Super easy spinach and halloumi curry recipe

Last Updated on 17 March 2024 by cooksimply

If you’re a curry fan but looking for a vegetarian curry recipe that will hit the spot then this halloumi curry recipe is for you. I’m not a fan of paneer cheese which is widely used in Indian cuisine, but halloumi – well, that’s a different matter. Salty and moreish with a firm texture – halloumi works so well in a curry. 

I make this halloumi in curry recipe regularly. It’s one of our favourite dishes if we want to have a meat-free day. And by dry frying the halloumi first, makes it crispy and crunchy on the outside, but soft and gooey in the middle once added to the curry sauce.

Where does halloumi come from?

Halloumi is a Cypriot cheese – made from goat and sheep’s milk. I remember the first time I went to Cyprus and ordered breakfast. My friends, who live there, recommended I had fried halloumi with eggs and bacon and I’ve never looked back. Now it’s my favourite cheese – and I use in wraps and salads or even just a great accompaniment to barbecued meats. If you’ve never tried halloumi, the texture is very firm – a lot of people call it squeaky cheese, which is a fair description. It also has a salty flavour which is why it adds a lovely depth to this creamy halloumi curry.

How long does opened halloumi cheese last?

I rarely have leftover halloumi – it’s always used up pretty quickly in this house. However, did you know that unopened halloumi can last for up to a year in the fridge? For opened halloumi, make sure to wrap it properly or put it in an airtight container and it can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. 

What is in this easy halloumi curry recipe?

This vegetarian curry is tomato-based, with onion, garlic, ginger and a variety of spices with the addition of spinach. I love spinach in curries – it works. Here are the ingredients that you’ll need for this halloumi curry:

• halloumi

• fresh ginger

• garlic

• red onion

• red chilli

• turmeric

• vegetable stock pot/cube

• cumin

• garam masala

• ground coriander

• chilli powder or cayenne pepper

• vegetable oil or olive oil

• tinned/ canned tomatoes

• frozen spinach

• freshly chopped coriander for serving

How to make this spinach and halloumi curry

This is a simple curry recipe because all you have to do is throw most of the ingredients into a food processor and make a paste. If you don’t have a blender, then a mini food processor is also perfectly fine. Add the onions, ginger, garlic, chilli, a few tablespoons of oil, and all the spices and blend until you get a curry paste – around a minute.

Before making the curry itself, you’ll want a non-stick frying pan or large skillet to dry fry the cubes of cheese over a medium-high heat. Watch closely as they can brown quite quickly. Using tongs, I like to turn them over a few times to get an even colour. Once done, you can put the crispy halloumi to one side.

To make the curry, heat a deep-sided frying pan or large non-stick saucepan, then add the paste. You don’t need oil, as you’ve already added it. Cook it out for at least 5-8 minutes – until the onion paste has softened and the spice mix has browned. Then add the tinned tomatoes and the vegetable stock pot/cube. Stir well so that all the ingredients are combined. You may want to add some more liquid, so I swill the tinned tomato can out with water and add this to loosen the curry.

Simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally, and then add the spinach. And continue simmering for another 10 minutes. Once it’s nearly ready then add the halloumi to the curry, stirring through and combining with the spicy sauce. If you think the tomato sauce is too thick, then add a splash of water until you get your desired consistency. Then squeeze some lemon juice over the top before giving it another stir. 

I don’t add salt to this curry recipe as I think the halloumi is salty enough. If you want to, just add a pinch of salt as you don’t want it to be too salty.

How to serve this curry

I like to sprinkle over fresh coriander and serve this curry with plain boiled rice and some poppadoms. But you can eat it with pilau rice or with some naan bread. 

Try this homemade naan bread recipe here

Can you freeze leftovers?

Yes, this curry tastes even better when left for a few days or frozen. You can refrigerate any leftover curry in a suitable container for up to three days – making sure to reheat it properly. Or freeze for up to three months – defrosting thoroughly before reheating.

Can you add different vegetables?

That’s the beauty of vegetarian curries, you can bulk it out with more. Mushrooms and a chopped pepper/bell pepper would be a lovely addition. If you don’t have tinned chopped tomatoes you can use tomato passata or even plum tomatoes. You could even remove the halloumi cheese and make this a traditional paneer curry by adding Indian cheese instead. 

If you like curries…

Why not try these other curry recipes:

Slow-cooker massaman curry

Chinese chicken curry

Pork vindaloo

Easy chicken curry

Chicken tikka masala

Chinese beef curry

Super easy spinach and halloumi curry recipe

4.89 from 18 votes

Salty and delicious halloumi is added to a spicy, fragrant curry sauce to make a wonderful vegetarian curry everyone will love.

Servings 4

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• 450 g halloumi cut into cubes
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1 red chilli chopped
• 2 cm piece of ginger
• 5 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder or cayenne pepper
• 1 can of chopped tomatoes
• 1 vegetable stock pot or cube
• 200g frozen spinach or fresh spinach
• Juice of half a lemon
• A handful of chopped coriander for serving

Instructions

 

• Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat and dry fry the halloumi cubes for around 2-3 minutes on each side until they begin to brown. There’s no need to add any oil. Once done, turn off the heat and put the halloumi to one side.
  
• In a food processor or blender, add the vegetable oil, onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, and all the spices – tumeric, cumin, garam masala, ground coriander and cayenne pepper.
  
• Blend until you have a paste – around 1 minute. If you feel it's not binding together you can add a splash of water.
  
• In another non stick pan, add the paste and cook over a medium heat for around 5-10 minutes as the onions begin to soften and the spice paste turns golden brown.
  
• Then add a vegetable stock pot or cube and make sure it's incorporated, before adding the tinned tomatoes. Add water half way up in the tin to loosen the remaining tomatoes, and pour into the pan. Give the ingredients a good stir and turn down the heat to low and simmer for five minutes.
  
• Once the curry has simmered for five minutes, add the frozen spinach. And continue to simmer for a further 10 minues until the spinach wilted, stirring occasionally. If you’re using fresh spinach you can add this at the same time as the halloumi.
• With five minutes cooking time left, add the halloumi and stir into the curry sauce. Simmer for another five minutes. And before serving, squeeze some lemon juice over the top, and sprinkle with some freshly chopped coriander.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 814kcal

Author: cooksimply

Calories: 814kcal

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Did you follow this vegetarian curry?

If you made this halloumi spinach recipe, please leave me some star ratings and a comment below or tag @cooksimplyathome on Instagram. You can find other meal ideas here.