Dreaming of a tropical vacation? Transport yourself to the sunny, carefree Caribbean with this super easy and versatile Vegetable Curry. Simply chop up a few vegetables and fruits, measure out some spices, then enjoy this deeply satisfying vegan meal that’s full of healthy ingredients and warm spices.
Recipe Highlights
This wonderful dish is prepared from fresh fruit and healthy chopped veggies. Heap it on a bed of hot rice, then play a few Bob Marley tunes to really soak up the Caribbean experience.
One of the best things about this main meal recipe is the aromas that will fill your kitchen before you ever sit down to eat!
If you have some extra people on hand, bring them into the kitchen to help you prepare the veggies. Not only will this ramp up the fun factor, it will also speed up your dinner prep.
Highly versatile, this quick dish can handle whatever substitutions you’d like to make. For example, you can turn it into a carnivore’s delight by adding that leftover cooked chicken or shrimp from your refrigerator!
Ingredients & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
- Spices. For this recipe, you’ll need curry powder, turmeric, black pepper, ground coriander, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cayenne pepper, mustard seeds (yellow, black, or both), and cumin seeds.
- Fruits and Veggies. Stop by the produce department to pick up a ripe mango along with plenty of healthy veggies like carrots, celery, onions, and green onions. Don’t forget flavor-makers like a small piece of ginger root, a jalapeno pepper, and garlic! A can of chickpeas will add a welcome protein.
- Coconut Oil. This solid white oil is highly aromatic and a North American favorite. Look for a small container since you won’t need much.
- Coconut Milk. Just be sure it’s canned coconut milk, not coconut cream, since coconut cream will be too heavy for this dish. Give the can a good shake before opening it to help the solids mix with the liquid.
- Pineapple Chunks. We used canned pineapple chunks that have been well-drained, but you can try your hand with a fresh pineapple if you prefer.
- Basmati Rice. Rice is a staple in India, and basmati is a favorite because of its long, slender grains that cook up fluffy and aromatic.
Step By Step Recipe Photo Tutorial
- Prepare all the fresh ingredients.
Wash all the veggies, then peel and chop the onion, garlic, ginger root, carrots, celery, and mango. Measure out the pineapple chunks. Thinly slice the green onions, keeping the white and green parts separate. Seed the jalapeno pepper and remove the ribs, then cut into thin rings or dice finely. Rinse the chickpeas in a sieve and set to drain.
- Combine all the powdered spices in one small bowl.
It saves a lot of time if you pre-measure spices! This way, we can add them all at once to our skillet.
- Start cooking the rice
Follow the package directions to prepare your rice, noting that basmati rice benefits from being rinsed first.
- Toast the mustard and cumin seeds.
To bring out the aromas and flavors, we’ll toast these seeds in coconut oil.
- Add some of our prepared ingredients.
Now we can add the powdered spices we measured out, plus both types of onion and the garlic, ginger, and jalapeno pepper.
- Add the carrots, celery, and chickpeas.
Other veggies are always welcome in a curry like this. Consider adding cauliflower, broccoli or zucchini, for example.
- Add the coconut milk.
After we add the coconut milk, we’ll cover the pot and let everything simmer.
- Stir in the fruits.
Almost done! After adding the fruits, we’ll turn off the heat and let everything steep for a few more minutes before taste-testing our masterpiece and adjusting seasonings as desired.
- Serve on a platter over fluffy white rice.
Don’t forget to garnish the platter with the green parts saved from your green onions!
Easy Caribbean Vegetable Curry Tips & Tricks
If your coconut milk has separated into solids and liquids in the can, simply blend them back together in a bowl using a whisk or a fork before measuring out the amount you need.
Leave your vegetables unpeeled if you wish to save time, maximize nutrients, and minimize wastage. Just be sure to give them a good scrub before you chop them.
Roasting and seasoning the vegetables before cooking is a great way to add more flavor to your curry. If you do this, reduce the simmering and steeping times.
