A simple Green Bean Potato Curry that is ready in 30 minutes, budget-friendly, and only has 8 ingredients! Perfect for midweek dinners.
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FEATURED REVIEW
"I made this yesterday. Simple, quick, delicious, and healthy! Everyone loved it! " - Christine ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
This easy Green Bean Potato Curry is the perfect "Help! My bank account has barely any money left in it and I don't get paid for 3 days-type meal".
It's easy, budget-friendly, quick, and tasty. The perfect weeknight dinner.
Although I have a whole arsenal of spices in my kitchen, sometimes, (ok...a lot of the time), I need dinner to be super quick and don't want to be crushing cardamon pods, or toasting fenugreek, cumin, or mustard seeds.
Those spices and the delicious curries have their place and I make them when I have more time, but sometimes simplicity is key (and needed). That's where this Super Simple Green Bean & Potato Curry with no fancy-schmancy spices or herbs comes in!
Got an Instant Pot?
Check out my Instant Pot Potato Curry. It's an adapted version of this recipe, especially for your Instant Pot.
Ingredient Notes
This simple curry only has 8 ingredients (plus water and seasoning):
- Onion & garlic - Our aromatics. They add lots of flavor and the onion adds texture too.
- Potatoes - I like to use baby potatoes but any will do. Cut bigger potatoes into bite-sized chunks.
- Green beans - Fresh or frozen. No green beans? Frozen peas work great too!
- Curry powder - The only spice you need for this recipe. Any brand is fine. Curry powder is a blend of spices and an efficient and budget-friendly way to add a lot of spice and flavor.
- Coconut milk - From a can. Full-fat coconut milk will give you the best creamy texture and flavor but you can use light if you prefer.
- Cornstarch or arrowroot - Either will do. It's to thicken the sauce and make it creamier.
- Salt & pepper - Our seasonings. Be very generous. This is a very basic recipe and the correct seasoning can make the difference between a good curry and a just ok curry. Potatoes suck up and absorb a lot of salt so you need a little more than you usually would.
- Sugar - Just a touch. It's used as a seasoning and makes a HUGE difference to the flavor balance.
Make It Your Own
This recipe is really versatile in terms of what you can put in it. Here are some ideas:
- Add-ins – Tofu or a can of chickpeas are great additions for a hefty dose of plant protein and most veggies will work too. I love cauliflower in curries! I recommend reducing the amount of potatoes a little when adding any extras so you don't end up with too many solids for the amount of sauce.
- Make it spicy - This is not a spicy curry. To add heat you can either use hot curry powder, a small fresh chili when sauteing the onions and garlic, a few pinches of dried red chili pepper flakes, or some hot cayenne pepper.
- Make it nutty or tomatoey – Add a few tablespoons of natural peanut butter or tomato paste to the sauce to make it richer.
- Add more spices - Add your favorite curry spices like cumin, turmeric, garam masala, fenugreek, etc, in addition, or instead of the curry powder. Be sure to add them when sauteing the onions and garlic so they can bloom.
Serving Suggestions
This curry is hearty enough to serve as it is with a naan or cheap as chips no yeast flatbread for mopping up that delicious sauce.
I love it with rice, quinoa, or couscous to stretch it further and my coconut basmati rice or coconut lime rice are great accompaniments if you want to fancy the meal up. I really like some mango chutney on the side too.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover curry in the fridge for up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing it because potatoes can become grainy and mealy once defrosted.
Reheat gently in a pan on the stovetop or in a microwave. Add a little water or coconut milk to thin the sauce as needed.
Recipe FAQs
With a sharp knife slice the onion in half vertically then peel off the skin. Lay the onion on its flat side and slice crosswise from top to root end into thin half-moons.
Love Curry?
Recipe
Easy Green Bean Potato Curry
Author:Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or a little water for oil-free
- 1 medium onion , thinly sliced
- 4 large cloves garlic , minced
- 2lb (900 grams or about 6 cups) chopped potatoes , use baby potatoes halved or regular potatoes cut into chunky bite-sized pieces.
- 3 tablespoons curry powder
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch , or arrowroot powder
- 2½ cups (600 mls) water
- 2 heaping cups (400 grams) green beans , fresh or frozen (no need to defrost)
- 1 x 13.5oz (400 ml) can coconut milk , full fat for the best flavor/creaminess
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
- Warm a large pan over a medium heat. Pour in the oil and when glistening add the onion. Saute for about 5 minutes until translucent and just starting to color on the edges.
- Add the garlic and curry powder and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring frequently. The curry powder will probably stick to the bottom of the pan a bit. That's fine. Don't worry.
