This roasted red pepper and chickpea korma makes a warming meal for colder days. The dish is creamy and gently spiced, with roasted red pepper and coconut cream forming a rich base. Chickpeas add body and make the korma filling without feeling heavy. It stays fully plant-based and offers plenty of fiber and plant protein, which helps keep you full through the evening.
Marlene Watson-Tara includes this recipe in Go Vegan, where many dishes focus on whole foods and steady nourishment. Coconut cream blends with red pepper to create a smooth sauce that coats the chickpeas and vegetables. The ginger, garlic, and mild spices keep the flavor layered but easy on most palates
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Serve the korma hot with fluffy basmati rice to absorb the sauce. It works well as a family meal or for sharing with friends. Leftovers keep in the fridge for several days and reheat well, making it a good option for cooking ahead.
How to make this red pepper and chickpea korma
Try this roasted red pepper and chickpea korma for a warming vegan meal rich in fiber and plant protein. This recipe creates a creamy, gently spiced dish that works well with rice and reheats well.
Ingredients
For the korma
- 1 cup roasted sweet red pepper cut into small diced pieces
- Pinch sea salt
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp mild curry powder
- 1 red onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 inch 2 cm piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
- 2 tsp shoyu or tamari
- 1¼ cups unsweetened coconut cream
- 4 tbsp nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp regular or smoked paprika
- 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 2 tsp umeboshi paste
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbsp kuzu dissolved in 2 tbsp filtered water
- 1 bunch watercress leaves only, chopped
- ¼ cup fresh coriander chopped
For the basmati rice
- 2 cups organic basmati rice
- 3 cups boiling filtered water
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 8–10 saffron threads
Instructions
For the korma
In a heavy-based pan, warm a splash or two of filtered water. Add the red pepper, sea salt, cumin seeds, turmeric, and mild curry powder, along with the onion, garlic, ginger and shoyu. Cook over low-medium flame for 5–8 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to a high-speed blender along with the coconut cream, nutritional yeast and paprika. Blend to a cream.
Transfer the mixture back to the pan and add the chickpeas and ume paste. Mix well, cover and cook for 15 minutes on a low heat.
Add the kuzu and stir continuously until the mixture thickens. Stir in the lime juice and watercress. Garnish with fresh coriander.
Makes 4–6 servings.
Serve with white fluffy basmati rice and a choice of side dishes if desired.
For the basmati rice
Using a strainer, rinse the rice under cold running water.
Soak in a large bowl of filtered water for 1 hour.
Drain and transfer to a heavy-based pot and add the salt.
Pour 3 cups of boiling filtered water over the rice. Spread the saffron threads on top and cook over medium-high heat.
When the water starts boiling and steaming, cover the pot tightly with a heavy lid so that no steam escapes.
Turn down the heat to just above its lowest setting, and let the rice cook for 15 minutes undisturbed.(I like to use my flame spreader for even heat distribution. )
Allow the rice to stay covered for another 15 minutes before removing the lid.
Transfer to a large bowl. Fluff the rice and serve.
Makes 4–6 servings.
Republished with permission from Go Vegan: A Guide to Delicious, Everyday Food – for the Health of Your Family and the Planet by Marlene Watson-Tara, published by Lotus Publishing, 2019.
Marlene Watson-Tara is a plant-based nutrition educator, author, and co-founder of the Human Ecology Project. Her forthcoming book, Macrobiome: How the Planet Governs Human Ecology and a Healthy Microbiome, is scheduled to launch at the Oxford Literary Festival in March 2026. See their upcoming lecture at Oxford here, and learn more on their website MACROVegan.
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