Curry powder, cayenne pepper, and jalapeno peppers can all be adjusted up or down to meet your threshold for spicy food.
Feel free to get creative and substitute the spices and veggies that you have on hand for our recommendations.
Additions and/or Variations of Caribbean Curry
This recipe is super versatile since the person cooking it can add or take away items to match personal tastes or dietary needs.
- Protein. For example, change up the recipe for a meat eater by adding cooked shrimp, fish, chicken, or pork.
- Vegetarian. Add tofu to keep it vegetarian but to increase the protein.
- Spicyness. Adjust the spiciness of this dish by switching out some spices or increasing or decreasing the quantities used.
Experiment as much as you want to create your own signature dish that friends and family will love.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
This recipe yields about three healthy servings. If you double or triple it, you can have curry on hand for lunches or dinners all week! If you do that, we suggest storing the rice in one airtight container and the curry mixture in a different one.
You may store this Vegetable Curry in your refrigerator for 5-7 days, or freeze it for at least a month. If you portion it out before freezing, you’ll have some quick meals within easy reach.
Frequently Asked Curry Questions
Curries are innately spicy, but you can dial up or down the spiciness by adjusting the number of chili peppers, cayenne, and curry powder you use. Curry pastes tend to be hotter than curry powders, so keep this in mind when you shop.
Indian-style red curry powders and pastes are spicier than Caribbean or Jamaican curry powders and pastes, so choose Indian style if you want to ramp up the heat. Choose the Caribbean or Jamaican varieties if you prefer a sweeter taste.
Curry is easily customizable. Just add your favorite fresh or frozen veggies, tofu, chickpeas, or snow peas, or adjust seasonings to taste. Pretty much anything will work!
More Vegetarian Recipes You’ll Love!
After making this Caribbean Vegetable Curry, we suggest you try:
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Recipe Card 📖
Caribbean Vegetable Curry
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup basmati rice (150g)
- 4 teaspoons curry powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (yellow, black, or both)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger root peeled and minced
- 2 green onions, chopped, with whites and green separated
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced into thin rings or finely diced
- 15.5 oz canned chickpeas (439 g) drained and rinsed
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 2 stalks of celery, chopped
- 13.66 oz (1 can – 403 ml) canned unsweetened coconut milk
- Salt, to taste
- 1 small mango, peeled, pitted, and finely diced
- 1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
- Cook the basmati rice according to package instructions, adding salt to taste.When ready, remove the lid, fluff with a fork, and reserve.
- Combine the curry powder, turmeric, ground pepper, coriander, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl and set aside.
- In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Before it gets too hot, add the mustard and cumin seeds, then toast until they pop. Then, add the small bowl of spices and stir to mix. Continue to stir for 30 seconds to allow the spices to toast.
- Add the diced onion, garlic, ginger root, the white part of the green onions, and the jalapeno pepper to the pot. Stir until well combined, then stir and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low. Add the rinsed chickpeas, chopped carrots and celery and continue to cook and stir for 5 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk, a splash of water if necessary, then cover and simmer for about 8 minutes. Taste and add salt if necessary.
- Finally, stir in the mango and pineapple chunks. Turn off the heat, cover the pot, and let everything steep for 5 minutes.
- Leave your vegetables unpeeled if you wish to save time, maximize nutrients, and minimize wastage. Just be sure to give them a good scrub before you chop them.
- Roasting and seasoning the vegetables before cooking is a great way to add more flavor to your curry. If you do this, reduce the simmering and steeping times.
- Curry powder, cayenne pepper, and jalapeno peppers can all be adjusted up or down to meet your threshold for spicy food.
- Feel free to get creative and substitute the spices and veggies you have on hand for our recommendations.
- Protein. For example, change up the recipe for a meat eater by adding cooked shrimp, fish, chicken, or pork.
- Vegetarian. Add tofu to keep it vegetarian but to increase the protein.
- Spiciness. Adjust the spiciness of this dish by switching out some spices or increasing or decreasing the quantities used.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
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