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The creamiest, easiest, Summer Coconut Chickpea Curry with Rice and Fried Halloumi. Make this curry with whatever produce you have on hand. I use a mix of sweet corn, zucchini, coconut milk, creamy tahini, lemon, plenty of curry powder, and cayenne for some heat. Serve over steamed rice and top with fried halloumi cheese and crispy chickpeas. This dish is layered with flavor and texture, and completely delicious. All you need for this recipe are pantry ingredients, garden veggies, and less than 45 minutes.
Starting the week off with a super healthy, meatless Monday recipe that’s filling, summery, and delicious. I know that’s a lot to live up to, but this recipe does!
After a 4 day weekend, I could not think of a better recipe to share. If you spent the weekend like my family, you were outside, grilling, sipping on cocktails, and eating plenty of delicious…authentic Costa Rican dishes. Ok, so maybe you didn’t spend your long holiday quite the way we did. You may have swapped the Costa Rican dishes for BBQ, corn, potatoes, and hopefully plenty of ice cream too.
That’s all great, but today’s recipe is a little summer “reset”. Don’t worry though, it’s so good, and actually super comforting as well. Enter in this delicious summer curry that’s (almost) vegan, super luscious, creamy, full of garden produce, easy, and all around healthy.
Here’s the details.
This curry is made almost entirely in ONE pot and comes together really fast.
Start by crisping up some chickpeas. Next, you’ll add in all the major flavors…shallots, garlic, and plenty of ginger. Now, toss in whatever produce you have on hand. For me, that meant zucchini, corn, bell peppers, eggplant, and cherry tomatoes. But just about any type of produce would be great.
Next to go in are the creamy ingredients, coconut milk and tahini…the key to this curry. Coconut milk is pretty common in most curry dishes, but tahini is a little different. Honestly, I added this in on a whim. The thought of super creamy and nutty tahini just sounded really delicious. I wasn’t quite sure how it would actually be though. It ended up creating the creamiest, heartiest, vegetarian curry, beyond good and different too.
If you don’t have tahini on hand, you could also use creamy peanut butter, cashew butter, or almond butter. Though the peanut butter will add a little different flavor, it still will be delicious.
Simmer the curry for a few minutes to allow all the flavors to mend together. While that’s happening, work on the finishing touches.
Pan-fry some Halloumi cheese. I know, know. Halloumi cheese is Greek, curry is Indian. Yes, I am mixing cuisines. And yes, I know some of you may not be into this. But I’m all about it…if it’s good, it’s good, you know?
Halloumi is a salty grilling cheese commonly used in Mediterranean cooking. It’s so good when pan-fried and I love incorporating it into dishes like vegetarian tacos, peanut noodles, extra summery salads, and now summer curries! It adds great flavor and texture. It’s what makes this curry really stand out and be just a touch better than others.
And honestly, what’s better than pan-fried cheese? Not much.
I like to serve the curry over steamed rice and top with fresh cilantro and really thinly sliced cucumbers.
So much color. So much flavor. Incredibly healthy. And so, so, SO GOOD!
Oh, and fast and easy too.
I mean, come on, you gotta agree…Best Monday Recipe!
If you make this summer coconut chickpea curry with rice and fried halloumi, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Watch the How To Video:
Summer Coconut Chickpea Curry with Rice and Fried Halloumi.
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 1225 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup + 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 zucchini, or summer squash, diced
- 2 ears sweet corn, kernels removed from the cob
- 1 shallot, chopped
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 1 1/2 tablespoons yellow curry powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)
- juice and zest from 1/2 a lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped (basil can be used)
- 8 ounces Halloumi cheese, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces (omit if vegan)
- 2 cups cooked basmati rice
- sesame seeds, green onions, and Persian cucumbers, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chickpeas and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the chickpeas begin to crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully remove 1/2 cup of chickpeas and reserve for topping, only if desired. 2. To the remaining chickpeas, add the zucchini, corn, shallot, garlic, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the veggies another 5-10 minutes or until they just begin to soften.3. Stir in the curry powder and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, 1/3-1/2 cup water, and the tahini. Stir to combine, bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat, cook 5-10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. If the sauce thickens too much, add additional water to thin. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest, and cilantro.4. Meanwhile, cook the halloumi. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, add the halloumi and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove from skillet. 5. To serve, divide the rice among bowls and spoon the curry overtop. Top with halloumi, the reserved chickpeas, and cucumbers. Enjoy!
