rice casserole with curry sauce and broccoli on top in baking dish

This vegan rice casserole dump dinner features aromatic rice, chickpeas, vegetables and a spicy thai coconut curry sauce. The perfect weeknight dinner thats hearty, packed with flavour and so easy to make!

I am so excited to share this recipe with you because 1) who doesn’t love thai curry?! And 2) it's the EASIEST weeknight dinner AKA a dump dinner!

Ummm, what is a dump dinner- you may ask?

A dump-and-bake meal is basically a recipe that requires you to simply dump all the ingredients into a casserole dish and bake until cooked. Pretty neat, eh?

I first saw this concept of dump meals on my Pinterest feed when I first started using Pinterest (I think it was for parmesan chicken and rice) and thought it was so cool but never joined in on the hype until coming up with my no-boil baked pasta dish and realizing how handy these kind of recipes actually are. I mean, these recipes are virtually hands free AND it reduces the amount of dishes!

Ingredients

You only need 10 ingredients to make this dump and bake meal!

The base of this casserole is made from long grain rice and chickpeas. Of course we have to throw in some vegetables so I chose carrots, onion, bell pepper and broccoli but you can really use any of your favourites! Sweet potato, zucchini or cauliflower would all be really great choices too.

The thai red curry sauce is spicy and coconut-y made from red curry paste, coconut milk, vegetable broth (or water), soy sauce and garlic. I used around 3 tablespoon of red thai curry paste but you can decrease it to 2 tablespoon if you don't like it too spicy or up it to 4 tablespoon if you like things super hot.

ingredients for vegan rice casserole in a baking dish

cooked rice in a casserole with chickpeas and broccoli

How to Make Thai Red Curry Rice Casserole

The best thing about dump dinners is that they're literally the EASIEST meal to make. Just throw everything into a casserole dish, cover and bake!

I did wait to put in the broccoli towards the end when the rice was just done cooking because I like my broccoli with a little more texture and snap rather than super cooked.

Defiantly make sure that the rice is fully submerged under liquid to ensure it cooks all the way through.

thai red curry rice casserole with broccoli on top

Tips to Making Vegan Rice Casserole

Type of Rice: Best to use long grain rice. Short grain and medium grain will also work (jasmine). Do not use brown rice. Quinoa could work but I have not experimented.
Cover Dish TIGHTLY With Foil: This ensures the rice 'boils' like it would in a rice cooker.
Troubleshooting Rice: If you find the rice is still slightly undercooked and there is no more liquid, stir in just enough water so it's covered in liquid. If you find the rice getting too soggy, take off the foil and it will cook off extra liquid.

How to Store Veggie Rice Casserole

Refrigerator: once fully cooled, store left overs in an air tight container covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezer: once fully cooled, re-cover with foil and freeze entire casserole for up to 3 months. To re-heat, take it out of the freezer and let it thaw overnight. Bake at 350 F for 15-20 minutes, or until heated through.

red curry in a bowl with casserole beside it

I hope you guys try and LOVE this Red Curry Rice Dump Meal as much as we do!! It's seriously a weeknight life saver and left overs can be eaten for lunch the next day (win-win!!). Plus, it's super satisfying to have especially on a cold winter night because of how hearty and spicy it is. 🙂

vegan rice casserole in a bowl with lime and cilantro

More Vegan Casseroles to Try!

vegan rice casserole in a bowl with broccoli

If you recreate this Thai Red Curry Rice Casserole recipe let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment and rating below or by tagging me on Instagram @Okonomikitchen, I love seeing all of your tasty recreations!
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