Easy Chickpea Coconut Milk Curry with Broccoli
This chickpea and broccoli coconut milk curry is a delicious vegan curry recipe. It’s nutritious, flavourful and so simple to make at home!
Who doesn’t love a good vegan chickpea curry recipe? Curry is one of my never fail, staple dinners. I love it because it’s easy, you can put it together in 30 minutes on a weeknight and the whole family will eat it without complaint.
Most of the ingredients come from the pantry, and you can switch the vegetable to use up whatever you have on hand. For this recipe, you could swap out the broccoli with cauliflower, carrots, peas, spinach, and even bell peppers.
But, to me, the most important ingredient is the legume! Legumes are packed with plant-based protein and fibre. As a registered dietitian with an entire cookbook on gut health called Good For Your Gut, I’m always trying to find ways to incorporate legumes into my meals. So I love the added benefit of chickpeas in this easy vegan curry.
Chickpea nutrition
What’s so great about chickpeas you ask? For starters, they’re one of the good vegan protein sources out there, which, when paired with a grain, offer a complete amino acid profile. Chickpea protein content obviously varies by amount, but as a general rule: in 100 grams of chickpeas, you’ll find about 19 grams of protein—a necessary macronutrient that helps your body grow and repair!
Chickpeas are also high in soluble fibre, which plays a crucial role in regulating your body’s blood cholesterol levels—and it keeps us fuller for longer! Legumes aid our overall health by providing us with a density of vitamins and minerals like folate, magnesium, potassium, iron, B6, and zinc. So you’ll feel incredible about gobbling up this quick chickpea broccoli curry!
Broccoli is the original ‘superfood’ AKA a plant that just has a lot of good stuff in it.
Broccoli nutrition
Broccoli has long been touted as part of an ‘anti-cancer’ lifestyle, but as I’ve written before, that does NOT mean broccoli cures cancer. However, it DOES contain naturally-occurring plant compounds associated in research with supporting a healthy cell cycle and combating chronic inflammation.
- 1 cup of broccoli contains more than a day’s worth of vitamin C to support your immune system, boost iron absorption and healthy collagen production in the skin, and also contains anti-inflammatory, bone-strengthening vitamin K.
- It also contains small amounts of plant-based protein and fibre: about 2.5 grams each.
- Broccoli boasts plenty of folate for building healthy babies and red blood cells plus small amounts of energizing minerals like manganese, copper, and iron.
- Broccoli is packed with supportive phytochemicals such as kaempferol, lutein, and zeaxanthin.
- One of the most exciting benefits of broccoli is the level of glucosinolate compounds found in broccoli. In the research, these sulfur-based compounds are thought to support the liver in its detoxification work as well as support a healthy cell cycle and help protect the body from oxidative damage and inflammation.
Coconut milk nutrition
While the bulk of calories in canned coconut milk come from fat (especially MCTs, or medium-chain triglycerides), the creamy liquid also contains high amounts of manganese—110% of your RDI!—a trace mineral necessary for brain and nerve function.
One cup of canned coconut milk contains high levels of iron and magnesium (22% of our RDI for both), and a good dose (32% RDI) of copper. Copper is an essential nutrient for building red blood cells, maintaining nerve health, and aiding in that iron absorption. All the above makes this chickpea coconut curry as useful for the body as it is tasty on the taste buds!
Now enough with the nutrition chit chat, let’s get to making this easy 30 minute, stovetop-friendly chickpea and broccoli coconut curry! As noted in the below recipe, it’s best paired with a whole grain (like millet, rice, or even barley). And remember to sprinkle on some fresh cilantro leaves once dished!
More easy vegan curry recipes
- Creamy Kabocha Squash Curry with Chickpeas
- Creamy Curried Lentil Tomato and Coconut Soup
- Eggplant and Chickpea Curry from Amelia Freer
Easy Chickpea Coconut Milk Curry with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 pound broccoli, stems diced, rest cut into small florets
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and chopped
- 2 inch piece fresh turmeric, peeled and chopped
- 2 x 14 oz cans coconut milk, I like full fat here
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric, add ½ tsp more if you don't have fresh turmeric
- 1 – 3 teaspoons curry powder, to taste, depending on the heat level desired
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon garam masala
- 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning
- 2 x 14 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
For serving
- juice of half a lime, plus more lime wedges
- cilantro, chopped
- your favourite whole grain, wheat berries, millet and quinoa are all great here
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, cook broccoli stalks, onion, garlic, ginger and turmeric in oil, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, until onions glossy and beginning to soften.
- Turn heat down to medium, add broccoli florets and cook, stirring often, for 2-3 minutes until bright green.
- Add spices and salt, stir for 30 seconds, then pour in coconut milk and water, stirring well. Add chickpeas and let bubble away for at least 10 minutes before serving.
- Finish with the juice of half a lime – don't skip this part! Taste, adjust salt as necessary and then serve with your favourite whole grain, a lime wedge and cilantro.
12 Comments on “Easy Chickpea Coconut Milk Curry with Broccoli”
This is my go-to chickpea curry – I keep coming back to this recipe. The flavours are bright and balanced and most importantly, my five year old daughter loves it too!
I’m so glad you like it!!! My kids really love it too – which is great, because they mostly complain about my cooking unless it’s chili, burgers or mac and cheese 😉
It’s an amazing, easy, fast and most importantly delicious meal! Me and my husband love it!
Thank you so much Asel…I’m so glad you like it!! I’m always down for a good curry 🙂
Another great recipe! Your recipes Desiree are always so good. I’m always confident that in making one of your recipes we will all enjoy our meal!
Thank you so much Susan! I’m so glad that we’re on the same taste-wavelength 🙂
This has become my go to quick weeknight meal! I use frozen broccoli in a pinch if I don’t plan in advance, everything else are staples in my pantry and fridge. My husband loves it as much as I do!
I’m so glad that you and your husband enjoy it. Frozen veg is such a good option…less chopping too!
Easy and delicious! I’ll be making this again soon.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Lori!
This was such a delicious curry. The broccoli made a nice change from my usual cauliflower curries. We loved it.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Nicole! It’s a staple around here. Thank you for taking the time to leave a rating 🙂