Delicious! A perfect summer stew, light but filling & SO full of flavor! Can’t find Halloumi cheese, so topped with fresh feta. Thanks for this one, Tieghan! Will be a real go-to!
Hey Diane,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your review:) Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xx
I LOVED all the flavors in this recipe!! The chickpeas + corn + zucchini + warm curry spices really made it feel like summer. I added some rotisserie chicken for a boost of protein but other than that the entire recipe was SO GOOD! Tieghan you always impress me!
Hey Brooke,
Awesome!! Thanks so much for your review:) Love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! xx
Great summer dish! Loved the cucumber garnish, such a brilliant idea that adds freshness to a creamy dish. Made mine on the thicker side and crumbled feta over the top since the halloumi wasn’t available.
Can’t wait to try this again.
Hi Kaitlin,
Happy Monday!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a go! xxT
Absolutely loved this recipe. Currently eating it on my porch watching the most beautiful sunset. I have a quick question- I think I messed up the order/process of making the saucey/curry portion b/c the tahini “curdled.” No effect to the flavor or my overall love of meal, just love a good curry sauce with a spoon. LMK if you have any thoughts!
Hey there,
Wonderful!! Love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks for sharing your review and making the recipe!! Sorry to hear about your sauce, what order did you make it in? xTieghan
Making this right now and already loving it. When I need a no-fail, guaranteed-to-please, not going to break the bank or my tired brain recipe, I turn to yours. Many have become family favourites. Thanks so much for sharing your creations!
Hey Tamara,
Thanks so much for your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Thanks so much for your kind message! xTieghan
So delicious and fresh. Extremely flavorful, it’s so hard to not overeat. Will make again and again.
Hey Maria,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! ?xTieghan
This is such a delicious recipe and great to bring to vegan/vegetarian families for new babies, etc. It is on regular rotation at our house and my toddler will even eat it. Win!!
Hi Rebecca! Thanks so much, so glad to hear that! xTieghan
Made this one last night, a really lovely veggie curry, where you rejoice in the veg and chickpeas, rather than missing the meat. It’s great with or without the tahini. Thank you. Xx
Hey Kelly-Jane,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
Really great flavor and so easy. We replace the halloumi with diced tofu to make it even more simple. Thanks for another great recipe!!
Hey Alison,
Happy Labor Day!?? Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Oh my goodness this was so delicious! Perfect for late rainy summer day. I made everything as directed though had to omit the halloumi because I can’t seem to find it locally. For my boys, I threw in some chicken tenders that I cooked in the curry and cayenne. Everyone loved it, even those who always turn their nose up at zucchini and squash. Thanks again for quick, healthy and delicious dinner!
Hey Anderson,
Happy Sunday! Thanks a lot for making this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This is a staple dish in our household! We love it! We switch up the veggies sometimes or add more to what is listed just because we make it often. When we want more of a soup, I add another can of coconut milk and a touch more curry paste (ran out of the yellow curry powder but paste works too!). When we want it thicker to pour over rice, we go with just the one can. Take her recommendation and add the cucumber! We also add a touch of the garlic sauce from Trader Joe’s on top to dip the cucumber into. This curry is a whole lot of yum. Oh and we switch up the curry flavor we use. Usually we do green but sometimes we are in the mood for yellow. Enjoy!
Hey Cassie,
Wonderful! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed and I appreciate you giving it a try! xTieghan
I made this! Including the homemade naan and it was delish! I just wished for more sauce – so next time I’ll make add more of the liquids! It was a hit. Loved the halloumi.
Hey Kristy,
Awesome! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! Have a wonderful weekend☀️ xTieghan
Hi ..in the video what is the liquid drizzled on at the end?
Thanks
Jay
Hey Jay,
I added a drizzle of olive oil. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I am curious about this recipe. When I imported it into My Fitness Pal and used a light coconut milk and cut the Halloumi to 4 oz, the calorie count is 844 calories per serving. How are you only getting 530 kcal? Thanks!
Hey Susan,
The calorie count is only an estimate based off of our online calculator:) Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Delicious and easy! I left out Tahini and didn’t miss it. Great summer dish will double halloumi next time. Your indian and Thai-inspired recipes are always THE BEST
Hey Lori,
I am delighted that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for making it! xxTieghan