This delicately spiced and fragrant creamy courgette curry (zucchini curry) is a great way to use up a glut of courgettes from your garden or allotment!
Made with store-cupboard ingredients, the coconutty courgette curry with chickpeas and red peppers is easy and quick to make, and perfect for your next curry night!
Does anyone else end up with more courgettes than they know what to do with? If the answer is yes, then this simple vegetarian courgette curry is the recipe you've been looking for! After all, there are only so many courgette fritters you can eat (however yummy they are!).
Have you seen my courgette and tomato bake? Another great recipe if you have a lot of courgettes to use up!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- If you're a gardener who grows courgettes, or you've bought a large quantity, making a curry is an excellent way to use up a surplus. It's a common issue in the summer months to have a glut of courgettes as they are easy to grow.
- Courgettes are rich in vitamins A and C, as well as fibre and potassium.
- In the UK, courgettes are at their peak from June to October. Preparing this seasonal veggie curry allows you to take advantage of their freshness and availability during this time.
- This courgette curry is a simple and fast dish to cook, and perfect for busy weeknights.
- The curry freezes well, so why not make a double batch and freeze some?
🥘 Ingredients
- Courgettes - 2 medium courgettes, halved and sliced into 2cm chunks.
- Onion - chopped finely and creates the base of the curry.
- Garlic - for extra flavour.
- Ginger - grated or chopped finely for a subtle background heat.
- Coriander - you'll need both the stalks and the leaves for this recipe.
- Indian Spices - a combination of cumin, garam masala, turmeric, and ground coriander.
- Curry Paste - I used a medium spiced curry paste (balti) but go hotter if you like things spicy.
- Red Pepper - sliced into strips.
- Tin of Chickpeas - 400g tin drained and rinsed.
- Tin of Tomatoes - or use passata if you like your curry sauces smooth.
- Mango Chutney - helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes.
- Coconut Cream - gives the curry a delicate coconut taste and a silky smooth finish to the sauce.
- Natural Yogurt - for an extra creamy hit, but leave this out if you want to make the recipe suitable for vegans.
- Olive Oil - for frying.
🔪 How to make courgette curry
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Heat the oil in a large pan or shallow casserole and fry the onion, garlic, fresh ginger, and chopped coriander stalks for 4 minutes until beginning to soften.
Two: Stir in the curry paste and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes.
Three: Add in the chopped courgettes and peppers and fry for 5 minutes until the courgette starts to become tender.
Four: Stir in the chickpeas, tinned tomatoes, and mango chutney. Simmer on a medium heat for 5 minutes.
Five: Pour in the coconut cream, stir and simmer for 5 more minutes.
Six: Stir in the natural yogurt (if using), season, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.
🍴 Serving suggestions
- Rice: The classic partner for any curry, including courgette curry, is a serving of fluffy, aromatic basmati rice, pilau rice, or turmeric rice. The grains soak up the curry sauce and complement the flavours beautifully.
- Naan Bread: A warm, soft naan bread is another traditional accompaniment to curry. It's excellent for scooping up the curry.
- Raita: This yogurt-based side dish is refreshing and can help balance the heat of the curry if you've made it spicy. A cucumber raita could be a particularly good match for a courgette curry.
- Poppadoms: These crispy Indian snacks are a fantastic side. You can serve them with various dips such as mango chutney or mint yoghurt.
- Salad: A fresh, simple salad with ingredients such as tomatoes, cucumber, and lettuce can be a nice contrast to the warm, spiced courgette curry. A squeeze of lemon over the top just before serving can really make the flavours pop.
📖 Variations
- Up the heat by adding 1 chopped red chili at the same time as the onion and garlic.
- Try different vegetables such as aubergine, green beans, spinach, yellow pepper, and cubed sweet potato.
- Add leftover cooked chicken to the curry to bulk it out, or make a mild chicken curry to eat alongside it.
- Swap the medium curry paste for mild (like korma), if you prefer your curries less spicy.
- Reduce the fat by using low-fat coconut milk instead of coconut cream.
