💛🥕🥦 This Yellow Thai Curry with Vegetables and Chickpeas is hearty yet healthy comfort food that’s so EASY and ready in 30 minutes! The coconut milk broth is silky decadence and there’s wonderful texture from the veggies, which are easily customizable. I include an option for crispy roasted chickpeas for a lovely finishing touch! Impress your family with this restaurant-worthy yellow curry recipe!
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Easy Thai Yellow Chickpea Curry with Vegetables Recipe
Thai Curry recipes are some of my favorite recipes to both make and eat! My Sweet Potato and Chickpea Coconut Curry recipe was the first-ever curry recipe I shared on my website. This recipe is all about the chickpeas, too!
- For this particular curry that’s both vegan and gluten-free, I roasted half the can of chickpeas to top the curry, and the other half go directly into the curry.
- Perfectly spiced without being too hot, brothy, veggie-heavy, and loads of chickpeas in every bite, this yellow chickpea coconut curry is so good!
- I adore the rich layers of flavors and especially the coconut curry sauce I could literally just drink that brothy sauce! I have three different Thai Chicken Coconut Curry Soup recipes for that very reason! (soup 1, soup 2, soup 3)
- I love the texture that the crisp-tender vegetables have, especially the broccoli florets which soak up the curry broth marvelously along with onions and carrots, and you can easily add other veggies like zucchini or peapods, or stir in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach at the end.
- If you want to add protein, you can easily add leftover shredded chicken and also see the Tips below for other favorite yellow curry recipes with chicken.
- The seasoned, crispy, roasted chickpeas are so lovely. The crispy texture is a perfect contrast to the silkiness of the yellow curry broth. Although if you’re making this on a busy weeknight and want to streamline things, just toss all the chickpeas into the pot and don’t worry about roasting.
Ingredients in Chickpea Yellow Curry
- Chickpeas – I use a can of reduced sodium chickpeas that I drain and rinse. Half of them I add into the curry and the other half I roast with olive oil, paprika, salt, and pepper. If you don’t want to bother with roasting chickpeas, don’t then. Add the whole can to your curry pot and carry on. You’ll miss out on the crunchy factor but if that’s not a big deal to you, then don’t bother.
- Oil for the curry – I like coconut oil here but if you don’t or don’t have it on hand, olive oil is a good sub.
- Onion + garlic cloves – To help build the flavor base. I like sweet Vidalia onions, but yellow onions or white onions are fine.
- Spices: Ginger – If you have fresh ginger on hand, go for it. If you don’t, use ground ginger. See the Tips section below for more helpful info! Turmeric – For both extra flavor and bold yellow color, I recommend it. Coriander also rounds out the flavor.
- Yellow curry paste – Mekhala Organic Yellow Curry Paste is an excellent choice for authentic flavor and it’s what I use in my Thai Yellow Chicken Coconut Curry. See the Tips section below for more info.
- Veggies – I use carrots, red bell peppers, and broccoli florets, but this is highly customizable with other vegetables including zucchini, green beans, snow peas, sugar snap peas, mushrooms, and more.
- Can of coconut milk + Vegetable broth – Full-fat coconut milk is recommended for maximum richness although light coconut milk may be subbed. I use reduced sodium vegetable broth. If you don’t keep broth on hand, you can get away with using water – it’s only 1/2 cup – and then add additional salt.
- Soy sauce – This is a nice addition for extra flavor but if you want to keep this dish lower in sodium and/or gluten-free, you can omit it. Or swap for liquid aminos or tamari which are GF options.
- Finishing touches and garnishes – Lime juice to bring out the natural flavors, granulated sugar or brown sugar to balance acidity, red chili flakes or cayenne pepper for heat, more curry paste for more robustness, salt and pepper if desired, fresh cilantro or fresh basil.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
Instructions To Make Vegetable Yellow Curry with Chickpeas
- If you’re roasting garbanzo beans (chickpeas), preheat your oven, drain and rinse a can of chickpeas, reserve half, and place the other half on a baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels, drizzle with oil, season, and roast for 12-15 minutes.
- For the curry, to a large skillet, add the coconut oil and onions, sauté for 4 minutes to soften the onions. Then add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cook for an additional minute.
- Add the curry paste and allow it to toast for 1-2 mins, stirring constantly. Add the remaining veggies and stir to coat them in the paste.
- Add the liquid ingredients, half of the chickpeas (or all of them if you’re not roasting half of them), bring to a boil, and then simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until veggies are as tender as desired.
- Taste the curry, add the finishing touches and garnish as desired, top with roasted chickpeas, and serve.
What To Serve with Yellow Thai Curry
I like to serve this easy yellow vegetable curry recipe with basmati rice or jasmine rice because it sops up all that glorious coconut milk curry sauce! Or you can try cauliflower rice or naan bread. Serve the crispy chickpeas on top just before eating to keep their texture intact.
