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Family Zucchini Chickpea Curry over rice in a bowl with red bell pepper, zucchini, onion, coconut milk, and warm Indian Curry spices.

Easy Zucchini Chickpea Curry and Coconut Sauce Recipe

This Easy Family Zucchini Chickpea Curry with Vegetables is a creamy, crunchy, and filled with warm, soothing, yummy flavors.  You get nutty roasted chickpeas, with sweet and creamy coconut milk.  Then lots of crunch and texture from the sweet red bell pepper, zucchini, and onion.  Finally, I took a little inspiration from Thai Curry and added in aeromatic fresh basil, which brings a wonderful fresh finish.  It's all served on top of fluffy rice that soaks up the delicious sauce.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Keyword chickpeas, coconut, Curry, Rice bowl, vegetable, vegetarian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Calories 325 kcal
Author Carrie Tyler

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Long grain White Rice, uncooked
  • 3 teaspoon Coconut oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • 1 Zucchini, medium-large sized
  • 15 oz Chickpeas (13-15 oz can will be fine)

Curry Sauce

  • 1 Small Yellow Onion
  • 1 Garlic Clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Ginger, minced
  • ½ cup Vegetable Broth or stock
  • 3 tbls Cornstarch
  • 14 oz Lite Coconut Milk (13-15 oz can will be fine)
  • 2 teaspoon Curry Powder
  • ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon Honey
  • 1 teaspoon Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
  • 10 Basil Leaves

Instructions

Prep-Ahead Instructions

  1. You can make the rice ahead and reheat or wait until you cook the dinner. Make the rice according to package instructions. Or: To a small-medium pot with a lid, add 4 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt, and rice. Bring water to boil, stir, turn heat down to lowest setting, cover the pot and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off the heat, but leave covered until ready to serve.

  2. Drain the chickpeas. Chop red pepper into bite-size pieces. Cut the zucchini into 1.5 inch sticks.

  3. Dice the onion. Mince the garlic clove and mince the ginger. All of these can be stored in the fridge combined. You can measure out the other ingredients now too and store everything on a sheet pan together in the fridge.

Cook your Chickpea Coconut Curry!

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F degrees.
  2. Drain Chickpeas (if not already done), rinse, then pat dry. Place on sheet pan. Drizzle with a teaspoon of coconut oil or olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss the chickpeas to coat and then separate into a single layer. Roast them in the oven for 20 minutes.

  3. Preheat a large skillet on high. Add a teaspoon of Coconut Oil or Olive Oil and then add the red pepper and Zucchini. Cook for 5-6 minutes until they start to sear soften slightly. Then transfer to a plate.

  4. To the same pan, turn the heat down to menium-low, add a teaspoon of oil and add the onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir often so that they do not burn. Cook to soften about 2 minutes.

  5. Make the slurry by whisking in the cornstarch into the coconut milk.

  6. Add the Coconut Milk Slurry and the broth to the onions mixture.   Also add and whisk in the honey, curry powder, cayenne powder, and salt & ground pepper to taste.  Continue to whisk until thickened.  It's thick enough when you're able to see the pan for a few seconds when you scrape the bottom.

  7. Add in the roasted chickpeas, the cooked red pepper and zucchini, and the fresh basil leaves. Stir to combine and warm through, as needed. Just warm through and remove from the heat. Be sure not to over cook the zucchini as it will get mushy.

  8. Put the rice in a bowl and top with the Chickpea Coconut Curry.