Here’s a fantastic Coconut Curry Sauce with great depth of flavour made from everyday spices. This Indian-style sauce is incredibly addictive and works with chicken, vegetables, and legumes. I’ve made a Coconut Curry with pumpkin, lentils, and cashews, but check the recipe for more options. Ready in 30 minutes!
Easy Coconut Curry Sauce
If you’ve ever dumped curry powder into liquid then stomped your foot in a huff when you found the sauce to be meh, then this easy Coconut Curry Sauce is for you!
You’re going to absolutely love that you can find all the spices at supermarkets.
You’re going to adore the beautiful coconut flavour that mingles with the spices.
You’ll go bonkers over how it tastes like a full flavoured coconut Indian curry – except you made it in 30 minutes from scratch.
And you’re going to really enjoy lapping up all the compliments from your family and friends. (“OMG that’s the best curry I’ve ever had!!” <– True story, text from a friend)
Coconut curry sauce spices
The spices in the coconut curry sauce are:
curry powder
tumeric
coriander
cumin
paprika
garam masala*
Curry powder is the base for this Easy Coconut Curry, but it’s too bland if you don’t add other spices. I experimented with various combinations and tried to cut down on the number of spices but it just wasn’t the same. So they’re all staying in!
What is garam masala?
Garam masala is a crucial spice mix in Indian cooking and smells like a potent curry powder. It really makes a difference in simple curry sauces, so be sure not to skip it! Here in Australia, you’ll find it at all the major supermarkets nowadays, and it costs no more than other spices.
Making the coconut curry sauce
There’s nothing tricky about the coconut curry sauce:
Sauté onion, garlic and ginger (fresh please!);
Add Spices and cook – this brings out the flavour of the spices, making them bloom;
Add coconut milk, tomato passata (tomato puree in the States, or even Tomato Sauce) plus chicken or vegetable broth/stock;
Simmer to bring the flavours together
And there you have your curry sauce. And this is where you can unleash your wild side and let the creative juices flow. Or, as the case may be, rummage in your pantry and squabble around in the fridge and use whatever you can find. 🙂
What to put in Coconut Curry
This is where things get fun. You can literally put anything in this Easy Coconut Curry Sauce and it’s going to taste great. Here are some ideas:
Lentils, pumpkin, spinach and cashews (pictured). Terrific combination my friends go bonkers over;
Chicken, fish or prawns – sear before starting recipe, then add them back in later;
Sweet potato, normal potato, zucchini, beans, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus, squash;
Other legumes – chickpeas are sensational, and any other type of beans.
I’ve included a guide in the recipe notes for when to add different ingredients. For proteins, it’s well worth searing them before starting the recipe, then just add them back in later once the sauce is done.
30 minutes. That’s how far away you are from a homemade-from-scratch Coconut Curry.
The flavour is not quite as in-your-face punchy like with Butter Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala, but but it’s still got quite an intense Indian-style curry flavour. But then again, you haven’t had to marinate overnight and you’ve used half the spices, and you only had to go to your local grocery store rather than an Indian grocer.
And no one would ever say this is lacking in taste. No one has ever accused me of making bland food – and I intend to keep it that way!! – Nagi x
PS If you’re after a milder, more creamy style Western curry, try this Everyday Chicken Curry – a 5 ingredients from scratch curry sauce. And all my curry recipes can be found in my Curry Recipes collection. There’s a fair few – I love curries!
Watch how to make it
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Easy Coconut Curry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, ghee or any regular cooking oil (canola, olive oil etc)
- 4 garlic cloves , minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger , finely grated
- 1/2 onion , finely chopped (brown or yellow)
- 400ml/14oz can coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup tomato passata (tomato puree) (Note 1)
- 400 g/14 oz can brown lentils , drained
- 250 g / 8 oz pumpkin (~3 cups) , cut into 2cm / 4/5″ cubes
- 2 cups (tightly packed) baby spinach
- 1/2 cup cashews , unsalted (roasted or raw) (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp each cooking/kosher salt + black pepper
Spices:
- 1 tbsp garam masala (Note 3)
- 2 tbsp curry powder (mild or spicy, your choice, Note 4)
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp paprika (sweet, or hot for spice!)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Serving garnishes:
- Coriander/cilantro leaves , whole or chopped
- Chopped cashews (optional)
Instructions
- Sauté aromatics – Heat oil in a deep skillet or pot over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes until onion is a bit tinged with gold.