Storage
In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. If you make the roasted chickpeas, store them in a separate container to prevent sogginess (although they’ll never stay quite as crispy as when freshly roasted).
In the Freezer: This recipe will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat my leftovers for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed.
Yellow Thai Curry with Chickpeas
💛🥕🥦 This Thai yellow curry is hearty yet healthy comfort food that's so EASY and ready in 30 minutes! The veggies are customizable based on what you enjoy and have on hand. Impress your family with this restaurant-worthy yellow curry recipe! Tip – Roasting the chickpeas is a wonderful touch but not absolutely necessary if you're short on time or energy!
Equipment
Ingredients
Crispy Roasted Chickpeas
- 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed; divided (I use reduced sodium)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , (vegetable oil may be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon paprika, (smoked paprika may be substituted)
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Curry
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, (olive oil may be substituted)
- 1 small to medium sweet Vidalia onion, finely diced (yellow onion or white onion may be substituted)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root, or to taste (or 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger, or to taste)
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 to 4 tablespoons Thai yellow curry paste, or as desired and to taste, (very important see Recipe Notes, below)
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and diced into bite-sized pieces (another color bell pepper may be substituted)
- 1 ½ cups broccoli florets
- 15 ounces coconut milk, (one standard can, or about 14 to 15.5 ounces; full fat coconut milk recommended but lite may be substituted))
- ½ cup vegetable broth, (water may be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce, (I use reduced sodium; use coconut aminos or tamari if you want to keep GF)
- 1 to 2 tablespoons lime juice, (optional but recommended)
- ¼ to ⅓ cup cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped for garnishing; optional, (basil may be substituted)
- 1 to 4 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed, (optional and to taste; granulated sugar may be substituted)
- ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Instructions
- Crispy Roasted Chickpeas – It's optional if you want to roast them. If you don't care about having them crispy, you can skip roasting and just add all of them in Step 7 below. If you are roasting them, preheat oven to 400F. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Place half the chickpeas on a baking sheet. The other half can remain in the colander you used to drain them.Pat the chickpeas on the baking sheet dry with a paper towel. Drizzle with oil, and add the paprika, salt, and pepper. Scatter them on the baking sheet, and roast for 12–15 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, or until crispy and browned.
- Curry – To a large skillet, add the oil, onion, and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion begins to soften about 5 minutes; stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic, turmeric, ginger, coriander, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir nearly constantly.
- Add the curry paste and toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add carrots, bell pepper, and broccoli, stirring to coat in the paste.
- Pour in the coconut milk, vegetable broth, and soy sauce.
- Stir in half of the chickpeas (the ones sitting in your colander). Bring to a gentle boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender and/or until the overall liquid volume has reduced as much as desired and thickens slightly. Tip – If you have leftover cooked chicken that you can shred or cube and want to some (about 1 heaping cup), now is the time.
- Taste the curry and add the optional but recommended lime juice (brightens the flavor of the dish), cilantro, optional light brown sugar (balances the heat), optional salt (the curry paste has salt in it and so does the soy sauce), and add extra of any of the spices already used or more curry paste, if desired and to taste. Flavor Tips – If the curry tastes at all flat, it likely needs some salt (and probably lime juice). If it's bitter or sour, it needs sugar. Depending on the brand of curry paste you used, and your desire for heat/spiciness, you can add a bit more curry paste or red pepper flakes.
- Top with the crispy roasted chickpeas and serve immediately.
Notes
Curry Paste: With Mekhala Yellow Curry Paste, half of a 3.5-ounce jar was plenty to sense a fair amount of heat. We love heat and this curry paste packs a punch. It’s not spicy if you use a teaspoon but if you use half the jar like I did, the heat creeps up on you. Mae Ploy is another option, and find it less spicy overall.
Storage: Curry will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months. Roasted chickpeas can be stored airtight at room temp for 1-2 days. Store them separately from the curry for them to retain some crispiness. However, they’re best enjoyed freshly roasted. Reheat leftover curry in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired.
Adapted from Yellow Thai Chicken Coconut Curry (which is a great curry to make if you want more protein from chicken)
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 485cal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 36g, Saturated Fat: 27g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Sodium: 1293mg, Potassium: 808mg, Fiber: 9g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 5274IU, Vitamin C: 78mg, Calcium: 131mg, Iron: 7mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Absolutely delicious! I made this for lunch today, exactly as written (except for the crispy chickpeas—too hungry and impatient!). It was quick and fun to make; spice level and seasonings were just right for me. I am looking forward to making some of your other Thai curries!
Thanks for the 5 star review, Kelly, and I’m glad to hear that this was excellent as written (minus the crispy chickpeas, totally get that!) and that you’re looking forward to making more of my Thai recipes soon!