Creamy Halloumi Curry

Name: Creamy Halloumi Curry
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 110 g Halloumi (cut in to chunks); 1 tbsp Oil; 1 Onion (small; thinly sliced); 2 Garlic clove (crushed); 4 tbsp Curry paste; 150 ml Coconut milk; 400 g Chopped tomatoes (canned); 2 tbsp Tomato puree; 60 g Spinach

Diet: Gluten Free

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This Halloumi Curry is so simple to make, with minimal ingredients, but seriously delicious. It makes a nice change from the usual chicken curry and it can be easily adapted to use up whatever vegetables you have. If you have never tried halloumi in a curry, then get ready to have your mind blown!

Halloumi and Spinach curry in a bowl with yellow rice.

We love a homemade curry, and halloumi in curry is amazing. It's one of our favourite halloumi recipes. Chunks of the delicious squeaky cheese in a rich, creamy and slightly spicy sauce with some spinach for a bit of a greens boost. Ready in under 20 minutes, this is simple comfort food at its finest.

Use this halloumi curry as a base and then adapt with by adding different vegetables - we have lots of suggestions below.

If you are looking for other halloumi recipes to try, then why not try our Baked Halloumi Fries, Halloumi Pasta, Halloumi Fajitas or Halloumi Sandwich.

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Why you will love it
Ingredients needed
Step by step
What is halloumi?
What curry paste to use
Variations
What to serve with Halloumi Curry
FAQs
Extra tips
More curry recipes
Recipe
Feedback

Why you will love it

A nice change from a chicken curry - Bored of the same chicken curry? Halloumi in curry makes a nice change.
A new way to enjoy halloumi - If you have not tried halloumi before, or you are looking for a new way to try it, then this halloumi curry is a great place to start.
Ready in under 20 minutes - A quick and easy meat-free curry that is faster than ordering a takeaway.
Can add any veggies - This is a super adaptable recipe and you can use up whatever vegetables you have in the fridge.
You can make it as spicy or mild as you like - It is also adaptable in terms of spice levels. This is a fairly mild and creamy curry, but you can definitely make it spicier if you prefer.

Ingredients needed

Halloumi - You are going to need to cube a block of halloumi. We use full fat because we find it cooks better.
Onion - You can swap this for shallots which will have a sweeter flavour.
Garlic - Freshly crushed is always best, but you could save time and use frozen or paste in a jar. For some extra flavour, use a garlic and ginger paste mix.
Curry paste - You can use your favourite curry paste here. This is an easy way to adapt how spicy or mild you want it. Try to use the best quality one you can, as the cheaper ones tend to not have much flavour.
Coconut milk - This is where all the creaminess comes from. You can use light coconut milk to save some calories.
Chopped tomatoes - This is a tomato based curry and we used a can of chopped tomatoes. Like the paste, try to use the best quality tinned tomatoes you can for this halloumi curry, as the cheaper ones tend to be watery and don't have much flavour.
Tomato puree - This will help to thicken up the curry and give it a more vibrant colour too.
Spinach - Added at the end for a green veggie boost.

A full ingredients list with measurements is in the recipe card below.

Step by step

One: Add the chunks of halloumi to a dry pan and cook for 1 minute each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

Slices of halloumi cooking in a frying pan.

Two: Put the oil in the pan and once hot, add the onions and garlic and gently cook for 3 minutes until softened.

Sliced shallots and crushed garlic cooking in a frying pan.

Three: Add the curry paste, stir and cook for 1 minute.

Four: Put the tinned tomatoes, coconut milk and tomato puree in the pan and mix well. Simmer for 10 minutes.

A red/orange curry sauce cooking in a frying pan.

Five: Add the spinach and mix until wilted.

A red/orange curry sauce with a pig pile of spinach cooking in a frying pan.

Six: Stir the cooked halloumi in.

Slices of halloumi cooking in a red curry sauce.

What is halloumi?