- Cook off spices – Add Spices and stir for 1 minute. Don't worry if it looks a bit dried out.
- Coconut sauce – Add coconut milk, passata and broth. Stir until incorporated. Add lentils and pumpkin. Bring to simmer then adjust heat so it's simmering energetically.
- Simmer for 10 minutes or until pumpkin is tender but not mushy, and sauce has thickened.
- Stir through baby spinach until wilted, then cashew nuts. Add salt and pepper last, adding more if needed.
- Serve over rice, sprinkled with coriander and extra cashews, if using.
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
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Life of Dozer
Yes, he even eats shampoo bubbles….
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! The whole family loved it, even the kids!
I did not follow this recipe, I just used the sauce part and added completely different veggies. Works a charm with everything. This is a great all purpose sauce. I added 1/2tsp ground fennel aswell. Thank you for the recipe!
This recipe is an absolute winner- I’ve made it twice in a week! First time exactly as written with pumpkin, and the second time I used kohlrabi from my garden. Delicious, hearty, easy 😊
Delicious!
We make this curry recipe regularly but especially enjoy it in pumpkin season! It’s fairly easy to replace ingredients if you wouldn’t have it on hand and works well with sweet potato instead, if necessary.
I believe all measurements are right, the taste is lovely! I recommend serving it with a splash of Sriracha or such. And toast the cashews!
Nagi – Many thanks from Sweden!
OMG. This curry sauce was amazing. Easy to source ingredients and easy to make. We all loved it.
This curry was so easy and had an AMAZING flavor. Even better the next day. This is the first of Nagi’s Indian recipes I tried cooking, and I’m definitely gonna check out more of them. Even my boyfriend loved it, and he’s not usually not a fan of the components (spices, squash, ginger.) I used 1/2 cup French lentils and a half an acorn squash and only a teaspoon of the garum masala, as suggested by other commenters. I also stirred in 3 tablespoons of sour cream at the end, for extra creaminess. I didn’t have cashews or spinach on hand but it was still good without them.
Typo in note 4: should be Clive of India curry powder.
Ha ha! Well spotted, but Cloves of India sounds more romantic!
PS Forgot to ask ~ how long does this keep in the fridge & ***can I freeze it?*** Need an answer urgently please 🙏🏻 bec going away for a few days
Another keeper from Nagi. Incredible❣️
Wow. This is so very delicious. How you spoil us Nagi! This tastes like a take-out meal and I just love the simplicity and deliciousness. The cashews and pumpkin, spinach combo is a winner. Thanks again Nagi x
Made according to the recipe, so delicious. Great flavour, quick and easy, and a great vegetarian option!
Tomato puree is not Passata.
Made this tonight, wanted a vege curry – didn’t have pumpkin & spinach so used carrot, potato, broccoli and silverbeet. Great flavour and simple – will definately put this on repeat.
Hi Nagi, can you please confirm it is 1 tablespoon of Garam Marsala, instead of 1 teaspoon ? Seems an awful lot from my “limited” experience 🙂 Thank you, love your recipes.
I would use 1tsp. I made it with 1Tbsp tonight and after tasting decided I’d use much less next time. Does have a strong Garam Masala flavor.
Thank you D, it seemed a lot to me, much appreciated 🙂
Having put in a tablespoon it’s way too strong and almost inedible. Note to self: read the comments first!
Garam Masala; a little goes a long way!!
Can I use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth in this coconut curry sauce?
I am thinking of making the basic curry sauce to serve alongside an indian roasted lamb leg….would that work with it??
The curry is fun to make and the flavours are really useful for all kinds of other ingredients.
I was looking for a vegetarian meal, added the pumpkin, green lentils, cashews and spinach…so good.
Great consistency. I’ll definitely do this again. Planning to freeze a small quantity.
Hello,
I want to make this without tomatoes as my friend is allergic. What could I use in its place, or could I just omit it altogether and add more stock. Thanks
I added some of that readymade Thai garlic/ginger/chili/lemongrass paste into the sauce. For veg I used a bag of frozen Kroger brand “Mexican” veg blend, fresh spinach, beet greens, and mushrooms. I seared some tofu and my sons added some leftovers chicken thighs. So easy and so delicious!
This recipe is so versatile and delicious. I’ve made it twice with chicken and pumpkin and again with tofu, shrimps and sweet potatoes. Absolutely a winner with so much flavor and nutrients. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe.