10 Healthy Curry Recipes That Are Ridiculously Good

When most people think of curry food, they think of a one-dimensional meal.

It’s simple, it’s tasty, and it’s loaded with calories and fat. Hard to fit into the macros, as they say.

That’s why you should make your own, lighter versions at home, with delicious curry recipes like these!

Enjoy!

Guyanese Shrimp Curry

Picture courtesy of Jehan Can Cook

Not all curry recipes come from Asia. This one is by way of Guyana, where there’s a convergence of cultures to create Indo-Caribbean curry like this.

To get the real flavors of the region, use fresh shrimp, and make your own simple curry paste with cumin, ginger, and garlic.

Serves 8

Ingredients

Shrimp:

3 lbs. shrimp (about 1 1/2 lbs. peeled and deveined)

1/2 lime

3 scallions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Thai chili pepper

1 tsp. salt

1 cup coconut milk

1 Tbsp. ketchup

2 Tbsp. canola oil

Curry Paste:

2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. curry powder

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. crushed ginger

1 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp. water

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 313

Protein: 35 grams

Carbs: 7 grams

Fat: 18 grams

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Potato Quinoa Patties with Chickpea Curry

Picture courtesy of Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen

Vegan food gets a bad rap for being boring. With a flavorful curry like this one, which has quinoa-potato patties in a chickpea sauce, you’d never even know it’s vegan.

You can have this curry with rice, of course, but it’s best enjoyed with a flatbread like roti or chapatti – two more of the recipes you can find in Vegan Richa’s Indian Kitchen: Traditional and Creative Recipes for the Home Cook.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Potato-Quinoa Tikki:

3 medium potatoes, boiled and mashed

1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa

1/3 cup onion (red or white), finely chopped

1 green chili, finely chopped

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1/2 tsp. red chili powder

1 tsp. coriander powder

1/4 tsp. black salt

3/4 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1 slice stale bread, crumbled (or handful of bread crumbs)

Chana Masala (Chickpea Curry):

2 tsp. oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. cumin powder

1/4 tsp. turmeric

Pinch of asafetida

3 medium tomatoes

1” ginger, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (or to taste)

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1/2 tsp. raw sugar

1 tsp. chana masala powder (or to taste)

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 345

Protein: 12 grams

Carbs: 64 grams

Fat: 6 grams

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Thai Green Chicken Curry

Picture courtesy of Taste

This is a simple curry from central Thailand. With coconut milk, mild chilies, and green curry sauce, it’s a comforting dinner that’s flavorful without being spicy.

To adjust the heat, use a milder Thai chili, or if you’re really timid, try a poblano or green bell pepper. Thai green curry can be served with noodles or rice.

Serves 2

Ingredients

3.5 oz. green curry sauce

4 chicken drumsticks

1/2 can (about 7 oz.) coconut milk

2/3 cup water

4 red Thai chilies

5 cherry tomatoes

1 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 Tbsp. fish sauce

4 basil leaves

3 kaffir leaves

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 549

Protein: 32 grams

Carbs: 29 grams

Fat: 36 grams

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Beef Panang Curry

Picture courtesy of Little Sister Cooks

If you order Thai panang-style curry, what you’re basically getting is red curry with extra ingredients.

The added flavor comes from coconut milk, fish sauce, and kaffir lime leaves. And it’s optional – but popular –  to add a garnish of crushed roasted peanuts to panang curry.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 lb. sliced beef tenderloin

1 cup coconut milk

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

4 kaffir leaves, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. basic Thai red curry paste

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 415

Protein: 35 grams

Carbs: 13 grams

Fat: 25 grams

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Sri Lankan Egg Curry

Picture courtesy of Archana’s Kitchen

Don’t want to eat tofu in your vegetable curry to get more protein? Try adding eggs instead, like in this Sri Lankan curry.

It requires a lot of spices to layer flavor, but don’t be fooled by the long ingredients list. It’s actually a simple dinner – similar to shakshuka – that you can prepare in an hour.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Egg Curry:

4 large eggs, hard-boiled

2 onions, coarsely ground

2 Tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 sprig curry leaves

1 tsp. coriander seeds

1/2 tsp. fennel seeds, crushed

4 tomatoes, pureed

1 cup coconut milk

1 Tbsp. red chili powder

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder

1 1/2 Tbsp. curry powder

Salt as needed

Sri Lankan Curry Powder:

4 dry red chilies

1/2 cup coriander seeds

1 tsp. cumin seeds

5 cloves

1 Tbsp. whole black peppercorns

1 pod cardamom

1” cinnamon stick

2 red bell peppers (optional)

Handful of curry leaves

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 307

Protein: 11 grams

Carbs: 25 grams

Fat: 21 grams

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Potato & Pea Coconut Milk Curry

Picture courtesy of K. O. Rasoi

Do all your favorite comfort foods involve potatoes? Get the texture of potatoes you crave with extra flavor in this vegetarian curry. It’s made with lots of healthy spices, like cumin to aid the immune system and coriander to regulate blood sugar.

