Vegan curry with white beans and creamy coconut milk
A good curry is truly perfect for any season. On cool days, the intense spices warm you pleasantly from the inside out, while fresh herbs and a touch of acidity give the dish a wonderfully light feel in summer.
- 1 red onion
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tbsp Kill
- 1 tsp paprika powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder 🛒
- ½ tsp chili powder
- 2.5 tsp tomato paste
- 200 ml vegetable broth (vegan)
- 130 ml coconut milk
- 480 g white beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1/3 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 organic lime (juice and zest)
- salt and pepper
- Coriander (to taste, or alternatively parsley)
- Peel the onion and garlic. Chop both finely.
- Heat the oil in a pan and sauté the onions until translucent.
- Add the garlic and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Add the spices and toast for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the tomato paste and sauté it briefly as well.
- Deglaze with the vegetable broth. Bring everything to a boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes.
- Add the coconut milk and white beans. Bring the curry back to a boil and simmer gently for 5–6 minutes.
- Finally, season it with brown sugar, lime zest and lime juice, as well as salt and pepper.
- Garnish the white bean and coconut curry with coriander or parsley and serve it with rice, bread, or potatoes.
A good curry is truly perfect for any season. On cool days, the intense spices warm you pleasantly from the inside out, while fresh herbs and a touch of acidity give the dish a wonderfully light feel in summer. A vegan white bean and coconut curry perfectly demonstrates how a few pantry staples can be used to create a deeply relaxing and comforting meal. The white beans bring a unique, smooth texture and harmonize perfectly with the rich sauce.
White bean and coconut curry: spicy & filling
The immense popularity of curries stems primarily from their incredible versatility and ease of preparation. You can adjust the spiciness and ingredients to your own taste at any time. The combination of creamy coconut milk and a robust spice base creates a rich sauce that coats the ingredients beautifully. If you have any leftovers, that's a real bonus. Letting them chill in the refrigerator overnight allows the flavors to fully develop, resulting in an even more refined and intense dish the next day.
To keep the preparation time manageable for this white bean and coconut curry, it's best to use pre-cooked white beans from a jar or can for this recipe. They're already soft and ready to use. Before using the beans, drain them in a sieve and rinse them thoroughly under cold running water. This removes the starchy liquid and ensures that the beans optimally absorb the flavor of the curry sauce. White beans are not only very filling, but they also break down minimally when simmered, thickening the sauce naturally.
The foundation for the full flavor is the aromatic base. To create it, sauté finely diced onions and garlic in a little oil until translucent. This gentle sautéing softens their raw sharpness and develops a delicate sweetness. Then stir in turmeric, chili, and paprika. The spices need a brief moment in the warm oil to fully release their essential oils. This step intensifies the aroma enormously. Finally, add some tomato paste and sauté it briefly.
Deglaze the pan with vegetable broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Pour in the coconut milk and stir in the drained beans. Let the mixture simmer gently for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. A final seasoning will bring the dish to balance. A pinch of sugar enhances the delicate sweetness of the coconut milk, while a squeeze of fresh lime juice provides the necessary acidity to counterbalance the richness. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
After about thirty minutes, a warming and fragrant white bean and coconut curry is on the table. Roughly chopped coriander or fresh parsley as a topping give the dish a lovely freshness and a splash of color. The creamy bean curry goes perfectly with fluffy basmati rice or warm flatbread. Boiled potatoes are also a wonderful choice for soaking up all the aromatic sauce.