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. We used this brand. 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
- Lentil Walnut and Roasted Sweet Potato Tacos (#TacoTuesday fave!)
- 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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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 1/2 cups (1 15 oz. can) full-fat coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1/2 tbsp green curry paste
- 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 tsp lemongrass paste
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Vegetables:
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp green onion
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 tbsp tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
- 1/2 tbsp green curry paste
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped small
- 2 cups shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 1 can garbanzo beans, drained
- 1 medium head bok choy, sliced (or 1 1/2 cups kale)
- 2 tbsp cilantro
- 2 tbsp Thai basil (optional)
- 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 garlic to pan and cook, stirring several times, for 3-4 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together tamari, green curry paste and salt.
- Add chopped broccoli and tamari + green curry + salt, stir well, and sauté 3-5 minutes.
- Add sliced mushrooms, stir and cook another 2-3 minutes.
- Add in garbanzo beans, kale/bok choy, cilantro and Thai basil. Stir well and cook until greens have softened.
- Serve veggie mixture over rice. Top with sesame seeds, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime juice.
Notes
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.
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