I have a self-admitted problem of sidelining greens. I'll eat them every day but rarely are they the key to the recipe. Sure, most salads wouldn't be salads without the greens. Yet, it's rarely about them. I labeled this carrot curry but in reality, the kale is the core. The carrots are pureed into a creamy curry sauce that cooks the kale. It's ultimate vegetarian comfort food. The paneer is also just a bonus. I've been into easy cheese making as of late and paneer is a good place to start. You can always leave it off or replace it with tofu.
Carrot Curry with Kale and Paneer
A hearty carrot curry made from pureeing carrots with raisins, coconut milk, and curry powder then cooking your favorite greens until tender.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
Ingredients
Curry
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or coconut oil
- 1 large (4 oz) shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1" nub of ginger (minced)
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 2 cups shredded carrots (about 8 ounces)
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- 1 cup canned full-fat coconut milk
- Salt (as needed)
- ½ pound (8 oz) cups shredded lacinato kale
Toppings/For Serving
- 2 teaspoons olive oil or coconut oil
- 4 ounces paneer cheese
- 2 cups cooked quinoa or rice (for serving)
- Cilantro (for serving)
- Toasted coconut (for serving)
Instructions
- Heat a dutch oven or tall-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil followed by the shallot. Saute until the shallot is fragrant and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger, cooking for another minute or two.
- Measure in the curry powder followed by the carrots and golden raisins. Add the vegetable broth and coconut milk to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until carrots are tender, 10 minutes.
- While the carrots are cooking, heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a small pan. Cut the paneer into ½” cubes and fry over medium-low until golden, turning once during cooking. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Place the mixture carrot mixture in a blender and carefully puree until smooth. Transfer the sauce back to the pot and add the kale, in batches if necessary. Cook and wilt the kale slightly.
- Divide the grains into two bowls and top with the kale curry, paneer, cilantro, and toasted coconut.
Notes
Tips & Tricks:I am not the biggest fan of wilted vegetables and so I leave the kale slightly undercooked in this curry. It provides texture and bulk, without being too chewy. Of course, you can always cook the kale as much or as little as you like.
I highly recommend testing a few different curry powders to find one you like best. Depending on the region, curry powders range is flavor and heat. It’s best to test before you dive into a recipe!
Can't find paneer? You can make it at home!
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: raisins, coconut milk, carrots, kale
Nutrition: see the information (includes quinoa).
Nutrition
- Calories: 491
- Sugar: 11.6
- Sodium: 275
- Fat: 30.3
- Carbohydrates: 44.8
- Fiber: 8.9
- Protein: 16.3
- Cholesterol: 28.9
Carrot Curry
variations
Greens: Use spinach, chard, or collards in place of the kale. You can also speed up the recipe slightly by sautéing the greens separate from the curry sauce.
Sweet Potatoes: Use peeled and grated sweet potatoes in place of the carrots or a butternut squash/pumpkin puree would work as well.
Dates: If you can’t find golden raisin, a few pitted medjool dates would work as well.
Vegan: Leave off the paneer and add tofu if desired.
Protein: Make a creamier sauce by cooking ¼ cup red lentils until tender and pureeing them into the sauce along with the carrots. More liquid will be needed.
Explore Carrots
Carrots are the perfect transitional produce. They help to add a pop of color during the spring and fall months when produce starts to transition. I love their slightly sweet flavor when paired with earthier ingredients. Also, I rarely peel carrots- just give them a good scrub!
Curried Carrot Soup
Ginger Brown Rice with Carrots
Grilled Carrots with Chermoula
Maria says
Carrot curry sounds absolutely amazing!! I love the sweetness of coconut milk and carrots together. I'm a sweet-spicy curry fan!! So excited to make this and sneak in LOTS of kale to trick the fam;)
Izzy Bruning says
This sounds simply amazing!!!
I love curry so much.... :0
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Laura T. says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely delicious! It will definitely be going into my regular rotation! Thanks for the fantastic recipe 🙂
★★★★★
Judith F. Ledbetter says
I saw this recipe today and decided to make it tonight. Fresh kale, carrots, garlic and shallots from my garden. Didn't make my own paneer, but it otherwise provided a very locavore meal. Thanks!
★★★★
Selda says
Loving all you recipes. Thank you
Alexis says
Made this camping by blending the sauce ahead of time and making my own paneer from the recipe provided--knocked it out of the park and so easy! I've never made cheese before and my confidence has gone way up now.
I used twice as much spice because I that's how I like it.
Guro says
Hi Erin! We just had this carrot curry for lunch and it was awesome 😀 I didn't use all the curry powder because, as you said, all curry powders are different. Our is very strong! I also used normal raisins instead of golden ones and collards instead of kale. So, so good! Thanks for the recipe!
Joules says
OMG... I just finished eating this and it was AMAZING! I used more paneer than suggested but just because the only reason I went for this recipe in the first place was to use up paneer that I had.
ali says
So delicious! Thanks!
★★★★★