Vegan Chinese Curry (Easy Takeaway Style)
This Vegan Chinese Curry is rich, creamy and packed with classic takeaway flavour - but made with wholesome ingredients and plenty of colourful veg. High in protein, totally customisable, and surprisingly simple to make at home.
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Serves: 4
Calories: 236kcal
Ingredients
Curry sauce:
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 6 spring onions (white and light green bits only, thinly sliced (approx 25g) (substitute: 50g brown/white onion, diced))
- 1 tbsp fresh garlic (minced (approx 3 cloves))
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger (minced)
- 1 tbsp curry powder (mild (or medium if you prefer))
- 2 tsp Chinese Five Spice
- ½ tsp ground turmeric (optional, for colour)
- 400 g coconut milk (from a tin)
- 300 ml vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp coconut sugar (substitute: white or brown sugar)
- Seasoning to taste
Cornflour slurry:
- 35 g cornflour
- 60 ml water
Protein and vegetables:
- 300 g extra firm tofu (torn or cut into chunks approx 2cm in size (substitute: vegan chicken pieces))
- 100 g green beans (trimmed and cut into 2-3cm pieces)
- 100 g red pepper (deseeded and finely sliced (1 pepper))
- 100 g carrot (peeled, cut in half lengthways and then cut into thin slices (1 carrot))
- 50 g edamame (substitute: peas)
To top:
- Spring onions (sliced (use the leftover green bits from making the curry sauce))
- Red chilli (deseeded and finely sliced)
Instructions
To make the curry sauce:
- Heat a large saucepan or wok over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of the coconut oil.2 tbsp coconut oil
- Fry the sliced spring onion, garlic and ginger in the frying pan for 3 minutes until aromatic and lightly golden.Note: If using brown/white onion, fry the diced onion for 5 minutes first, before adding the garlic and ginger and frying for a further 3 minutes.6 spring onions, 1 tbsp fresh garlic, 1 tbsp fresh ginger
- Add the spices (curry powder, five spice and turmeric) and stir in. Fry for 1 minute, adding a splash of water if the mixture is sticking.1 tbsp curry powder, 2 tsp Chinese Five Spice, 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- Add the vegetable stock, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar and coconut milk to the pan and bring to a gentle simmer whilst you prepare the cornflour slurry.300 ml vegetable stock, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 tsp coconut sugar, 400 g coconut milk
- In a small bowl, make the cornflour slurry by mixing together the cornflour and water. Add it to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens.35 g cornflour, 60 ml water
- Let the curry sauce cool, and when it is safe to do so, add it to a blender and blend until smooth (don’t skip this step, this sauce must be blended!). Alternatively, you can use a handheld stick blender (immersion blender).
To finish the curry:
- Wipe out the pan of any excess curry sauce and add the remaining 1 tbsp oil. Heat over medium-high heat for a minute or two and, once hot, stir fry the vegetables for 3 minutes.Note: If you’re using vegan chicken or thin tempeh slices in this recipe, rather than tofu, fry the chicken/tempeh according to the packet instructions. When 3 minutes remain on the cooking time, add the vegetables and fry for a further 3 minutes. We don’t stir fry the tofu as it tends to break up with stir frying, and it only needs heating through in the sauce, whereas vegan chicken usually needs fully cooking first.100 g green beans, 100 g red pepper, 100 g carrot, 50 g edamame
- Add the blended Chinese curry sauce and the tofu pieces to the pan with the vegetables and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the veg and tofu are cooked and hot through.300 g extra firm tofu
- Taste and season with salt as needed (we added about 1/2 tsp but it’s best to do this ‘to taste’, because the amount of salt in curry powder does vary from brand to brand).Seasoning to taste
- Serve with rice and top with the remaining sliced spring onion tops and sliced red chilli.Spring onions, Red chilli
Notes
Vegan / Dairy Free / Egg Free / High Protein / Refined Sugar Free / Under 500 Calories
Recipe inspired by: China / UK
NOTE 1: Always blend the sauce. This is what gives it that silky, takeout-style texture and combines the flavours.
NOTE 2: Use quick-cooking vegetables. Opt for veggies such as cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, peppers and peas. You can use some fresh sliced button mushrooms but avoid rehydrated dried mushrooms - we tried this and the texture was not right for this dish.
NOTE 3: Five spice is a must. This is what gives it that classic Chinese curry flavour.
NOTE 4: Want it spicier? We’ve made this curry mild but you can absolutely increase the heat if you want to. Opt for medium curry powder (rather than mild), or add fresh or dried chilli when you fry the spices.
Please check the allergens on the ingredients you purchase before use. The allergen and nutritional information provided in this recipe is intended as a guide only and is based on the specific ingredients and brands used at the time of creating the recipe, therefore we cannot guarantee that the same will apply to the ingredients you use.
Prep time excludes any inactive time.
We highly recommend you use the metric and 1x options on this recipe card for the best results. Please note that this recipe has not been tested using US measurements or increasing ingredient quantities to 2x or 3x, therefore results may vary.
Nutrition
Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 628mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Net Carbohydrates: 22g
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