This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
Dinner does not get easier than this Instant Pot Vegan Coconut Chicken Curry with Soy Curls- a simple dump, set, and forget Instant Pot coconut curry the whole family will love. Dump and done, Nutfree, No sautéing or chopping needed! Serve over rice or with roti or Naan.
I love this vegan soy curl Curry. It’s the ultimate comfort food! It features chewy soy curls simmered in a perfectly balanced sweet and slightly spicy tomato coconut sauce. An easy Instant Pot recipe that is rich in plant-based protein, and fragrant thanks to the amazing spices .
This is another dump and done recipe! Just put all the ingredients in the instant pot and pressure cook! And done! Stove top saucepan option is in the recipe notes.
Soy curls are a great chicken/meat subs. They are made with whole non GMO soybeans. You can find them in some stores or online on amazon. They have a slightly stringy texture and if you cook them well, they pick up the flavor and the texture also is very pleasing. I love them in my butter chicken and spicy dragon chicken.
You can also use other dried bean chunks! Look for “Wadi” in Indian stores made of moong bean, black eyed peas and other lentils/beans. The wadi texture is different but they work equally well for this Instant pot soy curl curry recipe. You can also use seitan, tvp, soy chunks, beyond meat strips other chicken subs.
why you’ll love this vegan Coconut chicken curry!
- it’s a dump and done recipe. Just put everything into the instant pot and done. No sautéing needed and almost no chopping!
- it’s Glutenfree and Nutfree
- Use chickpeas or other chicken subs to make it Soyfree
- It takes just a few minutes to put together!
Book news! My Instant pot book got a little delayed because of global supply chain issues. This is affecting many cookbook releases. It will start shipping May 24 instead of May 3. It’s right around the corner! 4 weeks to go! If you haven’t yet picked up the Preorder bonuses, get them here. More bonuses and giveaways coming up. Thank you to everyone who Preordered! Watch the unboxing of the first copies here.
More Soy Curls Recipes:
- Sesame Shallot Soy Curl Stir Fry
- Korean BBQ Soy Curls Crunchwrap
- Skillet Enchiladas with Soy Curls
- Vegan Methi Chicken Curry Recipe (Instant Pot) Soy Curls in Fenugreek Onion Sauce
- General Tso soy curls
Instant Pot Vegan Coconut Chicken Curry with Soy curls
Ingredients
- 4 ounces dry soy curls
- 15 ounce can full-fat coconut milk or use any thick non-dairy milk such as oat milk or light cashew milk
- 1 cup chopped tomato or use canned diced tomato with the juices
- 2 to 3 teaspoons garam masala, or use curry powder or 2 teaspoons Berbere , use 2 tsp or less garam masala if your blend is fresh and potent
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 2 tablespoon ginger garlic paste, , or mince half an inch of ginger and 4-5 cloves garlic really well
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or indian red chili powder, omit to keep it low heat
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, , optional but adds amazing flavor, or use 1/4 tsp fenugreek seed powder
To Add later
- 1 cup non-dairy millk such as oat milk or light coconut milk
- cilantro and lemon juice for garnish
Instructions
- Lightly oil your inner pot of the Instant pot.
- Then add all of the ingredients listed except for to add later, and mix really well. Add 3 tablespoons water if using fresh tomatoes. (If your pot tends to give burn often, add 1/2 cup water irrespective of fresh or canned tomatoes)
- Close the lid and pressure cook for 16 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally. (Or quick release after 10 mins)
- Open the lid. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
- Add in 3/4 to 1 cup of non-dairy milk because the sauce would have gotten absorbed by the soy curls. (For creamier, you can also add in 2-3 tablespoons non dairy yogurt). Press saute.
Video
Notes
- Coconut free: Use oat milk and then fold in 2-3 tablespoons of non dairy yogurt after opening the lid.
- Soyfree: Use seitan, or 1 can drained chickpeas, or cubed tofu, or beyond meat strips. Pressure cook 9 mins with tofu or beyond meat.
