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10-Minute Chickpea Curry: Perfect For Meal Prep!

10-Minute Chickpea Curry: Perfect For Meal Prep!

Food, Meal Prep, Sara's Recipes, VeganFebruary 5, 2021

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A RICH AND CREAMY CHICKPEA CURRY, WITH A GREAT DEPTH OF FLAVORS, MAGICALLY READY IN ONLY 10 MINUTES

JUMP TO RECIPE

A plate with basmati rice and delicious spinach and chickpea curry ready to eat.

I have a bit of a problem with this chickpea curry. I cook it ALL THE TIME! 

And Dan is getting a bit tired of it, lol! But I love it: this is my go-to weeknight meal, for many reasons!

It’s rich, spicy, but not overpowering, filling, and ready in no time.

What’s not to like?

Plus, it’s ideal for meal prep on Sunday. You can cook a big batch, put it in the fridge or freezer, and be done for the week. It’s rich in protein from the chickpeas and iron from the spinach. And it’s super cheap to make. A portion comes out at less than $2.

This is all it takes: heat some olive oil, add the spices, add the chopped onion and garlic, add the chickpeas, add the spinach!

Done!

And if you love a good curry, you also need to try this incredibly creamy coconut lentil curry.

What spices do you need to make this chickpea curry?

After living in India for over a year, I’ve fallen in love with spices. I always loved cooking with herbs, and I know how much difference they can make to a dish. But I didn’t know much about the depth of flavor spices can add to simple ingredients and how they can turn anything into something incredibly exciting.

I am trying to make your life easy here (and mine too!). That’s why I selected only a few spices, easy to find anywhere:

  • Garam masala
  • Turmeric
  • Ginger
  • Chili flakes

A delicious chickpea curry on a plate with basmati rice, 3/4 view

If you love hot food, you can experiment with a little more spices. My Indian friends might find this recipe a bit mild, but as I said before, I eat this most weeks, and I love to get a bit of a kick from the spices without making it too hot.

If you are a big spice lover, you can also add:

  • Cumin
  • A pinch of cinnamon
  • Ground clove
  • Black pepper

I normally use dry ground spices to keep it quick and simple. If you have fresh ginger, turmeric, and chili at home, feel free to use them. They’ll give your curry a fragrant aroma.

A cast iron pan with a delicious spinach and chickpea curry: Try this rich and creamy chickpea curry. It has a great depth of flavours and it's surprisingly ready in 10 minutes. Perfect for meal prep!

Other ingredients you will need to make this chickpea curry

This chickpea curry requires only a few ingredients. And you’ll be able to find most of them in your pantry and cupboards.

  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Canned chickpeas
  • Fresh spinach
  • Coconut milk
  • Spices (garam masala, turmeric, ginger, chili flakes)
  • Olive Oil
  • Salt

This is all you need!

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Meal prep it on Sunday!

Meal prep is super easy. Ideally, you want some carbs, some protein, add some vegetables, and a bit of healthy fat. Guess what? This chickpea curry has it all. When I meal prep this on Sunday, I normally add some basmati rice and fresh spinach to make it more filling.

If you like the look of these glass meal prep containers, you can find them here.

A delicious chickpea curry in meal prep containers: the perfect dish to meal prep on Sunday!

If you like the look of these glass meal prep containers, you can find them here.

Can I freeze this chickpea curry?

Oh yes! That’s what makes it ideal for meal prep. You can freeze this curry for up to 3 months (although I normally try to consume my frozen meals within one month, as I find they keep more flavor). You can also store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Is this chickpea curry vegan?

Yep, this curry is naturally vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free! 

2 glass containers with chickpea curry, basmati rice and fresh spinach: if you love chickpea curry you need to try this!

If you like the look of these glass meal prep containers, you can find them here.

Can I use any other ingredients?

The great thing about this curry is that you can add pretty much anything to it.

