This delicious, vegan, one-pot Jamaican Pinto Bean Curry recipe is packed with bold and vibrant Caribbean flavors in every bite! It is a creamy, nutritious, and gluten-free dish that is super easy to make too. Try it for a quick lunch or dinner dish served with rice or flatbread.
Easy Vegan Jamaican Pinto Bean Curry Recipe
Curry powder is not just one particular spice; it is a mix of different spices. And the mixture differs from one country to another. With so many varieties out there, I cannot help but try my hand with as many curry dishes as I can. I have tried making Green Thai Curry, Indian Chickpea Curry, and Creamy Red Curry, among other things, and loved them all! So I am very excited to now be sharing this dairy-free and meatless version of traditional Jamaican Chicken Curry. It is robustly flavored and so, so good! Everyone will be asking for a second portion!
What is Jamaican Curry?
Jamaica curry is a mix of warm and fiery spices. This spice is traditionally made with Scotch Bonnet peppers, also called Caribbean red peppers. It is similar to habanero in terms of their level of spiciness. Other spices may include coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and turmeric, among other things.
Homemade Jamaican Curry Powder
In case you cannot find Jamaican curry powder in your area or online, or you find the Jamaican peppers too hot to your liking, you can mix your own version. This homemade version uses cayenne pepper since Scotch Bonnet peppers are not as easily found. It may not be the exact same taste, but it is still delicious. I added the ingredients and steps on the recipe card notes below.
Ingredients Used to Make Pinto Bean Curry
- Oil: use any type of vegetable oil with a high smoke point.
- Aromatics: chopped onion, garlic, and ginger are used for the base of the curry sauce.
- Jamaican curry powder: you can use store-bought or make your own.
- Chili pepper: adds another layer of spiciness to the dish. You can remove the seeds if you want them to be milder in flavor.
- Vegetables: I used carrots, potatoes, and tomatoes for this recipe. Aside from making the dish healthier, these veggies also make it more substantial and filling. You can also use other veggies like red bell peppers,
- Vegetable broth: I like using a low-sodium organic brand to make this dish as healthy and flavorful as possible.
- Coconut milk: makes the dish rich and creamy. Use full-fat milk to get a wonderful thick sauce.
- Maple syrup: gives the dish a dash of sweetness that helps balance the spiciness of the curry sauce. You can also use coconut blossom sugar as a substitute.
- Pinto beans: are the primary protein source of the dish. Alternatively, you can use other beans such as white, black or kidney beans or other legumes such as chickpeas, peas or lentils.
- Lime juice: you can use fresh or bottled juice. Adding it to the sauce instantly brightens it as well as balances the savoriness.
- Salt and pepper: to taste.
How to make Vegan Pinto Bean Curry
As always, I recommend checking out this step-by-step instruction first. Then you’ll find the full recipe with exact measurements in the recipe card below!
Step 1: Sauté veggies and spices
Start by sautéing the onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Then add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add curry powder and chili and sauté for another 30 seconds. Now add the carrot and potatoes and sauté for 1 minute.
Step 2: Add liquids and cook
Add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, salt and pepper and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender. Then add the coconut milk, maple syrup and pinto beans and simmer for another 10 minutes with the lid on. Finally, add the lime juice. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Step 3: Garnish and enjoy!
Serve the Jamaican pinto bean curry with rice, naan or flatbread, and garnish with fresh parsley, sesame seeds and lime wedges on the side. Enjoy!
Tips when Making this Curry
- Cut the carrots and potatoes into equal-sized, so they all cook evenly.
- Make sure that your coconut milk is at room temperature and well shaked before pouring it into the hot pot.
- Always do a taste test! Depending on which Jamaican curry powder is used, it can be quite spicy. Therefore, it is better to use less at first make adjustments later.
How to store leftovers?
Place your leftovers in a lidded container and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days. The curry tastes even better after a day or two! That’s because the flavors have really melted and combined by the time it’s infused. Therefore, this recipe is also perfect for making ahead!
To reheat, just place the curry dish in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for a few minutes. Stir it halfway to distribute the heat evenly. If it’s too thick, just add a splash of unsweetened dairy-free milk or vegetable broth or water.
