Easy Kidney Bean Curry (Vegan)
This easy kidney bean curry is a total winner. Not only is it absolutely delicious (the beans seriously melt in your mouth), it’s also a super simple one pot meal that you can easily adapt to your family’s tastes. It’s rich and saucy, mildly spicy, and wonderfully creamy – pretty much everything you could want in a curry! This is the perfect easy dinner for those evenings when you want something hearty and comforting, but not too taxing to make.
You might also like: Creamy Butter Beans with Leeks; Creamy Three Bean Stew; Mexican Bean and Potato Bake.
The recipe is super simple, and really easy to adapt – see below for some ideas! I make this one regularly, and it’s a real people-pleaser.
🥫 Store Cupboard Recipe
I love the fact that this kidney bean curry is made with just store cupboard ingredients – I make it regularly, and I never have to go out to buy anything special. Tinned beans, canned coconut milk, an onion – just things with long shelf lives that I always have in the house.
It helps if you use lazy ginger and garlic, the kinds that come in a tube or a jar, rather than fresh. I just keep them in the fridge, ready to go, and they last a long time.
👧🏻 Kid-Friendly Curry
Because this kidney bean curry has a mild and creamy sauce, it’s pretty kid-friendly, especially if you adapt it to your family’s tastes (feel free to add whatever vegetables your kids will eat!).
Like many others, my kids tend to gravitate towards anything anything dry and beige – so a spicy, saucy curry isn’t something they’d usually go for, but they have actually begun to really enjoy this one. I generally skip the onion if I’m making it for my kids (if you ever need help finding a needle in a haystack, tell my kids they’re looking for a bit of onion in their dinner, and they’ll find it in seconds) but they really enjoy the mild, creamy sauce.
As for me, I love that it’s super simple to make, easy to adapt to my family’s preferences, and has plenty of comforting flavour.
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🥗 Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy bean curry recipe. See the printable recipe card below for detailed ingredient quantities.
- canned beans – I used both kidney beans and black beans, and I love the way the dark colours look against the creamy sauce. To be honest though, you can use whatever cans of beans you have in the kitchen – I often use chickpeas instead, which also work well.
- coconut milk – to add a wonderful creaminess to the sauce.
- onion – I tend to skip this if I’m cooking for my kids, but it does add a lovely flavour to the curry.
- curry powder – in an effort to keep things super simple, I just use a curry powder blend, which contains various spices including coriander, cumin, chilli powder, paprika, turmeric, and lots more. You can use individual spices if you prefer, but I love the fact that someone else has already created the perfect blend – who am I to argue with that?
- minced garlic and ginger – I use the ‘lazy’ versions, which are pre-minced, and come in a jar or tube. They are so convenient to have on hand, and save a lot of time.
- tomato puree (paste)
🔁 Substitutions
I love how adaptable this easy curry recipe is. I make it a little differently each time – here are a few ideas for substitutions or adaptations:
- Swap the onion for any other vegetable you like (mushrooms are a favourite!).
- Or, skip the vegetables altogether and serve a vegetable on the side instead (my kids love peas, so that’s a common occurrence in our house).
- Swap the coconut milk for a can of chopped tomatoes for a richer, less creamy curry.
- Use different spices to make it hotter or more mild, depending on your preferences.
- Or use curry paste instead of curry powder, if that’s what you have on hand.
- Serve with a selection of toppings (chopped nuts, fresh herbs, a drizzle of chilli oil…).
- Spoon the curry over rice, or serve with naan bread for dipping.
Becca’s Top Tip
It might be tempting to serve this curry as soon as the sauce comes together, but give it a little extra time to simmer – about 15 minutes or so. The sauce ends up much richer, and the beans melt in your mouth!
🖨️ Printable Instructions
Easy Kidney Bean Curry
If you’ve cooked this recipe, don’t forget to leave a star rating!
Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 Tablespoon tomato puree (paste)
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon ginger puree
- 400 g tin kidney beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 400 g tin black beans, drained (240g, or ~ 1 1/4 cups, when drained)
- 400 ml tin coconut milk (~ 1 1/2 cups) – I used light
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- To serve (optional): rice, naan bread, fresh coriander (cilantro)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan, and add the finely diced onion. Cook over a medium-low heat for around 5 minutes, until softened but not browned.
- Add the tomato puree, curry powder, minced garlic, and ginger puree. Mix to combine, and cook for 2 more minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the canned kidney beans and black beans, along with the coconut milk.
- Bring to a simmer (you may need to turn up the heat a little), and allow to bubble away for at least 10-15 minutes (a bit longer is also fine!), stirring regularly, until the sauce is rich and slightly thickened, and the beans are nice and soft.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with your choice of rice or naan bread (or both), and some fresh cilantro if desired.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
💭 Recipe FAQs
Yes, this curry will freeze nicely. Freeze it in an airtight container, then reheat thoroughly in the microwave or in a saucepan. If the curry has dried out at all after being frozen, you can add an extra splash of water to revive it.
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days, and reheated thoroughly in the microwave or a saucepan.
I like to serve this creamy curry with some white rice, which soaks up the sauce beautifully. Some garlic naan bread is also great for dipping.
Yes, the curry is vegan. It is also gluten-free, but you may need to double check that the curry powder you’re using is labelled as gluten-free.
