Carrot Curry

Updated: January 20, 2024, By Swasthi

Carrot Curry is a simple, healthy and delicious dish made with fresh carrots, spices, herbs, onions, tomatoes and coconut or nut milk. In India, we make curry with almost every vegetable including carrots and pumpkins. This carrot curry is a basic version and is made much the same way as any other curry. It goes well with Basmati rice, flavored rice, Chapathi or with any Indian breads.

Carrot Curry - Indian Curried Carrots

Recipe Comments

In Indian cuisine, there are 2 ways a curry is made. One is the dry version & the other is a gravy.  The first one is called sabzi, podi kura, dry curry etc and this is a dry dish without any gravy. Most times the veggies are cooked in their own moisture or with a splash of water.

A lot of people still call this a curry. The second kind mostly uses water, yogurt or coconut milk to make the gravy. A few readers ask me why a dry dish is called a curry so I have just shared that here. For more info please check Wikipedia.

In this post I have shared both the ways. We personally like carrots with peas so I have used them here. You may replace peas with precooked chickpeas or soaked moong dal or skip them completely. To make this curry, choose carrots that look, smell and taste fresh.

More Curries
Butternut Squash Curry
Tofu Curry
Curry Sauce
Bombay Potatoes

Photo Guide

How to make Carrot Curry (Stepwise Photos)

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan/pot. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds.

add whole spices to hot oil

2. When the spices splutter, add 1 sprig curry leaves and 1¼ cup fine chopped onions (1 medium).

add onions

3. Stir and saute the onions until golden. Add ¾ teaspoon minced ginger, ¾ teaspoon minced garlic and 1 chopped green chili. Saute for a minute or until a nice aroma comes out.

ginger garlic chilli added to pan

4. Add ¾ cup chopped or pureed tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes break down and lose the raw flavor.

tomato puree to make carrot curry

5. Stir in

  • 1¼ teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala (or 1.5 tbsp curry powder)
  • 1¼ teaspoon coriander powder (omit to use curry powder)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional, omit to use curry powder)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
adding spice powders to make carrot curry

6. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes till the masala smells aromatic.

onion tomato masala for peas carrot curry

7. Add 2 cups (325 grams) chopped carrots and ¾ cup green peas. Saute for 2 mins.

stir frying carrot and peas

8. Pour water just as needed to partially cover the carrots. I use 1 cup water.

pour water to cook carrot curry

9. Cover and cook on a low heat until carrots turn tender but not mushy. I cooked for 8 mins.

simmer curry on a low heat

10. Carrot curry is ready at this stage. But I prefer to add 1 teaspoon kasuri methi. You may omit if you don’t like.

ad kasuri methi

11. Mix well and pour ¾ cup coconut milk or nut milk. To make nut milk, soak 15 cashews in little hot water for 15 mins and blend with half cup water in a small grinder. Ensure there are no bits of nuts in the milk.

add coconut milk to make carrot curry

12. Give a good stir and bring it to a boil. Cover and cook for 2 mins. Taste test and add more salt if needed.

cooked carrot curry in a pot

Serve this delicious carrot curry with rice, roti or with any Indian breads.

carrot curry recipe

Recipe 2 – Dry carrot curry

This nutritious flavorful carrot stir fry curry is healthy and flavorful. Serve it as a side in a South Indian meal with plain rice, rasam or sambar. This also goes very well as a side with flavored rice like pudina rice, pulihora, lemon rice or even with curd rice.

The unique flavors in this dish comes from my spice powder which I shared it below. If you do not want to make the spice powder, then use idli podi or coconut podi. I use various kinds of podis like curry leaves podi or flax seed podi to sprinkle on my stir fry veggies. You may do the same.

I also make this a lot of times with soaked moong dal instead of green peas.

carrot podi kura

Ingredients
2 cups carrots chopped small
½ cup green peas or ¼ cup moong dal (optional) (refer notes)
1 green chilies chopped or slit
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
Salt as needed
Tempering
1 tablespoon oil
1 sprig curry leaves
¾ teaspoon ginger fine chopped
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ to ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
1 pinch hing (asafetida) optional
¾ to 1 teaspoon urad dal (optional)
1 teaspoon channa dal (optional)
To roast and powder or use 3 tbsps fresh grated coconut
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon chana dal
¾ to 1 teaspon urad dal
1 teaspoon dried coconut (copra)
1 dried red chili
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small garlic clove

Instructions

1. To make the spice powder, dry roast chana dal and urad dal till slightly golden, off the stove and add coconut, sesame seeds, cumin, garlic and red chili to the hot pan. When the coconut turns aromatic. Transfer to a plate and cool.

2. Next to the same pan, add oil and heat up. Add mustard, cumin, and dal. When the dal turns slightly golden, add ginger and curry leaves. Sprinkle hing. Saute for a min. Do not burn ginger, it gives a bitter taste.

spices in hot oil

3. Lower the flame. Add carrots, peas, turmeric and salt. Fry for two minutes.

add carrots and spices to pan

4. Cover and cook till the carrots become tender. Keep stirring in between and put back the lid. If your carrots are not juicy, sprinkle some water as needed.

cover and cook

5. While the carrots cook, powder the roasted ingredients in a blender jar. Sprinkle the spice powder. Adjust salt and stir well. Fry for two minutes till the aroma of the spice powder comes out. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with rice and rasam or sambar.