This Vegan Jamaican Pinto Bean Curry is:
- Dairy-free
- Gluten-free
- Healthy
- Flavorful
- Spicy
- So creamy
- Incredibly delicious
- Budget-friendly
- Customizable
- Perfect for lunch, dinner or meal prep!
More Vegan Curry Recipes
- Red Thai Curry with Crispy Tofu
- Thai Green Curry with Vegetables
- Sweet Potato, Chickpea and Coconut Curry
- Pumpkin Chickpea Curry
- Vegan Black Lentil Curry
- Lentil Meatballs in Indian Curry Sauce
- Indian Chickpea Curry
- Cauliflower Tikka Masala
- Creamy Cauliflower Korma
If you try this vegan Jamaican Pinto Bean Curry recipe, feel free to leave me a comment and a star rating! And if you share a photo of your delicious one-pot dish on Instagram, please tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka because I love seeing your creations! Happy cooking! 🙂
Jamaican Pinto Bean Curry
Author:Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 small piece of ginger chopped
- 2 tbsp Jamaican curry powder store-bought or read notes for recipe
- 1 small chili pepper chopped
- 1 carrot diced
- 7 oz (200 g) potatoes diced
- 14 oz (400 g) chopped tomatoes 1 can
- ⅔ cup (160 ml) vegetable broth
- 1 tsp salt or to taste
- ½ tsp pepper or to taste
- 7 oz (200 ml) coconut milk
- 2 tsp maple syrup or coconut blossom sugar to taste
- 2 cans (14 oz) pinto beans 17oz /480g rinsed and drained weight
- 1 lime juiced
To serve (optional)
- flatbread or vegan naan bread
- fresh parsley
- sesame seeds
- limes
Instructions
*Note: Feel free to check out the recipe video + step-by-step pictures in the blog post above!
- Heat the oil in a pan or pot and sauté the onion for 2-3 minutes until translucent. Then add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add curry powder and chili and sauté for another 30 seconds. Now add the carrot and potatoes and sauté for 1 minute. Then add the tomatoes, vegetable broth, salt and pepper and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes until the potatoes are almost tender.
- Add the coconut milk, maple syrup and pinto beans and simmer for another 10 minutes with the lid on. Then add the lime juice. Taste and season to taste.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Pinto beans: Alternatively, you can use other beans such as white, black or kidney beans or other legumes such as chickpeas, peas or lentils.
- More information about the recipe, including tips for storing and freezing, are mentioned in the blog post above!
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp turmeric, ground
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper, ground
- Toast coriander, cumin, mustard and fenugreek in a pan for about 2-3 minutes. Then grind finely together with the pepper. Then mix with turmeric and cayenne pepper. Stored in an airtight container, it will keep up to 6 months.
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Perfect recipe. This curry will be my best, definitley 🙂
Glad you love it! Thank you! 🙂 ♡
I just finish off my plate and god, I could just lick it clean…
This recipe is simply brilliant, I absolutely recommend this curry! Very easy to make, if you are a beginner in the kitchen, you can go for this and impress guests and family!
It did take me longer than half-hour because I decided to cook my own beans, make my own broth (from another of Bianca’s recipe notes that lives on my Fridge door) and make the Jamaican curry powder. I will certainly be using this powder in other recipes! It is so aromatic!
The spiciness level to me was perfect, but I made it spicier for my husband. He is the “blow-my-head-with-chillies” kind of guy. If you don’t like food burning hot (I don’t), but like spicy food, this curry is just perfect because it leaves a lovely warmness behind while you eat it. I would say it is 2 ½ 🌶 in a scale of 5.
The vegetables were cooked to perfection, all-dent, so make sure you will follow her timings.
The limes are an absolute must, and I sprinkled black sesame seeds on top. My husband does not like parsley, so I used coriander instead and it works really well!
Thanks again, Bianca for creating another winning dish! This one is certainly going to be starring in my menu very frequently!
🙏🏻 Loiana
It is so creamy and smells like an explosion of goodness!
Hi Loiana,
Wow, that sounds great! I’m glad you like this recipe! 🙂
Thank you so much for your amazing feedback!
Have a great evening! ♡
Greetings,
Bianca