If you’re looking for a new vegan curry to add to your dinner rotation, this coconut and peanut butter vegetable curry is sure to impress.

It’s been dubbed a “Kilimanjaro Coconut Curry” by its creator Molly Patrick (owner of Clean Food Dirty Girl), and it was inspired by a Tanzanian mchicha (a spinach and peanut curry).

This vegan curry is an easy way to pack vegetables into your diet, as it features zucchini (courgette), sweet potato, red pepper, kale, and more. The addition of peanut butter may seem surprising to some, but it gives the dish a richness, creaminess, and nuttiness that will have you craving this curry again and again. Coconut milk also helps to give this curry a delicious creamy texture, and the recipe features a range of spices you may already have in your kitchen cupboard.

Here’s how to make it.

Coconut and peanut curry

This curry features peanut butter as a secret ingredient, which gives it a delicious creaminess and nuttiness. It's perfect for a weeknight meal

A peanut and coconut vegetable curry made to a vegan recipe

5 from 1 vote

Ingredients

Spices

2¼ tsp curry powder (adjust depending on curry spice level and whether you like spicy)
1¼ tsp cumin powder
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon powder
½ tsp smoked paprika powder
½ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp cardamom powder
¼ tsp black pepper (about 10 turns)
⅛ tsp clove powder
⅛ tsp cayenne powder (use less or omit if you don't like spicy)

Everything else

2 cups zucchini, unpeeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (250 g)
1½ cups sweet potato, peeled or unpeeled and cut into ½-inch cubes (195 g)
1 cup red bell pepper, diced (150g)
1 cup red bell pepper, diced (150g)
1 cup yellow onion, diced (160 g)
½ cup carrot, sliced (65 g)
1 tbsp garlic, minced (8 g)
1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 cup water (240 ml)
1½ cups canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained and rinsed (225 g)
1½ cups coconut milk (330 g / from a can)
1½ cups canned diced tomatoes, undrained (365 g)
¼ cup peanut butter (65 g)
2 cups lacinato kale, finely chopped (70 g / AKA dinosaur kale)
cooked brown rice (optional) for serving

Instructions

Stir all of the spices together in a small bowl and set aside for now.
Heat a stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the zucchini, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, onions, carrots, garlic, and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a small splash of water if things begin to stick.
Add the spice mixture you set aside earlier and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until the spices smell heavenly. Add the water and stir up the stuck bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add the garbanzo beans, coconut milk, tomatoes (including the juice), and peanut butter and stir until the peanut butter dissolves. Bring just to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Place a lid on the pot at an angle and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally and making sure to stir the bottom of the pot to keep things from sticking.
Remove the lid, add the kale, and simmer an additional 5-10 minutes, without a lid, until the veggies are tender.
Dish out and serve alone or over the cooked grain of your choice. We like brown rice. Enjoy!

This recipe was created by Clean Food Dirty Girl. Start a trial to Plant Fueled Life for more plant-based and oil-free recipes like this. Photos by Amber Asakura.