Mixed Vegetable Curry with Coconut Milk

This easy, flavor-packed mixed vegetable curry with coconut milk comes together in about 40 minutes.  It’s an oil-free curry that’s full of veggies, a little spicy from the red chili, creamy from the coconut milk, and loaded with flavor from the spices and fresh cilantro.  

How to Sauté Vegetables for This Oil-Free Curry

I sauté my vegetables without oil by starting with a preheated nonstick skillet on medium heat.  I add the vegetables, then turn down the heat so they don’t burn.  The vegetables will release some of their own water, but if they start to stick just deglaze the pan with a tablespoon or two of water or vegetable broth.

Having a cup of water that you can scoop from makes the process faster.  A squeeze bottle full of water also works great to deglaze the pan and prevent the vegetables from burning.  Be careful though, if you use too much liquid it will boil the vegetables instead of sautéing them.  

Browning the vegetables in the pan will add flavor to the dish.  The more often you cook this way the more you’ll get familiar with the proper settings you need to cook the vegetables without burning them.  

Keep in mind that different pans hold heat differently.  Some hold heat better than others, which also means it takes longer to reduce the heat in the pan when needed.  I wouldn’t recommend sautéing small amounts of garlic or ginger by themselves, they burn easily. 

If a recipe calls for an onion, I’ll add the garlic and/or fresh ginger after the onion has cooked.  Since garlic (and ginger) burn easily, if I’m not using an onion I wait until the vegetables have cooked most of the through (if sautéing them) to add them to the pan.

How to Make This Mix Veg Curry

Sauté the red bell pepper, zucchini, white parts of the bok choy (reserving the green parts for later), and red chili in a preheated pan for about 8-10 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth to keep the vegetables from sticking for oil-free cooking.  Alternatively, you can sauté the vegetables in ¼ cup of water or a ¼ cup of vegetable broth if you don’t have a nonstick pan.  

When the vegetables have softened add the garlic and ginger, then sauté for 1-2 more minutes. Add curry powder, ground coriander, ground cumin, ground turmeric (if using), and salt then stir to coat the vegetables. Sauté for about 30 seconds until the spices are aromatic.

Use ½ cup of water to deglaze the pan, scraping off any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.  Now add the tamari, maple syrup, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and cook covered for about 10 minutes for the flavors to blend together.

Then stir in the green parts of the bok choy and cook uncovered on a gentle simmer for about 5 minutes, or just until the green parts have wilted. Then stir in the fresh lime juice, serve over rice, and top with fresh chopped cilantro.

Tips for Oil-Free Vegan Curry

Less spicy - remove the seeds and white ribs from the red chili.

Spicier - leave the seeds and ribs in, garnish with more fresh red chilies or add another red chili to the recipe.

Don’t like cilantro - just leave it out, the dish will still be delicious without it.

Worried about cutting chilies - wear plastic or rubber gloves to protect your skin from the oils from the chilies.  After slicing them avoid contact with your eyes and wash your hands thoroughly.  

Substitutions for Mixed Vegetable Curry

Red Chili Pepper - if you can’t find a fresh cayenne pepper it can be substituted with about ⅛ teaspoon of cayenne powder.  It’s an estimate though because heat can vary from pepper to pepper.  Another substitute is a Serrano pepper (not as hot as a cayenne pepper), or a Thai chili (hotter than a cayenne pepper).

Vegetable Substitutions - substitute with your favorite veggies or whatever you have on hand.  Just keep in mind the dish will take longer to cook if you substitute with veggies that take longer to sauté.

Frozen Vegetable Substitution - if you use frozen vegetables there’s no need to thaw.  Add them to the pan without the red chili.  With the lid on (it will redirect any condensation back to the skillet) sauté the vegetables until they’re softened and almost done, then add the garlic and ginger.  Then continue with the rest of the recipe.  

Coconut Milk - use low-fat (lite) or full-fat versions of coconut milk.

Fresh Ginger Root

In a pinch, 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger root can be substituted with about ¼ teaspoon of ground ginger.  The ground ginger will be milder than freshly grated ginger root.

How to Freeze Fresh Ginger

To freeze ginger, peel beforehand and pop the root in a freezer-safe bag.  When ready to use there’s no need to thaw, just pull it out of the freezer, and use a Microplane to grate the frozen ginger.  It’s really easy to grate ginger when it’s frozen!

More Oil-Free Curry Recipes

• Vegan Potato Curry
• Curry Butternut Squash Chickpea Soup

More Plant-Based Oil-Fee Recipes

• Red Lentil Dal with coconut milk
• Spicy Chickpea Stew with Zucchini
• White bean potato soup
• Vegan Lentil Shepherd’s Pie

I hope you enjoy this recipe for mixed vegetable curry!

Originally posted on April 7, 2020, and updated on June 5, 2021.

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