This easy vegan cauliflower chickpea curry is made in the Instant Pot and ready in 20 mins! It uses coconut milk and tomatoes to make it thick and so creamy!
Pin Instant Pot Easy Vegan Cauliflower Chickpea Curry
Bingo-Bango-Presto!
INSTANTANEOUS, SUPER EASY CHICKPEA CURRY.
It’s the kind of curry-in-a-hurry that gets you from the HANGRY-gotta-make-food side of dinner to the full-belly-happy side, without a lot of work, weirdo ingredients or TIME at all.
Kinda like the Moroccan chicken skillet, it’s basically a winner of a dinner that you can just keep in your back pocket for THOSE busy days. EVERYONE needs one of those recipes that is:
- Simple.
- Fast.
- Pantry essential ingredients.
- YUMMAY.
See also: makes AMAZING leftovers. The kind of leftovers that actually make you want to go to work because you know you’re gonna have a lunch-break-bliss moment where you open up a container of healthy chickpea curry and the creamy, slightly-sweet aroma of coconut milk, spicy yellow curry and a pop of tangy tomato mix and mingle in your HUNGRY SOUL.
I might have lied to you a little bit though. It’s NOT QUITE instantaneous. However, this Middle Eastern-inspired velvety-smooth and perfectly sweet-and-spicy dinner delight IS made in the INSTANT POT.
Because the cilantro lime Instant Pot rice and Cajun Instant Pot Chili were not enough. <– You can NEVER have too many recipes that are ready in a SNAP-SNAP-SNAP.
How to make vegan chickpea curry 101:
- Heat up your coconut oil in the Instant Pot on the “Sauté” setting. You COULD also do this in a large frying pan on the stove top if you do not own an Instant Pot (get one.)
- Cook yo’ veggies! For the purposes of this super easy vegan cauliflower chickpea curry, we’re using peppers. You don’t want to cook them TOO long, because they also cook a lot under pressure. No one wants soggy veg. NO THANK U.
- Add your liquid ingredients – the coconut milk and DRAINED, diced tomatoes. PLEASE make sure you press out as MUCH liquid from the tomatoes as you can, or your curry will be watery and not so magically-delicious
- Add yellow curry paste, making sure you MIX it well so that it dissolves. If you can’t find yellow curry paste, I LOVE this one on Amazon!
- Whisk in a thickening agent like tapioca starch. This helps give this easy chickpea curry that SUPER creamy and THICK texture!
- Obviously, we need chickpeas. Stir those suckers in, adding some cauliflower for more veggie-healthy-goodness.
- HIGH PRESSURE 5 minutes. Hang out, drink a glass of wine. You know, CHILL out after a long day of work. You could also just let this simmer on the stove top until desired thickness is achieved.
- DONE LIKE DINNER.
At this point, I suggest doing a little taste-test and seeing if you want to add a squeeze of zesty, fresh lime juice. Both Mr. FFF and I loved that extra, jazzy-sour flavor along with the swirls of coconut sugar and tender chickpeas, but to EACH HIS OWN.
Naturally, I am also going to tell you to be VRY heavy handed with the cilantro and green onion.
Partially because they are green which makes you feel like you’re getting your required “green food” for the day, but mostly because they make this chickpea tomato curry extra delicious LIKE WHOA.
Ideas for things to serve super-creamy chickpea curry with comin’ at you in 3…2…1:
- Rice and/or cauliflower rice.
- COCONUT rice and/or cauliflower rice (my FAV!) <– I just stir toasted, unsweetened coconut flakes into my cooked rice like in the mango chicken.
- Use Naan bread like a spoon to slurp your curry into your hungry mouth
- NOTHING.
Straight up. You could eat a bowl of chickpea goodness with ZERO SIDES and I promise you won’t be mad about it.
The only thing that you will be mad about is that you didn’t plan to make enough to have for leftovers for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.
Exaggeration? Me? NEVER.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Coconut oil
- 1/2 Large red pepper, roughly chopped
- 1 15oz Can Petite diced tomatoes, very well drained *
- 1 Cup Full-fat coconut milk (not light!)
- 1 Tbsp Yellow curry paste **
- 2 tsp Tapioca starch
- 1 Tbsp Reduced-sodium soy sauce (gluten free if needed)
- 1/2 Tbsp Coconut sugar
- 1 15 oz Can Chickpeas, drained and rinsed (not sodium-reduced)
- 2 Cups Cauliflower, cut into large florets
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
- Pinch of sea salt
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Green onion, for garnish
- Cooked white rice, or cauliflower rice, for serving
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil on "saute" in your Instant Pot. Once hot, add in the pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the drained tomatoes, coconut milk and curry paste, stirring until the paste is dissolved. Bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tapioca starch with 4 tsp of the hot liquid from the Instant Pot until smooth. While constantly stirring, whisk it back into the Instant pot, along with the Soy sauce and coconut sugar. Boil until the mixture begins to thicken, about 1 minute.
- Stir in the can of chickpeas and cauliflower. Cover the Instant Pot (making sure it's set to sealing!) and manually set it to High Pressure and cook for 5 minutes. Let it pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure has released, squeeze in fresh lime juice and salt to taste.
- Garnish with cilantro and green onion and DEVOUR!
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS!
STAY IN DA KNOW ABOUT BEHIND-THE-SCENES INFO GOING ON AT FFF BY KEEPING IN TOUCH ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND PINTEREST!
This post may contain affiliate links, but I would only recommend products I love. Thanks for supporting FFF!
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
I love any type of quick and easy curry!
Taylor Kiser says
Me too! Thanks Rebecca!
Emily says
Instant Pot meals are definitely almost instantaneous compared to any other kind of cooking. I love how you made a curry with it too; curry or soup or anything warm especially with rice is a really comforting fall meal. I always imagine eating in your kitchen being a really warm hospitable delicious experience.
Taylor Kiser says
Ohhh you are too sweet! That just made my day! I wish you could come for dinner! <3
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain says
This is exactly what I need to warm up on this chilly Monday!
Taylor Kiser says
You and me both girl!
Karen says
Even non-vegans would love this! sounds delish!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you so much Karen!
Cassie Autumn Tran says
Curry in a hurry? Yes, please! I love all of the chickpea and cauliflower recipes I’ve been seeing on the Internet today! Anyways, I might as well feed my curry addiction by drooling at these photos. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to make this recipe one day!
Taylor Kiser says
I hope you get a chance to try it Cassie! I bet you’d love!! 🙂
Patricia @ Grab a Plate says
Okay, a few things: 1) This dish looks FAB and I’m sharing w/ a friend who just said she’s been looking for vegan recipes. 2) your bowls are absolutely gorgeous! 3) I think I need an Instant Pot!
Taylor Kiser says
1. Thank you!!!!! 2. I love them too! Etsy 🙂 3. Yes you do! 🙂
Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles says
This looks like my kind of meal. I love the idea of great leftovers too. 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you Brenda!!
CJ says
These reviews must be fake. This was the most unappetizing curry I’ve ever made. We ended up throwing it out and going out for pizza.
Taylor Kiser says
Sorry you didn’t like it. They’re not fake, but you can’t please every taste bud