  • If you don’t have fresh spinach, you can use frozen spinach. Or if you don’t like spinach at all, try adding kale, Swiss chard, or beet greens.
  • You don’t have to use chickpeas. You can use any other type of beans or lentils. But chickpeas are one of my favorite legumes, so I always use them!
  • I normally eat this curry with basmati rice, flavored with some aromatic cardamom. But you can also eat it with some delicious naan bread. Or on its own.
  • If you want to add more veggies, you can add sweet potatoes, cauliflower, butternut squash, carrots, or aubergines. But it will take a bit longer to cook.
  • A lot of chickpea curry recipes add canned tomato in the mix. You can too, but I prefer this curry without. 
  • If you like to add a bit more zest to your curry, try a splash of fresh lemon juice and some fresh coriander on top.

A cast iron pan with a delicious spinach and chickpea curry: Try this rich and creamy chickpea curry. It has a great depth of flavours and it's surprisingly ready in 10 minutes. Perfect for meal prep!

More delicious dinner ideas:
  • Coconut Lentil Curry
  • Stir-Fry Noodles With Crispy Tofu
  • Mexican Quinoa
  • Tuscan Kale Pesto Pasta
Chickpea curry plate top view
Print Recipe
5 from 5 votes

10-Minute Chickpea Curry

This rich and creamy chickpea curry has a great depth of flavors, and it's ready in just 10 minutes. Perfect for meal prep!
Prep Time2 mins
Cook Time8 mins
Course: Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: Chickpea Curry, Chickpea Curry Recipe
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 449kcal
Author: Sara @ Gathering Dreams

Ingredients

  • 2 cans chickpeas 15 ounces per can, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can coconut milk (13.5oz)
  • 2 teaspoon garam masala
  • 2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon ginger powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
  • 1 medium-size onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 10 oz fresh baby spinach, uncooked (10 cups, loosely packed - you can use 10 oz frozen spinach instead of fresh)
  • salt
  • 4 lemon wedges (optional)
  • Fresh coriander (optional)
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pan. When the oil is smoking hot lower the heat and add the spices (see additional notes below).
  • After a few seconds, add the chopped onions and the minced garlic.
  • Once the onion and garlic are golden brown (around a minute), add the chickpeas and the coconut milk. Add salt to taste.
  • Cook for 5 minutes, then add the washed fresh spinach, stir well and cover.
  • Let the spinach wilt for a couple of minutes. And it's ready to serve.
  • You can add a splash of fresh lemon juice and some freshly chopped coriander if you like. But it's not essential.
  • This curry is delicious with basmati rice or naan bread.

Notes

  • Please note the nutrition values are based on 1 serving (without rice).
  • You can substitute spinach with kale, swiss chard, or other greens.
  • You can freeze this curry for up to 3 months (although I normally try to consume it within one month). Or you can store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 449kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 27mg | Potassium: 235mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 7g | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 4mg

Additional notes:

Yes, you could simply throw the spices into your curry after adding the coconut milk. But the secret to creating a wonderful aromatic curry is to fry the spices in the oil. This will enhance their original flavors, making them bolder and more intense, allowing them to infuse the rest of the ingredients with their aroma.

But make sure you don’t burn them!

Just let them fry with the onion for a minute or two, until you start to smell the intense curry fragrance.  

This method of cooking spices is called Bhunooing, and its purpose is to build the flavors of a dish gradually.

First, heat the oil to a high temperature, then lower it to medium heat. Add the spices, and after a few seconds, add the chopped onions and then reduce the heat to low until the onions are gold in color.

Bhunooing helps to create creamy, rich gravies, thanks to the slow extraction of essential oils from the spices and the gentle cooking of the onions until they are translucent and sweet.

This sort of base is especially delicious with curries, stews, and sauces.

Ready for a yummy chickpea curry?

If you are going to try this curry, let me know what you think in the comments!

FREE MEAL PLANNING PRINTABLE

Download this 1-page weekly printable meal planning template in 2 beautiful designs (floral and minimalist)! Plus a special offer just for you when you subscribe!


