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
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.
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 ...
Falafel Curry FAQ
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.
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.
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.
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
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
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon plant-based oil
- 14 Homemade Falafel *
- 1 cup tomato purée **
- 1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
- ¼ 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
Nutrition
This post was first published in April 2015. Updated in May 2019.
Alice@Aliciouslog says
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 :)
bianca says
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
Evi @ greenevi says
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 :)
bianca says
Awww! Thank you so much Evi! The falafel & curry combination is really great :D
Linda @ Veganosity says
Mmmm....falafel in a curry sauce sounds fantastic! Alex has been asking me to make falafel for a while now and this post inspired me to do so. Thanks Bianca!
bianca says
You should totally make your own falafel, Linda! It's totally worth it and it's not really that much work. Good luck ^.^
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker says
What an awesome idea, Bianca :) Love it. I just picked up some rutabaga to play around with -- inspired by your schnitzels by the way :)
Audrey @ Unconventional Baker says
Whoops -- I meant kohlrabi not rutabaga!
bianca says
Looks pretty much the same to me. Especially in the roots-section there are so many veggies I've never tried and I think rutabaga is one of those.
bianca says
Great to hear that, Audrey! I love trying out new dishes with neglected vegetables and I hope you create something wonderful :)
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
Everyone loves curry. Everyone loves falafel. I think you just might be on to something ;)
bianca says
Hah, I just love the combination. Fusion Cuisine is awesome :D
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Oh YUM! What an incredible idea of making Falafel curry. This looks so rich, creamy and delish. Please, send me that comforting bowl filled with goodness of falafel and curry ASAP. :D
bianca says
I wish food beaming would be a thing by now. It would be the greatest thing ever! Thankfully it's super easy to make, so no excuses :)
Leslie @ flora foodie says
Lovely idea! Can't wait to try it. A friend just sent me this recipe and your blog is beautiful! Got to browse around now... :)
bianca says
Aww, Leslie! I'm so happy to have you here! Welcome and thank you for your kind words <3
Liz says
This ideas is genius! I never thought to combine the two but I love it! Beautiful blog :)
bianca says
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.
Gluten Free A-Z says
I can't wait to try this one! I am a soup lover and the idea of falafel in soup sounds awesome . Thanks for the recipe!
Gluten Free A-Z says
ok just noticed it's not a soup, but it still looks amazing!
Bianca says
Curry, soup,... it's pretty much the same anyway :)
I do have some weird soups like this Traditional Austrian Pancake Soup on the blog, so you can never be too sure about anything anymore :D
Mala says
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.
Bianca says
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 :)
Saiju says
Can we use canned chickpeas?
Bianca says
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!
Adam Rosen says
I might toss some asparagus, broccoli or mushrooms in there! Hopefully that is enough sauce but it looks like itll be fine.
Elise says
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. :)
Bianca says
I'm so glad you liked the falafel and the curry, Elise! Great suggestion to prevent them from falling apart in the curry! :) Yeay <3
Lianne says
This looks absolutely amazing! Look at those photos, I need that falafel like right now!
Bianca says
Thank you, Lianne! :)