Comforting Sri Lankan Carrot Curry that can be made in less than 30 minutes! I love how comforting and versatile Sri Lankan cuisine is! The affection for coconut runs deep in our veins, and coconut milk is used in pretty much every curry. With some curries, the coconut milk is added to temper the fiery spices (chicken curry, beef curry, crab curry), and sometimes to add depth of flavor (pumpkin curry, beetroot curry, apple curry, mango curry, cashew curry). In the case of this carrot curry, coconut milk is one of the main flavor profiles. Plus this carrot curry is vegetarian / vegan, and gluten free!
Benefits of a turmeric and coconut curry
As much as Sri Lankans favor spicy curries, we also often make non spicy curries. These non spicy, creamy curries are regularly made to pair with spicy side dishes. Coconut milk and turmeric form the base of such curries, and any type of vegetable can be added for more flavor. This coconut milk and turmeric based gravy is also served just as is, and is called පොල් කිරි හොද්ද (pol kiri hodda), or coconut milk gravy. The coconut milk in the gravy is soothing to the tongue. The turmeric has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant properties, so it can also help with digestion. With these benefits, this curry is often served as the main dish to kids, the elderly, or when you’re sick, or when you have digestive issues, but it’s also part of one’s daily diet too. Because it’s good for you, and has little spices/heat, it’s not as irritating to the digestive system either. The most common addition is potatoes – for a coconut potato curry. However, I very much prefer this Easy Coconut Carrot Curry instead!
Tips to perfect this Sri Lankan carrot curry
If you’ve made my other authentic curry recipes, you may notice that some of the curries require longer simmering times. The coconut milk can split when cooked for too long, but that’s not a problem for some curries. But with this carrot curry, it’s different.
Make sure the carrots are cut into similar-sized small pieces, so that they cook fast and evenly. Use full fat coconut milk to make this curry. Not light coconut. DO NOT let the coconut milk boil vigorously. The aim is to keep the coconut milk homogenous. Boiling it will cause the milk to separate. You can make this carrot curry spicy, if you like. You can skip the green chili if you’re too sensitive to spices. But de-seeded green chili will add great flavor to this carrot curry .
How to make creamy coconut carrot curry
This curry is very easy to make. Unlike other curry recipes, this is indeed a “dump and cook” recipe. No sautéing, no tempering. Just simmer and cook, and serve with rice!
First, get all the ingredients ready.
You can choose to peel the carrots, or keep the skin on. Cut the carrots into 1/2 – 1 inch pieces. They don’t have to be cubes, just cut the carrot length-wise, and slice. Get the curry powder ready. In this vegan carrot curry recipe, the “curry powder” is just a mix of simple spices.
Turmeric Coriander Curry leaves Cardamom (optional)
I don’t use cumin in the recipe, but you can add a little, if you like. You can choose to use chopped onions (not too small) or sliced onions. It doesn’t really matter. If you don’t like biting into onions, you can use fine chopped onions, or even blend it into a paste. You could even cut or mince the garlic and ginger into the curry, however you like. Like I said, this curry is super easy and versatile. Use good quality coconut milk with full fat.
Start cooking the curry
Add all the ingredients – the carrots, spices, aromatics (including green chili and curry leaves) and coconut milk, into the saucepan. Pour the coconut milk and stir to combine. Place the lid and cook the curry. Heat the curry over medium heat, and bring the curry to a simmer. Reduce the heat to make sure the curry is at a low simmer, and cook the curry for about 10 – 15 minutes. The carrot pieces should be cooked by then, but if the carrots were cut larger, the cook time will be longer. When cooking the curry, do not bring to a boil. This can result in the coconut splitting. Having said that, it is OK even if the coconut milk does split, since it doesn’t take away from the flavor. It’s purely to keep the curry creamy. Taste and season with salt, if needed. The simplicity of this curry is that everything can be cooked at the same time. If you prefer larger pieces of carrot OR you want to make sure the milk doesn’t split at all, then you can change the cooking method slightly. Place all the ingredients in the saucepan, EXCEPT for the coconut milk. Add just a little water (about 1/4 cup), and cook the carrots half-way through, in the water. Once the carrots are almost cooked all the way through, add the coconut milk and bring the curry to a simmer, and then cook until the carrots are cooked all the way through. Serve with rice, while the curry is still nice and warm.
Other alternatives
Instead of carrots, you can add other vegetables too.
Beetroot Green beans Potatoes Sweet potatoes Cabbage Parsnips Celery root Zucchini Cucumber Fennel
Serving suggestions
Since this is a “gentle” curry (as opposed to a fiery, spicy curry), it’s a great introductory curry for anyone new to curries or worried about spice levels. It’s also a great curry to eat when you’re feeling a bit under-the-weather. This carrot curry is perfect to eat with rice! But you can also serve it with coconut roti and other flat breads. We even enjoy this curry with a slice of soft white bread or Japanese milk bread sometimes.
