Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
This Vegan Chickpea Curry captures everything you crave about classic curry dishes in a warm, comforting, protein-packed meal. It's made with simple ingredients, perfect for cool weather, and makes excellent leftovers!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 543kcal
Ingredients
For the curry
- 2 tablespoons oil - note 1
- 1 yellow onion - diced, you can also use red or white
- 4 garlic cloves - minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger - grated
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 15 ounce cans chickpeas - or 3 cups drained (240g drained)
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 14 ounce can coconut milk
- 1 cup water - or vegetable broth
- 4 cups baby spinach - packed – note 3
- 2 tablespoons cilantro - chopped
For serving
- Cilantro leaves
- Red onions
- Fresh chili
- Basmati rice
- Naan
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large pan or a pot over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions, minced garlic cloves, and ginger, and cook for 3-4 minutes until the onions are lightly golden.
- Add all the spices: garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and ground cumin (note 2). Cook until fragrant for around 30 seconds to a minute.
- Add the chickpeas and toast for a couple of minutes. Then add the salt, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk.
- Bring the curry to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low to keep it gently simmering, and cook for around 10 minutes until it thickens.
- Turn off the heat and blend roughly half of the curry with an immersion blender. Or transfer the mixture to a standard blender, blend until smooth, and return it to the pan. Blending the curry takes more effort and it's optional, but it will help create a rich and creamy curry sauce.
- If the sauce is too thick, add another half a cup of water, taste for seasoning, and add more salt if necessary. If you like your curry spicy, now it’s time to add extra chili.
- Add the baby spinach and chopped cilantro. As soon as the spinach wilt, the curry is ready.
- Serve with brown or white basmati rice or naan bread, and garnish with extra cilantro, slices of red onions, and fresh chili.
Notes
Note 1: Most curries use vegetable oil or coconut oil. I prefer to use extra virgin olive oil. It’s not traditional for curries, but extra virgin olive oil is much lower in saturated fat than vegetable and coconut oil.
Note 2: We all have personal expectations of how spicy curry should be. Plus, spices can be wildly different and have more or less flavor, depending on their origin and freshness. Taste your curry, and adjust the spices according to your preferred heat level.
Note 3: You can use any greens you like: spinach, kale, Swiss chard, or collard greens.
How to Store: Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze chickpea curry, let it cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, let thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in a pan over low heat or in the microwave, adding some extra broth or water to loosen it up.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate per serving without rice or bread.
Nutrition
Calories: 543kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 34g | Sugar: 14g