Easy Plant-based Zucchini Curry Recipe
Take advantage of all the zucchini around and whip up this tasty, lusciously creamy, 11-ingredient, vegan Zucchini Curry. Pair it with some roti for a meal your family is sure to love.
*This post was first published in August of 2018. I have made changes to it and it is being republished today.
This zucchini curry is a flavorful plant-based recipe that calls for 11 ingredients that you can easily find at just about any grocery store.
Serve this curry up with some riced cauliflower for a low-carb plant-based dish. Or, add in some cilantro lime chicken for a low-carb and satisfying protein-packed meal.
What are the 11 ingredients needed to make this zucchini curry?
- red onion
- garlic
- ginger
- coriander
- smoked paprika
- turmeric
- cumin
- zucchini
- can tomato paste
- vegetable stock
- coconut milk
Our little family of four consists of 2 homo sapiens and 2 Canis lupus familiaris, aka dogs.
Of our two dogs, Oliver, our youngest, loves to watch TV – especially shows with animals. Lately, he has graduated to Youtube videos of pups.
But, watch them isn’t all he does.
If he sees a barking or whimpering doggo either on my computer or on my phone, he goes into a frenzy.
He will jump up on my lap and try to paw at the screen like he is trying to get to the other dog. Then, he will try to look behind the screen as if he wants to jump in or wants the other dog to jump out.
The irony of all of this is when my daughter and I take him to a dog park, he acts more like the humans there, than the other dogs!
Hmmm… if only my dog could speak… am thinking he’d be one heck of an amusing conversationalist…
But… you might be wondering why I am yammering on about my dog in a post with zucchini…
Well….
The way Ollie tries to get to the dogs he sees on screens is exactly how I have felt while visiting my fellow bloggers’ sites featuring zucchini chocolate chip bread or zucchini chocolate cake!
Something about that green and brown combo just sends my salivary glands into overdrive! But, while I have stolen enjoyed several slices of friend’s zucchini chocolate chip bread or zucchini chocolate cake, I have never ventured to make my own – of either
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Here in the south, August seems to be the month for zucchini. Grocery store bins are overflowing with them so I figure it’s time I jump on that zucchini bandwagon, eh?!
However, instead of any of those glorious breads and cakes with zucchini, I have a savory, spiced but not spicy (unless you like it like that), zucchini curry for you!
How to make this easy curry?
I started off with the holy trinity of South Asian cooking: onions, ginger and garlic. Then I added in the zucchini and sauteed it a bit to get rid of any extra water in it.
By the way, did you know that when it comes to zucchini, bigger isn’t always better? Apparently, the smaller the zucchini or zucca, the more flavorful they are.
Anyhoot, back to this curry…
I used coconut milk, tomato paste and a smidge of vegetable stock as the “curry” part. This is quite similar to this Chickpea and Spinach Curry I shared on here not too long ago.
Only, this curry is a bit thicker – you could add more vegetable stock int, to thin it out some. I wanted a thick curry as it’s perfect to scoop up with this roti or this naan. With roti, this is a satisfying plant-based dish.
I am hoping you give this savory Zucchini Curry recipe a try. However, if you are not in the mood for curry, then why not try this Charred Zucchini Salad instead?
Or, if you happen to have some zucchini chocolate chip bread or zucchini chocolate cake lying around, I’ll drone you some of this curry in exchange?
Meanwhile, if you happen to fancy this recipe, let me know what you think by leaving a comment and rating below. If you make this recipe, please post a pic on INSTAGRAM -tagging @savoryspin so I can see! For more recipes and ramblings, like us on FACEBOOK and follow along on PINTEREST!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil – I used grapeseed for this
- 1 red onion
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tsp ginger freshly grated
- 3 tsp coriander
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin
- 3 zucchini
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup vegetable stock
- 1 14 oz can full-fat coconut milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- cilantro to garnish optional
Instructions
- First off, dice the onions and garlic and grate the ginger.
- Then add oil to a pan over medium heat and when warm, add in the diced onions and saute for about 7 -10 minutes, stirring to keep the onions from burning.
- While the onions are sauteing, dice the zucchini into bite-sized pieces.
- Then add the ginger, garlic, and zucchini into the pan with the sauteed onions and saute for about 5 minutes, stirring often.
- Add in the coriander, cumin, smoked paprika, and turmeric, and stir so spices are well incorporated.
- Then add in the tomato paste, vegetable stock, and coconut milk and stir till all three have combined well. Once it has been mixed well, let this simmer for about 3-5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. If you’d like it a bit spicy, add in a teaspoon of chili powder and mix. Garnish with chopped cilantro and enjoy with roti or naan or rice.
Notes
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Nutrition
This is a great, simple delicious recipe. I added in orzo (1 cup) and increased the broth to 1 cup.
I changed things up a bit using Homemade Maharaja Curry Powder for the dry spice mix but otherwise the same and it turned out beautifully!
excellent vegan curry.will make it again. thanks
This is so GOOD!!! I have made it several times now. My husband and I love it. I omitted the veggie broth which resulted in a creamier sauce and added baked chicken. This is now in the regular rotation for meal planning
We make this over and over again
Had zucchini on the way to heaven and this was a delicious recipe that used them all up! Put spinach in the bowls before dishing the curry on top and sprinkling with cilantro and served with toasted pita. So yummy!