If you haven’t had halloumi before, then you are seriously missing out. But this recipe is a great place to start. You are in for a treat!

The semi-hard cheese originated from Cyprus and although it doesn’t taste like much straight from the packet (that's a waste in my opinion), it tastes amazing once cooked and has a whole different texture.

It can be made from cow, sheep or goat’s cheese, and has quite a salty flavour – which is what we love about it. Because of its high melting point, it’s great for grilling and frying and it keeps its shape meaning you get nice chunky bits in this curry.

What curry paste to use

We used a basic mild store bought curry paste. However, there are lots of options when it comes to curry paste. You could make it really mild by using a Korma paste, or make it spicy with a madras or vindaloo paste. Or even a Thai Curry Paste would work.

You don't even have to use a curry paste - you could just use a couple of tablespoons of curry powder or garam masala. We are big fans of using up whatever you already have on hand.

A rich red curry sauce with halloumi and spinach next to some yellow rice.

Variations

If you can't find halloumi, then you could use paneer instead. Paneer is a popular ingredient in vegetarian curries, and is often found in Indian and Pakistani cuisine. Have you tried our Paneer Curry?

We used spinach to make a spinach and halloumi curry, as I always think that it's a great addition to a curry. However you could use other greens like cabbage, kale or Swiss chard.

If leafy greens aren't your thing, then you could use chopped bell peppers, mushrooms, aubergine (eggplant) or courgette (zucchini). Use soft veggies like these, rather than things like carrots as this is a quick cook curry. Frozen peas are another great addition.

If you want to add some more veggie protein to this curry, then you could add a handful of red lentils at the same time as the tinned tomatoes and coconut milk, and just cook it for 10 minutes more. You may need to add a bit of water too. You could also add a small can of chickpeas.

Don't want to serve it with rice? Bulk it out with some cubes of sweet potato or butternut squash. They would need to be roasted before being added to the curry. Try our Roasted Butternut Squash recipe.

A bowl of curry and rice with a small pot of mango chutney.

What to serve with Halloumi Curry

Curry goes perfectly with rice, which soaks up all that incredible creamy sauce. If you want something quick and easy, then try our Microwave Rice, or why not try our Turmeric Rice for something a little different? If you want perfectly cooked, FOOLPROOF rice, then why not try our Oven Cooked Rice. You could swap rice for quinoa for a protein boost.

Soft and fluffy bread is always a good option with curry too, so why not try making our Easy Naan Bread or Homemade Flatbreads - they are so simple. And then dip them in some of our homemade cucumber raita. If you want lots of flavour, then try our Peshwari Naan.

If you want a little more colour, then our Cucumber Tomato Salad or Carrot and Coriander Salad go well with a curry.

A bowl of yellow turmeric rice next to a blue towel.

FAQs

How to store halloumi curry

This curry will store in the fridge for 2 days and then can be reheated in a pan until warmed all the way through. Surprisingly, halloumi freezes well, so you can keep this curry in the freezer for up to two months.

Is halloumi vegetarian?

Traditionally, halloumi is made using rennet so is therefore unsuitable for a vegetarian diet. There is halloumi available that uses vegetarian rennet, just be sure to check the packet.

Is this gluten free?

As long as you make sure the paste you are using is gluten free and there is no cross contamination, then this can be gluten free.

Extra tips

• You can use any curry paste you like. Use a korma for a mild curry, or a madras/vindaloo if you want something spicier.
• You could always use a mild curry paste and then sprinkle some red chilli flakes on before serving.
• Adapt this curry by using whatever vegetable you have on hand. Swap spinach for kale or chard. You could use mushrooms and aubergine too.
• This curry will freeze for up to 2 months.
• You can swap halloumi for paneer.
• Add some extra veggie protein with a handful of lentils of a small can of chickpeas.
• For an extra boost of flavour, add a spoonful of mango chutney to the curry before serving.

More curry recipes

If you’ve tried this halloumi curry, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
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