An easy and warming autumn recipe to celebrate National Curry Week
With World Vegan Month (November) around the corner, I’ve been contemplating my vegan journey. Almost a decade ago after ruminating on the guilt of consuming animal products, I made the decision to switch to a vegan lifestyle overnight. But having not given much thought to meal planning and the practicalities of eating vegan in a non-vegan world, I struggled to begin with.
I found vegan recipes I was seeing online and in the latest recipe books uninspiring. Despite the trend of clean eating and (to me) bland nourish bowls all over vegan social media, living with my mum at the time made me realise just how equipped I was to enjoy rich, satiating and flavoursome food as a vegan. My mum reminded me how many vegan dishes we already enjoyed in our South Asian cuisine and how easily non-vegan ingredients could be substituted with little difference to taste. The magic was all in the spices, base ingredients and cooking techniques.
This week is National Curry Week and so to celebrate my native (and one of the world’s most beloved) cuisines, join me in cooking a vegan version of a childhood favourite curry of mine.
Realising that most of the nostalgia and enjoyment associated with this dish was in the fusion of spices and fresh veggies, and that I could simply recreate textured elements of the recipe with Vegan Trademark certified alternatives like Quorn Vegan Pieces or Tofoo Naked Tofu, was not only a game changer diet-wise, but it was freeing. I could now enjoy this much-loved dish and my heritage without harming animals, all while causing less harm to the planet, too.
One thing that hasn’t changed about the recipe is that it still features green beans grown by my mum. Nothing beats fresh, homegrown veggies! Unlike my mother though – whose detailed instructions include “cook intuitively”, “throw in a bit of this” and “a dash of that” – I do have a recipe to share.
Check out the recipe below and for a visual guide view our Instagram reel. Make sure to share your recreations and tag us on Instagram, X and TikTok.
Beneath the recipe you’ll also find tips on how to easily adapt this curry to your needs and preferences!
Vegan Quorn and Green Bean Curry Recipe
Ingredients
3/4 tbsp KTC Sunflower Oil
1 bag of Quorn Vegan Pieces
Knob of Flora Plant Butter, Salted
1 onion, cubed
1 tsp garlic, crushed
1 tsp ginger, crushed
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tbsp of tomato paste
Boiling water
1 handful of cherry tomatoes, halved (or 1/3 tin of Mr Organic Italian Chopped Tomatoes. Exclude tomato paste if using tinned tomatoes.)
250g green beans, chopped
1 handful fresh coriander, chopped
Whole spices:
4 cloves
8 curry leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods
Ground spices:
1 tsp chilli
2.5 tsp coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp roasted cumin
1.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
Method
Prep all your vegetables
Add oil to a large pan. Once it’s hot, add whole spices for about 20-30 secs
Add crushed garlic and ginger and cook for just under a minute
Add onions, stir, cover and cook on medium for 4 mins
Add the red pepper and cook for 5 mins
Meanwhile, measure out your ground spices and salt and add when peppers and onions have softened and turned golden
Cook the spices on medium for 5 mins, making sure to stir regularly and add some boiling water to ensure the spices don’t burn or stick to the pan
Add tomato paste and half the coriander and cook for 5 mins
Add tomatoes and a little water as needed
Add green beans and cook for 5-6 mins
Add the Quorn Vegan Pieces straight from freezer and stir, cook for 5-6 mins
Add enough boiling water to almost cover the veg and Quorn pieces, stir in a knob of Flora Plant Butter for added creaminess and simmer on low for 5 mins. Stir gently in between and add more salt if needed.
Finish with the remaining fresh coriander
Serve with steamed basmati rice or South Asian flatbreads.
Adapt this recipe
There are so many ways to adapt this recipe and you can use it as a base for other curries too. Here are some tips you might find useful:
Additional protein
If you want your curry to have a higher protein value, add around 150ml of vegan plain yoghurt. As well as the protein, you get an extra layer of flavour and a rich creamy texture.
Make it toddler friendly
Adding vegan yoghurt will mellow the spices for more gentle palates. Alternatively, add a reduced amount of salt and hold off on adding the chilli at the spices stage. Once the other spices have cooked through, transfer a portion of this curry base to a smaller pan and follow the remaining instructions for both, dividing ingredients accordingly. Just add the chilli powder and salt to taste to the adult version before doing so.
Turn up the heat
If you like your curries super spicy, feel free to adjust the spice levels by adding more chilli powder or extra fresh chillis. Traditionally, green bird eye chillies would be used but I love using Scotch Bonnet pepper when I’m craving some extra heat. It’s a super spicy pepper though, so take this as your warning!
Swap out vegetables
I’ve used homegrown green beans and tomatoes because I had my harvest bounty to use up, but you can use whatever you prefer or need to use up. Sweet potato and seasonal autumn squashes work beautifully – just adjust cooking times accordingly.
Quorn Alternatives
Firm tofu is another great alternative if you want to swap out the Quorn Vegan Pieces!
Accompaniments
For me, nothing beats curry with steamed basmati rice, but you can serve it with brown rice (for a healthier option) or vegan pilau, as well as South Asian flatbreads like vegan naan, parathas or roti. A side salad of finely sliced onion, tomatoes, green chillies and coriander, alongside condiments like South Asian mixed pickles really elevate this dish.
Meal prepping
This curry tastes even better the next day since the spices have had time to cosy up together, so it’s a great recipe to batch cook as part of your meal prep or to freeze for rainy days.
By Vegan Society Digital Content Officer, Nishat Rahman