Incredibly tasty recipe. I just did everything Shashi said especially for the spices. As she suggested I kept it a bit thicker and it was just a triumph. I did add a bit of spiced tomato juice to give it a bit of a kick, but not sure it needed that. And courgettes are so full of liquid they take care of their own stock. Great recipe, thanks lots Shashi.
Wow, I am so grateful for finding this recipe! It is so simple and yet so full of flavour. I love how creamy it is without compromising the taste! I doubled the recipe and added a total of 6 cups of veggies. I added broccoli, red peppers, 1/2 cup red lentils and a total of 2 cups of veg broth. I let it simmer for 15 – 20 minutes and served it with rice and coconut yogurt. It is amazing, do yourself a favour and try it.
I usually don’t come across indian recipes calling for paprika. I just didn’t like the paprika flavor in this curry and the amount stated was quite a lot.
This is one of the best tasting gravies I’ve ever had. The recipe is perfect. Didn’t change a thing!
Shashi, this is a wonderfully tasty-sounding veggie curry. I like that your curry has simple pantry items and not a list of ingredients a mile long that are sometimes difficult to find. We’re just about out of our prime zucchini season, but I’m hoping our local Wednesday market still has some Cousa Magda Squash as I think they would be excellent in your dish.
Sizes of zucchini vary so could you give a volume amount of zucchini you used (3 cups?)
Hi Karen, I used medium zucchini – and one medium zucchini yielded about 1 cup – hope this helps…
I totally remember this recipe, Shashi! And it’s a good one for sure. 🙂 One thing that didn’t make the move to the new house (sadly) was our garden. We did plant a few tomato plants in pots this year, but we didn’t do the full garden. Still debating on whether to do that for next year. Either way, farmer’s markets around here are loaded with zukes right now…perfect for making this curry. Looks delicious, my friend!
I’m way excited to try this! I plan on cooking this up tomorrow for dinner! Our neighbor just gave us a huge zucchini, and we’ve been trying to bring new flavors and recipes into our lives. It’s no wonder this one caught my eye, I can imagine the flavors being so bright!
This turned into soup consistency for me. Maybe I did something wrong. It tasted good as a soup though.
Hi Amy – maybe you used a different type of milk? Or maybe stove temperatures were off?
Im glad you liked it though.
Your pup is so cute watching tv! Mine don’t necessary watch, but if he hears dogs barking it will get his attention 🙂 I love how simple this one is and how quickly it comes together. Coconut milk is one of my fave ingredients for curry and happy to see it here 🙂 P.S. I often wonder what would my dog say if he could speak. Wouldn’t that be fun?! Lol! Hope you’re having a wonderful week, my friend! XOXO
So many great flavors going on! I bet it smells AMAZING!
What a great way to use up all that zucchini! Looks so savory!
This is how we are using up all the ones we have growing at the moment. Healthy comfort food!
Bravo Shashi, I was just thinking of making a zucchini curry but wasn’t sure what type of curry to go with. Now I have the perfect recipe. Not so spicy to overpower the zucchini yumminess, but with layers of flavors. Can’t wait to get this one in the pot.
I’ve got a giant zucchini that needs to be eaten asap, I’ll have to try this! thanks for sharing
Shashi, this looks and sounds great. I love the simplicity of it especially for a weeknight.
Love the idea of the a zucchini curry. I made an eggplant curry the other day and it was so good, now I need to try a zucchini curry.
What a fun new way to use zucchini, Shashi! As you know, our garden has been sending out zukes like there’s no tomorrow, and I’ve been coming up with all sorts of ways to use ’em. But a curry is a new one! And this curry sounds delicious. I would gladly serve this one up with some rice and naan! And if you have leftovers, send ’em my way. I promise some sort of baked zucchini bread will show up on the return trip. 🙂
Bravo Shashi, I was just thinking of making a zucchini curry but wasn’t sure what type of curry to go with. Now I have the perfect recipe. Not so spicy to overpower the zucchini yumminess, but with layers of flavors. Can’t wait to get this one in the pot.
Can’t get enough of zucchini these days! I like the idea making a curry with this wonderful summer produce and it looks really delicious.
Your pup is so cute watching tv! Mine don’t necessary watch, but if he hears dogs barking it will get his attention 🙂 I love how simple this one is and how quickly it comes together. Coconut milk is one of my fave ingredients for curry and happy to see it here 🙂 P.S. I often wonder what would my dog say if he could speak. Wouldn’t that be fun?! Lol! Hope you’re having a wonderful week, my friend! XOXO
So many great flavors going on! I bet it smells AMAZING!
What a great way to use up all that zucchini! Looks so savory!
This is how we are using up all the ones we have growing at the moment. Healthy comfort food!
Love the idea of the a zucchini curry. I made an eggplant curry the other day and it was so good, now I need to try a zucchini curry.
Shashi, this looks and sounds great. I love the simplicity of it especially for a weeknight.
I’ve got a giant zucchini that needs to be eaten asap, I’ll have to try this! thanks for sharing