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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
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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