Slow Cooker Thai Yellow Curry (Vegan, Gluten-Free)- Veggie Chick (2024)

This Slow Cooker Thai Yellow Curry recipe is soeasy to make in your slow cooker/crockpot! It’s also super healthy with nutritious veggies, and will provide enough leftovers for your busy week.

I will never forget the first time I had Thai yellow curry. I was in my early 20’s living in Hawaii, and had never really been exposed to a lot of ‘ethnic’ foods growing up in a town of 3,000 people in rural Michigan. But one bite in and I was immediately hooked!

Thai yellow curry has been one of my very favorite dishes ever since, and it’s a dream come true that it’s generally an easy dish to order vegan at restaurants. Or, you can make it yourself in your slow cooker– one of the coolest inventions ever, don’t you agree?

How to make this Slow Cooker Thai Yellow Curry:

To begin, get out your slow cooker and add the following ingredients (STEP 1 below)– chickpeas, orange bell pepper, onion, potatoes, carrots, ginger, garlic,lemongrass, water, vegetable broth, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, and coriander. Stir (STEP 2).

Cook on high for 3 1/2 hours (or 5 1/5 hours on low heat).

After the time has elapsed, test the carrots and potatoes to make sure they are almost soft. They should still have a little bite to them, as we’ll be cooking them a little longer in a later step. (STEP 3).

Next add the coconut milk (only the cream from the top of the can- not the liquid- see tip in Notes section of recipe card for how to use remaining liquid), the frozen sweet peas, sea salt, andgolden raisins. Stir, then mix 1 tablespoon of amaranth powder or cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water and add that to the slow cooker (STEP 4). Stir all together until blended (STEP 5).

Turn the slow cooker back to Low heat, cover and cook an additional 15 minutes. Test the potatoes/carrots for doneness (if they aren’t soft, cook an additional 15 minutes) then turn the slow cooker to Warm. It’s best to let this sit for about 30 minutes before serving so the flavors absorb a bit more.

Note that the sauce will be a bit thin at first, but will thicken quite a bit over time, especially after keeping in the fridge overnight.

Serve this yellow curry over rice and/or with naan bread (or Herbed Flatbread) and garlic sauce. I prefer the Garlic Sauce from Trader Joe’s, though use sparingly as it’s packed with oil.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. This recipe makes 8 servings, roughly 1 cup each serving.

Tips for making this Slow Cooker Curry:

• For this recipe, it’s best to add the coconut milk in at the END of the cooking process. If you add it earlier, and it gets too hot, it may curdle which isn’t desirable.
• Lemongrass gives a nice flavor, but if you don’t have it on hand, don’t worry. It’s still good without.
• To chop the lemongrass, you’ll want to 1) remove the tough outer leaves, 2) cut off the bulb/stem, 3) slice, and 4) chop fine using a sharp knife OR a food processor. I find a knife works great; just make sure you mince it very fine.
• I HIGHLY recommend the golden raisins, which add just a touch of sweetness to this dish.

Sides/Substitutions:

• I suggest serving this curry with a side of coconut rice (cook rice with coconut milk instead of water- yum!), naan bread, and if you have a Trader Joe’s near you, I HIGHLY recommend spreading their Garlic Sauce on toasted naan bread.
• If you want to turn up the heat, add a bit of cayenne pepper to the slow cooker.
• This dish is also good with some chopped cilantro, or a bit of lime juice added before serving.

Looking for more Slow Cooker/Crockpot recipes? Try these!

• Slow Cooker Soy Chorizo Chili
• Slow Cooker Sage and White Bean Soup
• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Coconut Curry Soup

Helpful Tools:

• Slow Cooker/Crockpot– I imagine you already have a slow cooker if you are looking at this recipe =), but if not, here’s a good one.
• Santoku knife– This is my favorite knife, great for chopping up the lemongrass.

If you try this recipe, please let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your photo with #veggie__chick on Instagram. I just love to see my recipes being made in YOUR kitchen!

Update Notes: This post was originally published in December 2017, but was republished with new photos, step by step instructions, tips, and FAQs in September 2019.