tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- cilantro for garnishing
- lime for serving
Instructions
- Chop the broccoli and cauliflower into small florets. Cut the bell peppers into bite-sized pieces. Chop the onion, mince the garlic and ginger, and finely chop the lemongrass.
- In a large skillet or a wok heat the coconut oil. Add the onion and cook until it becomes translucent. Then add the garlic, ginger, lemongrass and red curry paste. Cook for about 30 second stirring frequently.
- Add all the broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers and drained and rinsed chickpeas. Mix well. Cook for about 10 min or until the vegetables soften up. Then add the coconut milk, soy sauce and fish sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer for a couple of minutes. Garnish with fresh cilantro, lime and serve with rice.
Notes
- Instead of coconut oil you can use a regular vegetable oil.
- If you do not wish to chop the lemongrass and have small pieces in your curry, you can cut the stalk in half, press it with the dull end of a knife to release the oils and add it to the skillet. When the curry is ready, you can remove the lemongrass.
- You can adjust the spiciness of your curry by adding more or less red curry.