- Saucepan: Add the tomatoes and spices to a saucepan over medium heat and cook for 6-8 mins or until tomatoes are jammy. Mash the larger pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients and the 1 cup non dairy milk, partially cover and cook for 20-25 mins.
- Why cook this in an instant pot? The sauce gets a roasted deeper flavor under pressure that you don’t get on just simmering everything together.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients:
- soy curls -rich in fiber and protein, soy curls are made of non-GMO soybeans. You will find them in your grocery store or on Amazon or buy directly from butler foods
- full-fat coconut milk or use any thick non-dairy milk such as oat milk or light cashew milk
- tomatoes: use chopped fresh tomato or canned diced tomato
- spices: garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste , cayenne or Indian red chili powder, black pepper, onion flakes, and dried fenugreek leaves add amazing flavor
Tips:
- omit the chili powder to keep it low heat
- for an extra creamy curry, stir in some non dairy yogurt in the end
- not a fan of soy curls? You can also use seitan, TVP, beyond meat strips, other chicken subs, chickpeas or tofu
- Coconut free: Use oat milk and then fold in 2-3 tablespoons of non dairy yogurt after opening the lid.
- Soyfree: Use seitan, or 1 can drained chickpeas, or cubed tofu, or beyond meat strips. Pressure cook 9 mins with tofu or beyond meat.
How to Make this Instant pot Coconut Curry Chicken
Lightly oil your inner pot of the InstantPot.(some pots can be over sensitive esp when using tomatoes, so oiling helps reduce the chances of scorching)
Then add all of the ingredients listed except for the ones listed under adding later and mix really well. Add 2-3 tablespoons water if using fresh tomatoes.
Close the lid and pressure cook for 16 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally.
Open the lid. Taste and adjust salt and flavor.
Add in 3/4 to 1 cup of non-dairy milk because the sauce will have gotten absorbed by the soy curls and then start saute.
Let it come to a good boil. Then cancel saute.
Serving:
Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice. Adjust salt and heat with some salt and cayenne and more spices if you like and serve over rice or with flatbread, or naan. You can use rice or rice noodles you have on hand. For a low carb option, serve this dish over cauliflower or broccoli rice.
Storage:
Store leftover soy curl curry in an airtight container for about 3 days in the refrigerator. If you plan to make the Instant Pot curry ahead, I recommend making the rice fresh the day you intend to eat the curry.
My new favorite curry. This recipe was so simple! Even with my sauteeing an onion with the garlic and ginger right at the beginning (my only deviation from the recipe as written), this recipe couldn’t have been easier. The simplicity of the recipe and the ingredients don’t do anything to temper the flavor, though! It’s literally bursting with flavor and gave me a chance to finally open the bag of kasoori methi I bought at my local Indian market I bought ages ago. I can’t say enough how everyone MUST try this recipe.
Thank you for sharing!!
So nice to have our last recipe of the Veganuary Challenge be so easy! Just put it all in the instant pot and say “Richa” three times for good luck and 🪄 sha-zam!! You have a yummy meal! We added some cauliflower and peas. Someone else in the comments suggested bok choy and that was another great addition at the end. Richa + Instant Pot = smiles and happy bellies!
Love, Janel and Eric.
hahaha Thank you for joining me for the challenge!
Another stellar easy meal by Vegan Richa! We’ve used our instant pot multiple times a week, but have never tried doing soy curls like this. Wow – so good and so straightforward easy! Also love that we can input these recipes so easily in to a macro tracker. Every single meal in your January vegan challenge has fit in wonderfully for us!
Thank you for joining the challenge!
This was day 31 of the #Richaveganuary2025 challenge. I followed the recipe with all the spices however blended some tofu with my coconut milk for the sauce. I also added mushrooms, chickpeas and broccoli and accompanied it with brown rice. We do like garam masala. DELICIOUS!!!
Yum! So happy to hear!
Love this recipe and all of the others I’ve tried so far! I just recently discovered your website and cookbooks, so am excited to continue to discover new recipes to try (both in my Instant Pot, as well as on the stovetop). The dump and go recipes are particularly great, as they save so much time and are still so delicious!
Welcome Wendy!!