Easy Vegan Black Bean Curry

Black bean curry is a naturally vegan recipe that's perfect for a busy weeknight. It's a delicious, rich dish made with canned black beans simmered in a spicy, rich coconut milk sauce. It's super easy to make in one pot, and you can have it on the table in just 40 minutes.

If you've been on Skinny Spatula before, you probably know that I love protein-rich, low-calorie curries such as this tasty Aubergine and Red Lentil Curry or this incredibly delicious Kala Chana Masala.

This black beans curry is a page from the same playbook, and I love that I can make it with just a handful of ingredients I almost always have in the kitchen. It's one of my go-to recipes when I want a meat-free dinner without the fuss.

You can make this curry with canned or dry black beans. I usually make it with canned black beans because that way I can decide to do it on a whim, but you can definitely use pre-soaked black beans that you've simmered until tender before adding them to the curry.

What do you need to make this curry?

Black beans — I use canned black beans for this recipe because it's so convenient, but you can make it with home-cooked black beans if you want. If you've never cooked black beans from scratch, Kate from Cookie + Kate has an excellent guide.

Passata — This is a plain, smooth tomato sauce that's essentially the same as pureed and sieved tomatoes. You can also make the curry with chopped tomatoes instead if you don't mind the chunks.

Coconut milk — Full-fat coconut milk is perfect in this curry because it makes the sauce extra creamy. If you want to cut down the calories, low-fat is would also work.

Spices — I make this curry with a mix of ground cumin, ground coriander, medium curry powder, cinnamon, and red chilli flakes. You can play with the spices to make it your own — extra ideas include turmeric, garam masala and ginger.

Lime juice — The purpose of adding lime juice to curries is to waken up the flavours. I like it a lot, so I use the juice of an entire lime, but feel free to use just half if it seems too much to you.

I prefer to make this vegan bean curry without lots of veggies because I want the black beans to shine, but it's definitely a great idea to add extra veggies in.

Some ideas include:

• Broccoli or cauliflower florets
• Sweet peppers
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Spinach
• Kale

How do you make black bean curry?

In a large pan, heat the oil and fry the onion on medium heat for 3-4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.

Add the spices and stir to combine. Cook for 1 minute, then stir in the tomato paste. Add the coconut milk and stir well to combine.

Next, stir in the black beans and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes, giving it an occasional stir.

Finally, stir in the lime juice, and you're done!

What to serve black bean curry with?

This black ban curry is best served with white rice such as basmati, but you can also serve it with naan bread, quinoa, bulgur, cauliflower rice, and even some couscous.

Extra recipe notes and tips

• The curry keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
• When you reheat the curry, you may need to add a splash of water because it thickens a lot when chilled.
• If you want the curry to be extra fiery, you can add a finely chopped chilli with the garlic.

If you liked this vegan black bean curry, you might also like some of my other easy vegan curries:

Kala Chana Masala (Black Chickpea Curry)

Aubergine and Red Lentil Curry

Jackfruit Rendang Curry

Thai Sweet Potato Curry with Spicy Chilli Peanuts

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