Chickpea Curry

Curries are some of the best everyday dinners because they are easy to make in one pot, are wholesome, nutritious, and tasty.

This chickpea curry recipe is similar to our cauliflower curry, lentil curry, and tofu curry, except that the main ingredient is chickpeas or garbanzo beans.

The recipe is Indian-inspired and starts with a flavor base of onion, garlic, and ginger. We then toast the spices with the flavor base for just a minute. Toasting boosts their flavor.

The secret to a well-rounded and balanced curry is the spice mix. We use curry powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and garam masala. If you don't have all of them, we recommend using curry powder and cumin.

We then add chickpeas, vegetable broth, crushed tomatoes, and coconut milk and let it simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

Finally, if you want the creamiest curry, blend some chickpeas with an immersion blender. That's a quick tip that makes all the difference!

You can eat the curry on basmati rice, with naan bread or flatbread. You can also add in more veggies to make it a veggie-packed wholesome dinner.

Chickpeas

To make a quick chickpea curry use canned chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans).

If you have more time, you can soak and cook dry chickpeas. Soaking time is about eight hours. Boiling time varies from 1 to 2 hours.

You can substitute lentils with chickpeas, but in this case, check out our lentil curry recipe.

Flavor base

We gently fry a finely chopped yellow or white onion, grated ginger, and grated garlic in a small amount of extra virgin olive oil to create a tasty flavor base that will add a rich flavor to the curry.

Spices

We use curry powder, turmeric, cumin seeds or ground cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, and garam masala.

If you don't have all of them, we recommend using at least curry powder and cumin.

Garam masala is added at the end to enhance the aroma of the curry.

Crushed tomatoes

We like to use canned crushed tomatoes. You can also use canned diced tomatoes, whole canned peeled tomatoes, tomato puree, and ripe fresh tomatoes.

Vegetable broth

You can add more or less vegetable broth based on your preferences. For example, add more vegetable broth if you like a more soupy and liquid curry.

On the other hand, if you want a thicker curry, you can reduce the amount of vegetable broth or let the curry simmer for more than 30 minutes.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk, best if full-fat, tastes fantastic with spices and chickpeas. It also softens the flavor of the spices and makes the curry velvety and creamy.

Salt and pepper

We use sea salt or kosher salt and black pepper.

Lemon and cilantro

Garnish your chickpea curry with fresh cilantro and a wedge of lemon to squeeze on top before eating. The lemon juice makes the flavors pop. You can substitute lime juice for lemon.

You can substitute cilantro with flat-leaf parsley.

In a large pot or dutch oven, gently fry a finely chopped onion on medium-low heat for 3 minutes.

Next, add grated garlic and ginger, and fry for one more minute.

Add in curry powder, cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, and red pepper flakes, and toss them around the pan with the onion.

Toast the spices for about 1 minute or until you smell their fragrant aroma.

Add drained and rinsed canned chickpeas and toss them in the spices for another minute.

Add vegetable broth, canned crushed tomatoes, salt, and black pepper. Stir and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, then blend some chickpeas with an immersion blender to make the curry creamier.

Simmer for 10 to 15 more minutes until you reach your desired consistency.

Tip: simmer for longer if you like a thicker and richer curry; simmer less if you prefer a more soupy and mild curry.

Finally, add the garam masala, then taste and adjust for salt.

Serve with naan or on basmati rice. Add a wedge of lemon and some freshly chopped cilantro on top.

Serve this creamy curry with rice or other types of grains, such as:

• White rice, brown rice, or couscous as a healthy base layer
• Piadina or homemade flatbread (naan bread) to sop the sauce leftovers
• Bombay potatoes or roasted potatoes

Increase your veggie intake and serve with a selection of fresh vegetable dishes:

• Easy tomato salad or tomato cucumber salad for a refreshing and cleansing side salad
• Add a dollop of mint yogurt or cucumber tzatziki on top
• Serve roasted eggplant, tender baked sweet potato, or garlic-roasted broccoli on the side for added greens

Chickpea curry with spinach

Spinach and curry are meant to be together! You can use fresh or frozen spinach. Add them in 10 minutes before the curry is ready, and enjoy.

Red lentil curry

To make this curry even creamier, substitute red lentils for chickpeas. You'll get Indian-inspired red lentil dahl that tastes delicious and has a beautiful creamy texture.

Check out our red lentil curry recipe.

Tofu curry

If you are looking for a protein-packed meal, you can replace the chickpeas with cubed tofu and make a wholesome and nutritious tofu curry.

In ours, we also add some cauliflower to boost the veggie content.

Check out our tofu curry recipe.

Cauliflower curry

Another delicious variation of this recipe is one with cauliflower florets. To make it, substitute some of the chickpeas with cauliflower florets. Again, it's wholesome, creamy, and delicious!

Check out our cauliflower curry recipe.

Sweet potato curry

Make this Indian-inspired sweet potato curry as a weeknight meatless dinner; it's a tasty one-pot recipe ready in about 30 mins.

You can store chickpea curry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 - 4 days. Then, reheat in your microwave or a pot on the stove, adding a dash of water if it has thickened up. Only reheat once, and not multiple times.

You can freeze the curry for up to 3 months. However, before doing so, let it cool down completely, transfer it into a freezer-friendly container, then freeze it.

Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or the microwave with the thawing function.

More chickpea recipes

If you like cooking with chickpeas, you will love these wholesome chickpea recipes:

• One-pot chickpea stew with sweet potato, minced tomatoes, and authentic Mediterranean flavor
• Chickpea salad with a creamy mustard dressing and fresh veggies
• Chickpea pasta with eggplant a quick weeknight meal with tender roasted eggplant
• Easy pasta salad with chickpeas: a wholesome and colorful lunchbox meal
• Chickpea tuna with homemade mayonnaise and ready in just 15 minutes!
• Chickpea soup with authentic Italian flavor served with rustic bread
• Cauliflower curry: endlessly creamy with chickpeas served on white rice
• Microwave sweet potatoes with chickpea stuffing and topped with guacamole

We love warm and wholesome meals for fall and winter dinners! Try one of these easy and delicious dishes that will help keep you warm during cold weather:

• Italian bean stew: a rustic and Italian meal typically served with polenta
• Tuscan bean soup with leafy greens, pinto beans, and fresh Italian herbs
• Butternut squash soup: a velvety, creamy soup with sweet notes of fresh thyme
• Mushroom risotto: packed with mushrooms and made with a traditional Italian risotto technique