Notes: to use moong dal as a substitute to peas, rinse the dal well and soak it for 1 hour or 30 mins in hot water. Later drain the water and add it along with carrots.

carrot stir fry with vepudu karam

Related Recipes

Recipe Card

carrot curry recipe

Carrot Curry

5 from 34 votes
Delicious and easy Indian style carrot curry made with pantry staples. Serve it with rice or roti.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Servings3
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )

  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 sprig curry leaves (optional)
  • ¾ teaspoon ginger (minced)
  • ¾ teaspoon garlic (minced, 2 medium cloves)
  • 1 green chilies chopped or slit (optional)
  • ¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • 1 large (1¼ cup) onion (fine chopped)
  • 3 medium (¾ cup) tomatoes (fine chopped or pureed)
  • 2 cups (325 grams) carrots (chopped) (2 medium)
  • ¾ cup green peas (or ¼ cup soaked moong dal)
  • teaspoon turmeric
  • teaspoon Kashmiri red chilli powder (adjust to taste, cut down to use curry powder)
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala (or 1½ tbsp Curry Powder)
  • teaspoon coriander powder (omit to use curry powder)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin powder (optional, omit to use curry powder)
  • 1 teaspoon Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
  • ¾ to 1 cup water (I use 1 cup)
  • ¾ cup coconut milk (read notes)


Instructions

  • Heat oil in a pot. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
  • When they splutter add curry leaves and onions. Saute them until the onions turn golden in color and lose the raw flavor.
  • Add ginger, garlic and green chilies. Saute for a minute until aromatic.
  • Next stir in the tomatoes and cook until they breakdown and soften.
  • Then stir in the spice powders – red chili powder, turmeric, garam masala, coriander powder and salt. Saute for 2 to 3 mins until it turns aromatic.
  • Add carrots and peas. Saute for 2 mins.
  • Pour water just enough to partially cover the carrots. I used 1 cup water. Mix and cook covered on a lot heat until carrots turn tender.
  • Then add kasuri methi (optional) and coconut milk. Mix and cook covered on a low heat for 2 mins.
  • Taste test and add more salt if needed. Serve carrot curry with rice or roti.


Notes

To make coconut milk, blend 3/4 cup grated coconut with half cup water. Filter and use. You will get about 3/4 cup coconut milk.
You can also use cashew milk. Soak 15 cashew nuts in hot water for 15 mins. Later blend them with 1/2 cup water. Add more water to make it 3/4 cup and use.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Carrot Curry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 306 Calories from Fat 198
% Daily Value*
Fat 22g34%
Saturated Fat 12g75%
Sodium 723mg31%
Potassium 722mg21%
Carbohydrates 25g8%
Fiber 7g29%
Sugar 11g12%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 15322IU306%
Vitamin C 47mg57%
Calcium 65mg7%
Iron 4mg22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

Carrot curry recipe originally published in Jan 2015. Republished in Oct 2020.

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About Swasthi

I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me

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If I double the amount of carrots In the recipe do I double the ground spices aswell

Instead of coconut can we add curd if there is a dietary restrictions with coconut ?

5 stars
Hi. My carrot curry is cooking and I am sure it will be delicious. I am unable to find when you add the coconut cream. I keep reading and checking but seem to miss every time. Please direct me to where it is in the method. Thank you

5 stars
What kind of onion do you use?

5 stars
Wow! Being a university student, I literally live on your website! Thank you so much for these wonderful recipes and for making my uni life a little easier! Cheers 🙂

5 stars
I have made many of your recipes and have enjoyed them all, but this one had a totally unexpected taste that made me look at carrots in a new way. This was delicious. Definitely adding this to my regular menu! Thank you

5 stars
I’m still a beginner in cooking but this has to be the best dish I’ve made by far and I’m so happy!! I also love how simple and easy it is to make 🙂 It tastes delicious and will definitely be making it again. Thank you for this recipe!!

5 stars
How much kasuri methi do you put in the recipe? I don’t see that anywhere on this recipe.

5 stars
Okay thank you

Sounds really good. I just happen to have carrots in my vegie garden that need a tasty recipe, so I’m going to try the ‘wet’ one. Curry to me is a nice spicy gravy.

one thing i have always wondered, is, what was used before tomatoes arrived?

5 stars
i am going to try first way of cooking with photo and enjoy it with plain rice
thank you

5 stars
Swasthi, cooked this while waiting for the mutton curry marinade to complete (again your recipe). I am always searching for additional dishes to add colour and contrasting texture to the meal, and give great return for not alot of effort (given demands of other parts of the meal). I think this fits the bill perfectly even though I have only eaten it by itself. Full trial tonight but sure it will go well.

Just wondering with the chana dal – would a quick soak or dry fry before cooking soften a little. I like the crunch but might challenge some of my older guests.

Love your site! Even though I’ve been cooking for 40 years you are my go to girl?.

Looks delicious

5 stars
All GOOD, just did not know when to put green chillis.
My wife did not stock garlic(negative energy any way) by the way I fried turmeric powder to give richness, and added some at the end for health.

5 stars
Can v use vepudu karam instead of roasting the ingredients mentioned in the recipe . If s how much

5 stars
Easy To make…..I share with Pudina rice,,,THANKS.

Hmm! I like those recipes .I like to see more recipe

One of the few non cliched coconut / onion-tomato-garam masala dishes with carrots . TQ for this .

yummy delicious carrot curry

colorful and healthy stir fry Swasthi… Add of the podi gives unique taste… Lovely

5 stars
I tried this recipe as quickly i got the mail and everyone in the household, neighbours liked n loved it. Thinking of preparing this recipe for the sabha celebrations and get together..