And any recipe with masala has a blend of even more spices, like, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom, which varies depending on the exact mix.

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 can (14 oz.) chopped tomatoes

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. garam masala

2 red chilies, minced

2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chai masala

1 Tbsp. oil

2 tsp. black mustard seeds

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 tsp. ground fennel seeds

1/2 tsp. ground cardamom

1 can (13.5 oz.) coconut milk

1 package (12 oz.) frozen peas

Fresh cilantro, for garnish

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 396

Protein: 10 grams

Carbs: 50 grams

Fat: 19 grams

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Mango Fish Curry

Picture courtesy of Cook like Priya

Save the juicy, ripe mangoes for dessert. This mango curry uses the unripened green mangoes, which means they’re tart rather than sweet and have a firm texture.

That keeps things savory in a curry like this with fish, ginger, and coconut. Look for raw green mangoes at Asian markets.

Serves 8

Ingredients

Mango Fish Curry:

8 filets (about 1 1/2 lbs.) tuna (or fresh sardines)

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 raw mango, chopped

1 Tbsp. coriander powder

1 tsp. red chili powder (or more to taste)

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Salt to taste

Coconut Curry Paste:

1/2 cup shredded coconut

8 shallots

4 green chilies

4 cloves garlic

1/2” fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

5 curry leaves

Seasoning:

1 Tbsp. coconut oil

1/2 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. whole cumin

1 dried red chili

1 sprig curry leaves

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 245

Protein: 27 grams

Carbs: 14 grams

Fat: 9 grams 

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Cauliflower & Pea Curry (Gobi Matar)

Picture courtesy of Sharmi’s Passions

This classic vegetarian curry, usually served with another dish like dal (curried lentils), is a great staple when you need to eat your veggies.

This curry recipe for two includes cauliflower, green peas, onion, and tomato. You could also prepare it as a mushroom curry, if you prefer, just by swapping out the cauliflower.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup cauliflower

1/3 cup fresh green peas

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tomato (or 2 small), pureed

1 tsp. ginger garlic paste

1 tsp. red chili powder

1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. garam masala powder

2 tsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Salt to taste

1 1/2 Tbsp. ghee (or oil)

1/2” cinnamon

2 cloves

1 tsp. fennel seeds

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 162

Protein: 4 grams

Carbs: 17 grams

Fat: 10 grams 

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Spinach & Lamb Curry (Saag Gosht)

Picture courtesy of Indian Simmer

There’s something special about eating spinach in a saag curry. It’s transformed into something far better than fresh greens, yet equally nutritious, with not a single reminder of Popeye’s favorite snack.

The exact flavor of your lamb saag will depend on the specific blend of garam masala, which can include black peppercorns, nutmeg, mace, and star anise.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Lamb:

2 lbs. lamb (or goat), bone-in

1 Tbsp. ginger garlic paste

1 tsp. red chili powder

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1 1/2 Tbsp. ground coriander

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 Tbsp. salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup yogurt

1/2 tsp. garam masala powder

Gravy:

1 tsp. cumin

10 whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

5 cloves

3 pods green cardamom

1” cinnamon stick

1 large onion, sliced

3 green chilies, finely chopped

1 1/2 lbs. fresh spinach

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. garam masala powder

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 Tbsp. oil

1 cup water

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 199

Protein: 14 grams

Carbs: 10 grams

Fat: 12 grams 

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Japanese Vinegar Curry

Picture courtesy of Japan Food Addict

If you look for Japanese curry recipes, most of them rely on a premade sauce. It’s a kind of roux, like a thick red gravy, only with curry powder and other spices added too.

But if you’re outside of Asia, it might not be as easy to find. Luckily there are other easy Japanese curry recipes to make at home, like this one with vinegar as a simple seasoning. Serve with steamed rice

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 lb. chicken thigh, chopped

1 lb. eggplant, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 bowls steamed rice

2 Tbsp. curry powder

4 Tbsp. vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. salt, divided

1/2 tsp. sugar

Nutrition Facts (Per Serving)

Calories: 271

Protein: 27 grams

Carbs: 31 grams

Fat: 6 grams

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What did you think of these curry recipes? Have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!