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Recipes
September 2021

Curry Vegetables

By Rawlston Williams

4.0

(31)

curry vegetables recipe
Photo by Emma Fishman, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, prop styling by Sophie Strangio

When I was growing up in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, our curry vegetables were cooked in coconut milk made from scratch. We’d grab sun-dried coconuts that had fallen from the trees, remove the husks, and crack the nut open. Then we’d grate the pulp with a hole-punched piece of metal, mixing with water, squeezing, and straining it to make coconut milk. These days, I rely on the canned stuff (Native Forest for aroma and consistency and Trader Joe’s for its concentrated coconut flavor) to make this Caribbean-style curry with a mix of vegetables: zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, mushrooms. It’s got a brilliant yellow hue from grated fresh turmeric (or ground turmeric in a pinch), an assertive curry flavor (look for Chief or Lalah's brands), and a little heat. But if the music is playing a bit too loud and you want to turn it down, that’s what coconut milk does. It balances out sharp, intense, or spicy flavors. —Rawlston Williams

What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

6

Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, divided

6

cups 1" pieces mixed vegetables (such as zucchini, carrots, cauliflower, eggplant, okra, and/or mushrooms)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1

2" piece turmeric, peeled, finely grated, or ½ tsp. ground turmeric

2

Tbsp. curry powder (preferably Chief or Lalah’s)

2

tsp. ground coriander

1

medium onion, finely chopped

2

garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1

2" piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

1

habanero chile, Fresno chile, or jalapeño, finely chopped

1

13.5-oz. can full-fat unsweetened coconut milk (preferably Native Forest)

1½

cups low-sodium vegetable broth

1

Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. honey

1

15-oz. can green pigeon peas or other canned or frozen green peas, rinsed

Small handful of chopped cilantro

Juice of ½ lime (optional)

Roti or steamed white rice (for serving)

Need to make a substitution?

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 425°. Melt 3 Tbsp. coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Transfer oil to a large bowl, add vegetables, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Divide vegetables between 2 rimmed baking sheets and roast until almost tender and starting to brown in spots, 10–12 minutes. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Heat remaining 3 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large skillet over medium. Add turmeric, curry powder, and coriander and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and ginger, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and spice mixture starts to look dry and clumpy, 6–8 minutes.

    Step 3

    Add chile, coconut milk, and broth to skillet and bring curry to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about one third (it should be almost thick enough to coat a spoon), 13–17 minutes. Stir in honey; taste curry and season with more salt and pepper if needed.

    Step 4

    Add pigeon peas and reserved roasted vegetables to skillet and return curry to a simmer. Cook until vegetables are fork-tender, about 4 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cilantro. Let sit 5 minutes, then stir in lime juice if using. Serve curry vegetables with roti alongside.

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