Vegan Falafel Curry

We all love falafel and we all love curries, so why not combine them?! This vegan Falafel Curry is a creamy dream come true! Serve it with fluffy basmati rice and homemade naan for the ultimate Indian-inspired feast! 

I love falafel and I love curries, so I figured why not combine them? The result was a rich and creamy vegan Falafel Curry. And it turned out to be one of my favorite curry recipes ever!!

How to make falafel curry

Step 1: Pan-fry the falafel for a few minutes.

Step 2: Add coconut milk, tomato purée, and spices. Stir and let it warm up.

Step 3: All done! It’s ready to serve!

The falafel

Huge Batch of Oven-Baked Falafel

Whenever I make falafel, I always make a huge batch, because they freeze well and it’s not much more work to make a larger batch. Naturally, frozen falafel will turn out to be a bit drier than fresh ones, so using them in this curry is the perfect opportunity, because it makes the Falafel super soft again. Problem solved!

The base of the sauce

The sauce for this falafel curry is really easy to make and I also like to use this base for a variety of different curries. Add chickpeas, veggies, potatoes instead of falafel and boom… whole different curry!

You’ll only need two main ingredients for the sauce: tomato purée and coconut milk. It makes the creamiest and easiest sauce ever. I just love the combination of these two main flavors. To that, we add ginger powder, garam masala, salt, and fresh ginger. Aaand we’re done.

I’ve made a huge pan of falafel curry for an Indian-inspired dinner party lately and everyone loved it! Although there have been various curries, this one has been the star of the evening :)

Once you’ve made the falafel, the curry itself isn’t any work really. It’s a super quick and easy, but awesome dish!

Serve the Falafel Curry with …

• basmati rice
• golden turmeric naan
• garlic naan
• spelt chapati
• 4-ingredient sesame naan

Falafel Curry FAQ

Do I have to make the falafel myself? Can I use store-bought Falafel instead?

It depends! Make sure the falafel are not too soft, otherwise they will fall apart in the curry. If your falafel are on the softer side, you can also fry them separately and add them to the curry shortly before serving.

Can I use canned chickpeas for the falafel?

You can, but make sure the falafel don’t end up too soft. Otherwise, follow the advice above to prevent them from falling apart in the curry.

I don’t have onion powder or ginger powder. What can I use?

You can use fine diced onions and ginger instead (fry them in the oil with the falafel). Or you can use totally different spices such as garam masala! Feel free to play around with different spices! The basic curry sauce of coconut milk and tomato purée is very forgiving.

I want to prepare this curry in advance. Any advice?

No problem! Fry the falafel in a separate pan and add them to the curry shortly before serving. That way they won’t get super soggy. If you have rather dry falafel (e.g. when you’re using frozen falafel), feel free to let them sit in the curry longer to give them back some moisture.

More delicious vegan curry recipes

• 15+ Amazing Vegan Curries
• Chickpea Curry
• Coconut Curry with crispy tofu
• Palak Tofu
• Dal Makhani

I hope you enjoy this curry as much as I do! Let me know if you give it a try!

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Cheers, Bianca

Vegan Falafel Curry Recipe

Elephantastic Vegan

Combining the best out of two cuisines to create a Falafel Curry. Vegan & Gluten-free, creamy and delicious. Great with Naan and Basmati Rice.

4.82 from 11 votes

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Fusion, Vegan

Servings 2 servings

Calories 691 kcal

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 tablespoon plant-based oil
• ▢ 14 Homemade Falafel *
• ▢ 1 cup tomato purée **
• ▢ 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt and more to taste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garam masala
• ▢ 1 inch piece ginger root
• ▢ fresh cilantro

Instructions

 

• In a large pot, heat the plant-based oil and add in the Falafel once the oil is hot.
• Fry them for about 2-3 minutes on medium-high heat and reduce the heat to low.
• Add in the tomato purée, coconut milk, salt, ginger powder, and garam masala.
• Stir and let it cook for about 8-10 minutes (while slowly turning up the heat again). This is the point where you can adjust the curry to your taste by adding more coconut milk, salt, etc...
• Peel the ginger root piece and cut it in very thin strips.
• Once the curry is hot and it has reached your desired consistency, transfer it to a bowl and top it with the ginger strips and fresh cilantro.

Notes

*If you're using other homemade or store-bought falafel for this curry they might fall apart, so add them later to the pan and handle them carefully.

**I used store-bought tomato purée (with salt, no additional herbs) for this recipe - it's often canned or in cartons, not to confuse with tomato paste which is thicker in consistency.

Serve with: The Curry is best served with some Homemade Naan and basmati rice. Check out the post for more side dish recommendations!

Nutrition

Calories: 691kcal

Tried this recipe?Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan!

This post was first published in April 2015. Updated in May 2019.