- For an added crunch and a boost of healthy fats, consider adding toasted almonds or cashews to the curry just before serving.
🥡 Storage
Store - Once cool transfer the curry to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat until piping hot in the microwave.
Freeze - The courgette curry can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge before reheating it in the microwave or on the hob (stovetop).
❓ FAQs
Courgette and zucchini are the same things. Zucchini is the common term used in the US, while courgette is used among French and British people
No, the skin is completely edible. There is no need to peel it prior to cooking.
Yes, you can certainly use yellow courgettes in your curry. They have a very similar flavour profile and texture to green courgettes.
Absolutely. The flavours in curry often improve with time. Just remember to cool it down quickly and store it correctly in the fridge.
You can increase the heat in your curry by adding more chilli powder, fresh chillies, or a spicier curry paste. Remember, it's easier to add more heat than it is to take it away, so start with a little and add more until it's to your liking.
😋Related recipes
More courgette recipes to try!
- Baked Feta Pasta with Tomatoes and Courgettes
- Courgette Frittata
- Courgette Brownies
- Courgette Burgers
- Courgette and Pancetta Pasta
- Roast Courgettes with Lemon and Garlic
- Chocolate Courgette Muffins
🍽️ More family-friendly curry recipes
Popular curries from the Effortless Foodie kitchen!
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Recipe
Creamy Courgette Curry
Equipment
- Chopping Board
- Knife
- Measuring Spoons
- Shallow Casserole
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Onion peeled and chopped
- 2 Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger peeled and grated
- 2 tablespoon Coriander Stalks chopped (reserve the leaves for garnish)
- 2 tablespoon Medium Curry Paste
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
- 2 Courgettes halved and chopped into 2cm chunks
- 1 Red Pepper deseeded and sliced
- 400 g Tin of Chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 400 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
- 250 ml Coconut Cream
- 2 tablespoon Natural Yogurt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan or shallow casserole and fry the onion, garlic, fresh ginger and chopped coriander stalks for 4 minutes until beginning to soften.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Onion, 2 Garlic Cloves, 1 teaspoon Fresh Ginger, 2 tablespoon Coriander Stalks
- Stir in the curry paste and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes.2 tablespoon Medium Curry Paste, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 1 teaspoon Garam Masala, ½ teaspoon Turmeric, ½ teaspoon Ground Coriander
- Add in the chopped courgettes and peppers and fry for 5 minutes until the courgette is starting to become tender.2 Courgettes, 1 Red Pepper
- Stir in the chickpeas, tinned tomatoes and mango chutney. Simmer for 5 minutes.400 g Tin of Chickpeas, 400 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes, 2 tablespoon Mango Chutney
- Pour in the coconut cream, stir and simmer for 5 more minutes.250 ml Coconut Cream
- Stir in the natural yogurt (if using), season, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves before serving.2 tablespoon Natural Yogurt
Video
Notes
- Up the heat by adding 1 chopped red chili at the same time as the onion and garlic.
- Try different vegetables such as aubergine, green beans, spinach, yellow pepper, and cubed sweet potato.
- Add leftover cooked chicken to the curry to bulk it out, or make a mild chicken curry to eat alongside it.
- Swap the medium curry paste for mild (like korma), if you prefer your curries less spicy.
- Reduce the fat by using low-fat coconut milk instead of coconut cream.
Cathleen
I am obsessed with curry of any kind, and this one looks like no exception. This will definitely be a staple in my house. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
Emily Flint
The flavors in this curry sound amazing! I'm so glad you can freeze for later. I'm going to make some and save it for our camping trip!
Deirdre
This tasted so good, was the perfect way to use up the courgettes that had been lurking at the back of my fridge!
Marlynn
I love curries and was so excited to try this. It's as delicious as it looks and sounds! Such a satisfying meal.
Sandra
Lovely curry, so easy to make and tastes delicious
Beth Sachs
Hi Sandra! So glad you enjoyed it!
Kirke Mae
Thank you for this receipt it´s delicious !!:)
Beth Sachs
So glad you enjoyed it!