Green curry coconut rice topped with chickpeas, mushrooms and greens makes a complete vegan + gluten free weeknight dinner! Way better than takeout, in our opinion.
We made this on a day when we didn't know what to make, but had odds and ends in the fridge. We had leftover greens (kale, bok choy, broccoli, cilantro), mushrooms and chickpeas (we always have some on hand).
Instead of throwing everything into a regular stir fry with rice or noodles, we decided to up our rice game. We infused the rice by cooking it in coconut milk, green curry paste and lemongrass. The result was incredibly flavorful and took this easy weeknight dinner to the next level!
If you're extra short on time, you can actually make the rice ahead of time and store in the fridge. Note: if you make this ahead, heat it up with a bit more liquid to loosen it up.
You can also customize the stir fry with any greens/mushrooms/other toppings you have on hand. Tofu would make a great replacement for chickpeas or mushrooms! Broccoli can be swapped with cauliflower (or even Brussels), and bok choy can be swapped with another leafy green (kale is our go-to).
Green curry paste is a common ingredient in Thai cuisine, and it's surprisingly mild and sweet. Essential ingredients include lemongrass, green chilis and galangal, which give green curry paste its distinct flavor and add delicious Thai notes to this curry coconut rice. Note: be sure to check the ingredient label if you're vegan - some store-bought varieties contain fish sauce.
Green curry dishes typically use coconut milk. It's a total game changer to cook rice in coconut milk instead of water or broth. I love making coconut milk rice for Indian curry dishes as well - so delicious!
What's your go-to flavorful weeknight dinner? Here are a few of our favorites other than this Green Curry Coconut Rice with Chickpeas:
- Vegan Pad Thai with tofu
- Creamy Vegan Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with pine nuts and parsley
- Spicy Cauliflower & Black Bean Tacos
- Homemade Vegan Ramen
Let us know in the comments what kinds of weeknight dinner recipes you'd like to see more of on the blog!
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Green Curry Coconut Rice with Chickpeas, Mushrooms and Greens
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Flavorful green curry coconut infused rice paired with stir fried chickpeas, mushrooms and greens - better than takeout (and vegan + gluten free)!
Ingredients
Green Curry Coconut Rice:
- 1 cup basmati rice (dry), rinsed well
- 1 ½ cups (1 15 oz. can) lite coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups low sodium vegetable broth
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- ½ tbsp green curry paste
- ½ tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp fine grain kosher salt*
- ¾ tsp lemongrass paste
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Vegetables:
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp low sodium Tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
- ½ tbsp green curry paste
- ¼ tsp fine grain kosher salt
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped small
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
- 2 baby bok choy, sliced thinly(or 1 ½ cups kale)
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp Thai basil or regular basil, chopped
- Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Instructions
Rice:
- Add coconut milk, vegetable broth, lime juice, green curry, coconut sugar, salt and lemongrass to a saucepan. Whisk well.
- Add rice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender. Stir in fresh cilantro.
Vegetables:
- Heat large sauté pan or wok over medium heat. Add sesame oil, then add green onions and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic to pan and cook, stirring several times, for 1-2 additional minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together Tamari and green curry paste
- Add chopped broccoli and Tamari mixture to the pan and sauté 3-5 minutes.
- Add sliced mushrooms, stir and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in garbanzo beans, bok choy/kale, cilantro, and salt. Stir well and cook until the greens have softened. Squeeze a little lime juice over the top and stir well. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Serve veggie mixture over rice. Top with sesame seeds, fresh herbs and a lime wedge.
Notes
*If you are using fine grain sea salt or table salt, you may decide to use less salt to start with and then taste to adjust. We used Diamond brand kosher salt.
If vegan, make sure you check the ingredient list for green curry paste as it often contains fish sauce.
If you make the rice ahead of time, reheat with a bit of extra broth or water.
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai-Inspired
Sarah
We have made this recipe probably fifteen times already and it always turns out so perfect!!
★★★★★
Lexi
Best comment ever 🙂 Thank you! So glad you love this one!
Kelley
I just made this tonight! Loved it 🙂 thank you!
★★★★★
Lexi
Thanks so much, glad you enjoyed!