Vegan Potato Curry

This vegan potato curry is filled with potatoes, peas, greens, and a combination of delightful spices.  It’s oil-free and naturally gluten-free. It's my new favorite comfort food, easy to make, and warms the belly.  

The potatoes are filling and they’re cooked in a mixture of coconut milk and tomatoes to produce a rich, thick, and creamy curry.  I usually serve it with rice and it tastes even better the next day after the rice has soaked up all of the curry flavors.  I always look forward to having leftovers for lunch the next day.  For an even bigger kick add a little sriracha!

Tips for Vegan Potato Curry with Coconut Milk

• The spices can burn quickly when dry roasting.  To make the process easier we suggest measuring out all of the spices into a small dish before you start dry roasting.  This can be done before you start cooking or while the onions are cooking.
• I can usually only find a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, so I just use half of that can for 14 ounces and freeze the rest for later.  Which works out to be slightly less than 1 ½ cups.
• The larger the potato cubes are, the longer it will take them to cook. 
• For oil-free cooking, it’s helpful to keep a small container of water or vegetable broth nearby if the onions start burning.
• If you don't have a nonstick pan, for oil-free cooking try using a ¼ cup of water to cook the onions to prevent sticking.
• Peel or don’t peel your potatoes, I usually keep the skins on. 

What Kind of Potatoes are Best for Curry

Yellow potatoes, like Yukon Gold, work well and they keep their shape while cooking.  Fingerling potatoes also work well in the curry and hold their shape.  They’re small compared to most other potatoes and have thin skin, which prevents the need to peel.  I have used russet potatoes in this recipe, though they’re not my favorite.  They’re high in starch and are great for mashed potatoes, but usually pretty cheap.

How Cook Spicy Vegan Potato Curry

Measure out the curry powder, salt, garam masala, ground ginger, and ground red pepper in a small bowl.

Sauté the onions with a pinch of salt in a large pot until they are translucent and starting to brown. For oil-free cooking add a few tablespoons of water or vegetable broth as needed so the onions don't burn.

Then add the crushed garlic to the onions and cook for about a minute.

Then add all of the seasonings (curry powder, salt, garam masala, ground ginger, red pepper) and cook until aromatic for about 30 seconds.  Turn down the heat if needed so the spices don't burn.

Add the coconut milk and deglaze the pan, scraping off any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Then add the crushed tomatoes and potatoes to the pot. Then turn up the heat until bubbling then lower to a simmer.  No need to get a rapid boil, the tomato mixture will be thick.  It does need to stay at a gentle simmer in order to cook the potatoes in 25-30 minutes.

Occasionally stir the potatoes so they don't stick to the bottom of the pot.

Cook covered at a gentle simmer for about 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

When the potatoes are done add the peas and spinach (no need to thaw the peas).

Cook until the spinach is wilted and the peas are warmed through.

Storage

Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 or 5 days.  I don’t recommend freezing the curry.

More Hearty Vegan Recipes

• Red lentil dal with coconut milk
• Butternut squash and chickpea curry soup
• Red lentil chili
• White bean and potato soup
• Spicy chickpea stew with zucchini
• Creamy chickpea curry
• Lentil shepherd’s pie

As always, I hope you enjoy this vegan potato curry recipe!

This was originally published back on August 22, 2018, I’ve tweaked the recipe, added more info for the post, and updated the photos.

 

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