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Vegan Falafel Curry

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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! 

Vegan Falafel Curry
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

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

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

Falafel in curry sauceStep 3: All done! It’s ready to serve!

The 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.

Vegan Falafel Curry

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 …

Vegan Falafel Curry

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.

Vegan Falafel Curry

More delicious vegan curry recipes

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

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.
4.91 from 10 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
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
 
 

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.

About the author

biancaHi, I’m Bianca! When I went vegan in 2012, I fell in love with food all over again.

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Check out my first cookbook: The Veginner’s Cookbook!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. [email protected]

    Falafel and curry is like chocolate and ice-cream: you improve two already awesome things by combining them. That’s genius, no less. It also sounds like an easy-to-make recipe one can make a big batch of since it’s basically the same amount of work. Also, curries usually freeze well… I wish I could cook as much as I’d like to but our freezer is already full and we can only eat so much.
    On my to-cook-list it must go then :)

    Reply

    • bianca

      Oh yes! You’re so right, we have exactly the same problem. We’d love to cook more than we can eat, there is simply too much delicious food out there. Love the chocolate & ice cream reference :D

      Reply

  2. Evi @ greenevi

    I’ve never thought of making something like this, but it just seems like a genius combination! And those ginger strips look so pretty on top….I am totally amazed by this recipe :)

    Reply

    • bianca

      Thank you so much, Liz! I appreciate your kind words :) I love curries and I love falafel, so the idea of combining them had to happen sooner or later.

      Reply

  11. Mala

    This is already a thing, called kofta in India. You should try frying your spices in the oil before adding the tomato paste and coconut milk, for more depth of flavor.

    Reply

    • Bianca

      Hi Mala, thank you so much for your comment. As far as I know, kofta describes the balls which can consist of potatoes, veggies, paneer,… The falafels in this recipe are not fried, therefore a healthier alternative to usual kofta recipes. Thanks for tip about frying the spices – I’ll have to try it out next time :)

      Reply

    • Bianca

      It depends on the falafel. Usually falafel made with canned chickpeas are softer and not firm enough to hold up in the sauce. If you think they turn out firm enough, give it a try and let me know how it worked out for you!

      Reply

  14. Elise

    I made this tonight for supper and it was delicious! My falafel started to fall apart once I started to cook them in the sauce, so I would recommend removing them after they’re browned and then add them back once the sauce was finished, especially if they’re fresh like mine were. My family loved them – I used the rest of the falafel dough to make burgers! I can’t wait to make this again. :)

    Reply

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