IF YOU LIKED THIS RECIPE CHECK OUT THESE:
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Meal Prep, Vegan, Vegetarian

Comments

  1. Z. says

    April 6, 2021 at 9:57 pm

    Are the calories per serving or the full amount per meal ?

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      April 6, 2021 at 10:26 pm

      Hi Z, the calories are per serving.

      Reply
  2. May says

    March 28, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    5 stars
    Cooked this up for the week! Fab! Love it! And so easy to make! Thank you!
    xxx

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      April 5, 2021 at 4:26 pm

      Glad you loved it, May 🙂 xxx

      Reply
  3. Marissa Reyes says

    March 11, 2021 at 5:07 am

    5 stars
    Wow, this was amazingly delicious. My whole fam loved it, even my husband who normally isn’t a fan of curry dishes. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      March 12, 2021 at 3:42 pm

      Thanks so much, Melissa! Glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  4. Tania A. says

    January 7, 2021 at 12:38 am

    Hi. Does this freeze well please? Thanks in advance

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      January 10, 2021 at 11:14 pm

      Hey Tania,
      Yes 🙂 As I mention in the post you can freeze this curry for up to 3 months (although I normally try to consume my frozen meals within one month, as I find they keep more flavor).
      I hope this helps!

      Reply
  5. Brooke says

    January 3, 2021 at 5:31 pm

    Afternoon – can we add chicken or cook it separately then add?

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      January 4, 2021 at 12:02 am

      Hey Brooke,
      Sure! You could add chicken together with the spices, and let it cook for about 10 minutes before adding chickpeas and spinach. Make sure it’s cooked well, as it will take a bit longer than everything else!

      Reply
  6. Jinx McGee says

    August 16, 2020 at 5:14 pm

    How much is a serving?

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      August 17, 2020 at 4:03 pm

      I would say it’s around 1 1/2 cups of curry per person! I hope it helps 🙂

      Reply
  7. Rachel Horton says

    May 10, 2020 at 7:30 am

    Ooohhh I’m excited to make this dish. Look how consistent you are. I recently became a pescatarian and this blog had helped me so much with my meal prepping. Cooking has become fun for me again so thanks.

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      May 11, 2020 at 2:09 pm

      Thanks so much, Rachel! I hope you’ll love this curry 🙂

      Reply
  8. Taylor Carter says

    February 27, 2020 at 12:51 am

    Curious how long this will stay good in the fridge for meal prepping reasons…

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      March 3, 2020 at 9:52 pm

      Around 3 days 🙂

      Reply
      • Bev says

        November 14, 2020 at 3:28 am

        Excellent! Just made this for dinner tonight and will definitely make it again! Love the presentation too. Just thinking I may try ‘sweetened’ coconut milk next time or???? Have you tried it with a ‘hint’ of sweetness before?

        Reply
        • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

          November 16, 2020 at 8:49 pm

          Hey Bev,
          I haven’t tried it with sweetened coconut milk because I find it sweet enough as it is. But if you have a sweet tooth, I am sure you’ll love it! 🙂

          Reply
  9. Brittany says

    November 6, 2019 at 2:01 am

    Trying this recipe tonight! I used a full coconut can, however, it looks like its too much milk. I can barely see my chickpeas. Did you drain some milk out?

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      November 6, 2019 at 9:44 am

      Hey Brittany,
      No, I used the full 13.5oz can. Did you use 2 cans of chickpeas as well? Some liquid will remain anyway and it’s delicious with the rice 🙂

      Reply
  10. Mary Pfaff says

    October 2, 2019 at 3:30 pm

    For nutrition, it that per serving or per batch?

    Super tasty and so freaking easy! Adding it as a go-to for Fall

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      October 2, 2019 at 3:50 pm

      Hey Mary,
      I’ve just updated them to be per serving 🙂
      I hope that’s useful! Glad you like it!

