Easy Vegetable Curry Recipe: Healthy, Flavourful, and Perfect for Any Meal

Introduction to a Healthy Curry with Vegetables

Are you looking for a quick and delicious way to enjoy a healthy meal? Do you need to detox from eating meat? This easy vegetable curry recipe is a perfect choice! This vegetable curry is packed with a variety of fresh vegetables, aromatic spices (including my favourite nigella seeds), and a flavourful zesty sauce, it’s a versatile dish that fits any occasion. Whether you’re looking for a comforting family dinner or a hearty vegetarian option, this curry is simple to prepare and satisfying to eat.

Why this homemade Vegetable Curry is special

This vegetable curry stands out due to its versatility and use of fresh, colourful ingredients combined with traditional spices that create a rich and comforting flavour. Culturally, vegetable curries are a cornerstone of South Asian cuisine, symbolising the region’s reliance on plant-based diets and sustainable cooking. They are often prepared during family gatherings or celebrations, showcasing the abundance of local produce and the culinary art of balancing spices to enhance flavours. This curry bridges tradition with modern, healthy eating trends.

In Pakistan, vegetable curry is a staple dish and is often prepared with locally grown vegetables and spiced to perfection. As a budget-friendly option, it aligns with the cultural value of simple yet nourishing meals. Moreover, vegetable curries are often paired with flatbreads or rice, making them a wholesome and balanced choice, especially in regions where vegetarian meals are more prevalent. They reflect the diversity and richness of Pakistani culinary traditions.

Those of you who know me know that we are rather big meat eaters and I’m always trying to introduce more vegetables into our diet. My father in law recently came to visit us and requested a vegetable curry, I thought I would push myself and the rest of the family out of their comfort zone and make this mixed vegetable curry. My mum happened to pop over in the morning I had made it, she gave it the taste test and it passed with flying colours! It’s a major win when mum signs off on my curry.

Versatility in making a Healthy Curry with Vegetables

In the UK, I wish I could say that I am currently growing an array of lovely vegetables in my garden, alas, I am not. So when making this homemade vegetable curry I do resort to buying a pack of frozen vegetables from the supermarket. I know there is always a stigma associated with frozen foods, that they are unhealthy etc. However frozen vegetables are healthy, they are often frozen shortly after harvest, which locks in nutrients and preserves their freshness. This is in particularly great as you are able to get fresh produce when it is unavailable or out of season.

Of course, if you do want to use fresh vegetables instead of frozen, you can do this. Stick to around the same weight of vegetables, 500-600 grams and the cooking time will be less, just check when the vegetables have softened, I use a knife to give the veg a poke. If it glides in quite easily, you know the vegetables have cooked.

Double check the frozen packets to make sure there’s no added chemicals, salt or preservatives, so you still know what’s going into your food. In my book, frozen vegetables are are as good as fresh!

There are so many different ready made packs of mixed vegetables you can buy, you can choose any combination of vegetables that takes your fancy. I personally like a frozen pack of vegetables that includes, peas, carrots and cauliflower. Cauliflower does take a little longer to cook and soften, so do check this before serving, you do not want to be eating frozen hard cauliflower in your curry!

You could easily add in other vegetables like sweetcorn, runner beans and broccoli. Also, if you want to add in more protein into this homemade vegetable curry , you could add in tofu or chicken. Both of these will cook quickly with the vegetables.

I do love how quickly you can make this curry, as you are buying frozen vegetables, all the cutting of the vegetables has been done for you, so it saves a lot of time in preparation. Again, once the vegetables are in the pan, it does not take long for them to cook through and you have a lovely healthy curry with vegetables to enjoy.

Nigella seeds

I had write a few lines on Nigella seeds, I have recently become rather obsessed with this spice. Mainly because of it’s health benefits. Nigella seeds are also known as black cumin on kalonji. They are rich in antioxidants, which help fight inflammation and protect against chronic diseases.

Nigella seeds may support heart health by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. They are also believed to enhance immune function, aid digestion, and manage blood sugar levels, making them valuable for people with diabetes. Additionally, their antimicrobial properties can help combat certain infections. These little black seeds may be small, but their impact is mighty! I have started throwing them into all my curry’s randomly now. What’s not to love about them?!

How to serve Homemade Vegetable Curry

Like most Pakistani curry’s you can’t go wrong serving it with a fresh chapati or naan. I love chapati’s with everything, but you could quite easily serve this vegetable curry with naan, paratha or even a lovely chickpea rice. If you wanted to make a full vegetarian meal, why not make a lovely masoor dal and mint chutney to go with the vegetable curry.

See my video on Youtube, Instagram or TikTok to see how to make this dish.

Ingredients

Preparation- 7 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

• 3 tbsp olive oil (any vegetable oil is fine)
• 2 small onions, finely chopped (175-200 grams)
• 1 tablespoon of garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of ginger, finely chopped
• 3 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 packet of frozen vegetables, around 640 grams ( I used Birdseye Country Mixed Vegetables)
• 0.5 tsp turmeric powder
• 0.5 tsp nigella seeds
• 0.5 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp curry leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground coriander powder
• 0.5tsp ground cumin powder
• 0.5 tsp ground garam masala powder
• 0.25 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 bullet pepper chillies, sliced in half for garnishing
• 2 tbsp fresh coriander for garnishing

Method

• Heat the oil in a medium sized sauce pan, add the onions and sauté until golden brown. This should take 8-10 minutes.

• Add the garlic and ginger and stir through until the raw smell has gone, this should take a 1-2 minutes.

• Then add in the tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric, nigella seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and salt and stir through. Let everything simmer on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, until you see the oil start to separate from the masala.

• Keep an eye as it simmers, as it starts to dry out, you will need to add splashes of water.
  • If you prefer more masala-sauce with your curry, you can add in more water at this stage.

• Next, add the frozen vegetables to the masala and let it simmer together until the vegetables have softened. This should take 10-15 minutes.
  • If once you have mixed the vegetables into the masala, you want it to be more saucy, you can add more water at this point. I added around 200ml, 100 ml at a time. Some water will be released as the vegetables de-frost in the pan.

• Finally add the ground coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala, sugar and lemon juice and stir everything through.

• Garnish with the bullet pepper chillies and fresh coriander.