Home » Recipes » Coconut Curry with Chicken, Cauliflower, Chickpeas & Spinach
Dinner

Coconut Curry with Chicken, Cauliflower, Chickpeas & Spinach

Tomato, ginger, and curry powder simmer with light coconut milk into a sauce that's rich without being heavy, then wrap around seared cauliflower, chickpeas, tender chicken, and a wilt of spinach. Caramelized tomato paste stands in for the usual spoonful of sweetener, and each bowl lands at 37 grams of protein.

Total Time
50 mins
Yields
4 servings (about 1 3/4 cups each)
Calories
410
Net Carbs
27g
Protein
37g
Coconut Curry with Chicken, Cauliflower, Chickpeas & Spinach
Coconut Curry with Chicken, Cauliflower, Chickpeas & Spinach
Recipe Card

Coconut Curry with Chicken, Cauliflower, Chickpeas & Spinach

Method: One-Pot·Cuisine: Indian-inspired
Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Yields
4 servings (about 1 3/4 cups each)
Calories
410 / serving
Best Season
Year-round

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon avocado or olive oil, divided
  • 1 large head cauliflower (about 1 1/4 lb florets), cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 serrano pepper, sliced (seeds removed for less heat)
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 (14.5 oz) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
  • 1 (13.5 oz) can light coconut milk
  • 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  • 5 oz baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice, plus wedges for serving
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
  • For serving: 1/3 cup cooked brown rice per bowl, optional

Instructions

  1. 1 Heat half the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the cauliflower with a pinch of the salt and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring only every couple of minutes, until browned in patches and just tender at the stem. Transfer to a bowl.
  2. 2 Add the remaining oil and the chicken, season with another pinch of salt, and sear 4 minutes, until golden on most sides; it will finish cooking in the sauce. Add it to the cauliflower.
  3. 3 Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and serrano, and cook 4 minutes, until the onion turns translucent. Stir in the garlic, ginger, curry powder, and garam masala for 1 minute, then the tomato paste; cook 2 minutes more, until it darkens to brick red and starts to stick.
  4. 4 Pour in the tomatoes and coconut milk, scraping the bottom of the pot, and simmer 8 minutes, until slightly thickened; blend with an immersion blender now if you want a smooth sauce. Return the chicken, cauliflower, and chickpeas and simmer gently 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
  5. 5 Stir in the spinach until it wilts, about 1 minute. Add the lime juice and cilantro, then taste and add the remaining salt or more lime until the sauce tastes bright. Serve with lime wedges.
Meal Prep Tip

The curry keeps 4 days in the fridge and 3 months in the freezer, and the flavor deepens overnight. Cauliflower softens on reheating, so if you like some bite, sear a fresh batch and stir it into each warmed portion.

Make It Yours

Plant-based

Replace the chicken with 14 oz extra-firm tofu, pressed, cubed, and seared the same way, plus 1 cup shelled edamame added with the chickpeas. Protein lands near 25 g per bowl.

Lower-carb

Leave out the chickpeas and serve over riced cauliflower. Saves about 9 g net carbs per bowl, landing near 18 g.

Heartier

Serve each bowl over 1/3 cup cooked brown rice. Adds about 14 g net carbs and 70 calories, which takes it past the complex-carb target; the protein and fiber in the curry may still help soften the effect.

Milder

Skip the serrano and use mild curry powder for a kid-friendly pot. No change to the nutrition.

Richer

Use full-fat coconut milk for a silkier sauce. Adds about 130 calories and 12 g saturated fat per bowl, which puts it well over the sat-fat target.

If you don't like chicken

Use 1 1/4 lb peeled shrimp, added in the last 4 minutes of simmering. Protein stays similar; sodium climbs by roughly 300 mg per bowl, so skip the added salt.

Nutrition

Per serving — estimate, without rice. No added sugar.
Calories 410
Net Carbs 27g
Total Carbs 38g
Fiber 11g
Protein 37g
Fat 15g
Saturated Fat 7g
Sodium 600mg

Nutrition pending review by our registered dietitian — estimate only. Not medical advice.

Keywords
DinnerHigh ProteinOne-PotChickpeasFreezer-FriendlyComplex Carb
Besides Sugar

Besides Sugar: Vegetable Volume and Fiber

A takeout curry usually rides on a mound of white rice and naan. This bowl trades that volume for cauliflower and spinach, which together with the chickpeas bring about 11 grams of fiber. Soluble fiber thickens what's in your gut and can slow how quickly carbohydrate is absorbed — a combination that may support a steadier post-meal response while filling you up on fewer calories.

About Prediabetes Mastermind

Prediabetes Mastermind builds practical, science-backed tools for reversing and managing prediabetes — meal frameworks, recipes, and plans verified by a registered dietitian. We treat prediabetes as a condition worth taking seriously, and we focus on what you can do, not what to fear.

These recipes and their nutrition figures are pending review by our registered dietitian. Nutritional information is an estimate and not medical advice; consult your healthcare provider about your individual plan, especially if you take glucose-lowering medication.

© 2026 Prediabetes Mastermind HomeRecipesAbout us