- Add the cornstarch/arrowroot and stir well then slowly add the water, stirring as you go to work out any lumps. Scrape right into the bottom to remove residue from the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in the potatoes, cover with a lid and allow them to cook through, giving it a quick stir every 5 minutes or so. Check the potatoes by piercing them with a fork. They will take about 15 minutes, depending on how big you cut them.
- When the potatoes are tender add the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and pepper then stir well. Now add the beans and push them down into the sauce as best you can.
- Return to medium/low heat with a lid partially on, and allow everything to warm through again and the beans to cook (about 7 to 10 minutes).
- As soon as the beans are tender it is ready. Check the seasoning adding more salt and pepper if necessary, then serve.
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Jenn says
Thanks for this recipe! I am in transition not to vegan but a healthier diet and this was perfect. I added a bag of mixed vegetables and a few additional seasonings (bouillon cube, thyme, parsley) just because of my flavor preferences. This dish is definitely getting added as a household regular.
Jess says
This was delicious! My family loved it and everyone wants me to make it again! I did add a few more spices and more garlic because my family loves garlic. Thanks for the great recipe!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad you all enjoyed it Jess. Thank you for stopping by to leave feedback!
Susie says
Hi Mel, I'm new to the instant pot way of cooking. Not only that, my kids and husband believe I will never use it. I'm determined to find recipes that are simple and kid friendly. We are also vegetarian / vegan which makes it a little more difficult. My kids love curry and I was wondering if I could add carrots to this recipe? I'm a little scared to try it just because I know that there are different cook times for different vegetables and I didn't want to risk making this without asking first. Please let me know your thoughts thank you.
A Virtual Vegan says
Hi Susie. Yes that will be fine. I would cut them in big chunky pieces and add them at the beginning. They should be fine. Hope you enjoy it!
Ceej416 says
This curry was absolutely delicious! My husband and I started a plant based diet about a year ago and I'm always on the hunt for a good, easy vegan recipe. Have you ever added some chickpeas for a protein boost?
A Virtual Vegan says
Chickpeas would be a great addition!
Shelly says
This sounds fantastic to me but I don’t want the added sugar. What does that do for the recipe other than adding a touch of sweetness? Have others tried it without the sugar?
A Virtual Vegan says
Sugar helps balance flavours in savoury dishes and is often used in curry. There is only 1 tablespoon in the whole curry and it feeds at least 5 people but if you would rather not use it then omit it or make it, taste it at the end and then add if you want to/ think it needs it. Hope that helps!
Christine Leahy says
I made this yesterday. Simple, quick, delicious, and healthy! Everyone loved it! I made a double batch. I put half the amount of potatoes and substituted fresh cauliflower for the other half - yum! Thanks!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it Christine. Cauliflower works so well in curries. I often add it to mine too!
Mark says
Just made this for dinner. Really easy and couldn’t believe how good it tasted with such simple ingredients. Will be on our regular rotation now.
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm glad you enjoyed it Mark and thank you for stopping by to leave feedback. It's much appreciated!
Nichole says
I am the only one that failed with the recipe?
Potatoes didn't cook. The mixture turned glued. I tried it because it seemed simple & I am very challenged with time during the day. Now I have to see if can save this dish or throw it in the trash????????????
Jennifer says
it was delicious!
Nev says
A friend and I made this for 24 people at work for a charity lunch and it went down a treat! (We did add prawns to half of the the dishes for those less open to trying veggie/vegan food). It’s so budget friendly, tasty and healthy- what more could you want! Definitely making this again. I also made this on a previous occasion and froze portions of it for endless future dinners :)
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great! You had your work cut out cooking for 24. I'm so pleased it was a hit. Thank you for coming back to leave a review!
Mary Ann says
Hi there;
I am planning to try this tonight - in the picture it looks as though you've added cilantro - is that correct?
Thanks,
Mary Ann
A Virtual Vegan says
The cilantro was purely for the photos. A big expanse of curry can look a bit dull and the green gives it a bit of pop. You could use some as a garnish or add some to the curry just before serving but it isn't necessary. Enjoy!
Susan says
Great simple curry. We make it weekly.
Sue says
Thanks for another great recipe
Suzanne says
This recipe is one of my favorites! I've been eating Whole Food Plant Based for a little over 6 months and I've had to learn all new recipes. This one is a keeper that I've made several times! Thank you!
A Virtual Vegan says
That's great Suzanne! I'm so glad you are enjoying it. Thank you for letting me know!
Helayne says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! My husband and I just started a vegan diet and we really liked this recipe. It was tasty, easy and healthy!
A Virtual Vegan says
SO glad you enjoyed it!
kim says
My grocery budget is getting seriously out of control and this recipe really helps. It's a really tasty meal and so cheap!