Published: · Modified: by Vaishali · This post may contain affiliate links · 20 Comments
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Total time: 35 minutes minutes
This Vegan Spinach "Chicken" Curry is a verdant treat, nutritious with leafy spinach, nutty with almond paste and fragrant with spices.
One of my most popular recipes with friends and family, in the days before I went vegan, was a spinach chicken curry.
It was a verdant treat, nutritious with leafy spinach, nutty with almond paste and fragrant with spices. But for some weird, unfathomable reason I had never tried to veganize this, my once-signature dish, until this past weekend. I used vegan "chicken" and mushrooms instead of chicken, and the result was so good that I surprised myself.
The best part about freeing this recipe from animal products is that you make what is a fairly healthy dish even far more healthier, because vegan chicken substitutes are of course cholesterol-free and usually low-calorie. They also pack a ton of protein, just like meat. Each serving of this very hearty recipe has just 128 calories, more than 10 grams of protein, and more than 4 grams of dietary fiber.
The recipe for vegan Spinach Chicken Curry is also really easy to put together-- I use frozen spinach and if you have some frozen vegan chicken substitute, like Gardein, on hand, you don't even need to run to the market for anything because you likely already have all the ingredients in the pantry. But the final dish is so impressive that everyone will assume you spent a day and a half slaving over it.
If you have one of those friends who's always telling you how tasty animals are, this Spinach Chicken Curry is the perfect dish to get him or her to shut up for good. Paired with this jeera rice, it is -- without exaggeration-- to die for.
Enjoy, all!
Looking for more Indian vegan recipes?
- Easy Vegan Chick'n Curry
- Vegan Butter Chicken
- Quick, Spicy Vegan Chicken Masala
- Tofu Paneer Bhurji
- Mushroom Matar
Vegan Spinach Chicken Curry
This Vegan Spinach Chicken Curry is a verdant treat, nutritious with leafy spinach, nutty with almond paste and fragrant with spices.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Main
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 20 minutes mins
Cook Time: 15 minutes mins
Total Time: 35 minutes mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 128kcal
Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan
Ingredients
- 10 oz frozen spinach (thawed in the microwave with a tablespoon of water. I just put the frozen block in a microwave-proof bowl with the water and zap it for five minutes. Puree in a blender and set aside.)
- 12 oz seitan or other chicken substitute (cut in cubes)
- 2 cups mushrooms (I used crimini but button or shiitake would be great too). Halve the mushrooms if they're small, and quarter if they're larger.
- 1 onion (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 1 cup tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder (cayenne for a big hit, paprika if you prefer your curries milder)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup almonds (soaked in hot water for two hours, then pureed in a blender to a smooth paste with 1 cup water. You can use pistachios which make this dish even more wonderful-- I didn't have any on hand this time. Cashews are also a good substitute)
- Salt to taste
- ½ cup cilantro (chopped)
- Juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
Heat oil in a skillet. Add the onions and saute until brown spots start to appear, about five minutes over medium heat.
Add the ginger and garlic paste and saute another minute.
Add the tomato puree and the powdered spices and saute until the tomato darkens and starts to express oil from the sides.
Add the mushrooms and saute until they start to soften, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the vegan chicken chunks and saute another three to four minutes.
Add the spinach puree and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often to prevent any sticking, until the spinach darkens and all the water has evaporated.
Add the almond paste and ½ to 1 cup water (depending on how thick you want your curry) and bring to a boil.
Add lemon juice and salt to taste and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Nutrition Facts
Vegan Spinach Chicken Curry
Amount per Serving
Calories
128
% Daily Value*
9
%
Fiber
4.1
g
16
%
Protein
10.5
g
21
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Please leave a comment and recipe rating below!
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About Vaishali
Hi! I'm Vaishali, a journalist turned food blogger. At Holy Cow Vegan I share easy, tasty recipes made with clean, wholesome ingredients that the entire family can enjoy.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Susan
I just finished making this and I just have to say...WOW! ...super yummy! Thank you for another great recipe!
Reply
Andrev
I made this for dinner at my mom's house tonight and yum yum yum!!! My mom, my two daughters and my brother all raved about it! We have never seen this in a chinese restaurant but we thought it tasted like take-out! I added an extra clove of garlic and a handful of red, green and yellow peppers to boost the nutritional content and a little cornstarch to thicken, but otherwise left it as is...a winner!
Reply
Jeanette
Been meaning to try this and finally did tonight. It was a hit! Thanks for sharing all these wonderful recipes 🙂
Reply
Vaishali
GSGV, never tried it, but it sounds really promising.
Samarpita, thanks! Mushrooms are a great meat substitute--you've inspired me to make this curry again for tonight's dinner with some crimini mushrooms sitting in my fridge. 🙂
Reply
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