      Reply
      • Bob says

        November 6, 2019 at 1:58 am

        Great meal, but not even close in calories per serving. 30 oz. Chickpeas is 800 cal on it’s own. Even divided amongst 4 servings you’re already at 200.

        Reply
        • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

          November 6, 2019 at 9:43 am

          That’s a very good point, Bob! the automatic calculator decided that 1 can of chickpeas had 1 calorie! I’ve updated the nutritional values to be correct (for one portion). Thanks for spotting the mistake! 🙂

          Reply
  11. Stacy says

    September 29, 2019 at 10:53 pm

    Omg! This was amazing. I will be making this again and again!

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      October 1, 2019 at 10:04 pm

      So HAPPY 🙂 you liked it! It’s one of my favorite recipes too!

      Reply
  12. Noa says

    September 10, 2019 at 4:20 pm

    How much coconut milk goes into the cans you use? There’s different sizes and I’m not sure if I did it right.

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      September 11, 2019 at 8:21 pm

      Hey Noa,
      400ml metric which is a standard US can of 13.5oz.
      I hope this helps 🙂

      Reply
  13. Casey Bell-Conrad says

    September 10, 2019 at 5:39 am

    This was delicious! Added sweet potato. It was a success.

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      September 11, 2019 at 8:23 pm

      Amazing! So happy you liked it, Casey! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Kerri Elmore says

    June 21, 2019 at 12:44 am

    Is it two cans total 15 ounces or two cans 15 ounces each??

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      June 21, 2019 at 6:25 am

      2 cans 15 ounces each. Sorry if it wasn’t clear Kerri!

      Reply
  15. Sarah says

    June 19, 2019 at 11:20 am

    5 stars
    Just made this! Delicious and really simple. Loved it! Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      June 19, 2019 at 11:22 am

      So glad you liked it, Sarah 🙂

      Reply
  16. Dora says

    June 17, 2019 at 1:38 am

    Just made this for dinner and oh-my-gosh was it delicious!! A comforting meal for this unseasonably cool and wet summer we’ve been having. Made a few substitutes since I didn’t have it in me to run to the store on a weekend to get all of the ingredients. Used beet greens from the garden instead of spinach, and a combo of half and half and tomato sauce in place of the coconut milk. Yum! And excited to have left overs for lunches this week. Thanks for another wonderfully simple recipe 🙂

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      June 19, 2019 at 11:19 am

      I am so glad you liked it Dora! 🙂
      And yes, it’s great with any greens!

      Reply
  17. Vivien says

    June 14, 2019 at 7:06 am

    I’m sold. 😋

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      June 14, 2019 at 2:30 pm

      I really make this too often! Dan is starting to complain haha!

      Reply
    • Simone says

      January 27, 2020 at 12:28 am

      5 stars
      Delicious😋

      Reply
    • Dave Morgan says

      May 20, 2020 at 6:23 pm

      5 stars
      Love it.

      If boxing up & refrigerating, do you warm up in the microwave

      Thanks,
      Dave.

      Reply
      • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

        May 20, 2020 at 7:33 pm

        Hey Dave,
        I either warm it up in the microwave for about 2 min, or in a pan for 5 min and add some water. Most of the time I use the microwave because it’s faster and there’s no washing up required 🙂
        Glad you love it!!

        Reply
  18. Jennifer Noel says

    June 12, 2019 at 8:03 pm

    Sounds delicious! But 10 cups of fresh baby spinach? Typo or really 10 cups? In either case, what’s the amount of frozen you would use instead?

    Reply
    • Sara @ Gathering Dreams says

      June 12, 2019 at 8:23 pm

      Hey Jennifer, that’s not a typo. 10 cups is referring to fresh uncooked spinach, which is about 1 1/2 cup of cooked spinach. As I am sure you know, fresh spinach disappear to nothing when you cook them haha!
      If you are using frozen spinach a 10 oz frozen package will work!

      Reply

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