Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

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This Indian-inspired coconut chickpea curry recipe is incredibly easy to make in less than 30 minutes and simmered in the most delicious lemon-ginger coconut curry sauce.

Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (1)

When you’re craving a flavorful, feel-good, quick vegetarian dinner, it doesn’t get much easier than this cozy chickpea curry.

Inspired by Indian chana masala, this chickpea curry is one of those gloriously simple meals that only requires you to briefly chop two ingredients (hi, onion and garlic!). Then everything else is simply stirred in and simmered together until the sauce bubbles up to creamy, vibrant, delicious perfection. Served warm over rice and drizzled with an extra squeeze of lemon, I’m telling you, this chickpea curry feels like the coziest hug in a bowl. And my goodness, is it delicious. ♡

The coconut curry sauce here is already naturally vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free, simmered with tomatoes, ginger, garlic, and a rich blend of seasonings. And while I chose to keep things simple in this batch by just wilting a few handfuls of spinach in with the chickpeas, you would of course be welcome to add in any extra veggies or proteins that happen to sound good too.

We find ourselves returning to this curry recipe here in our family constantly since it mainly uses pantry ingredients that we always have on hand. So if you’re looking for a last-minute idea for dinner tonight too, grab a few cans of chickpeas and let’s make a big pot of curry together!

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Chickpea Curry Ingredients

Before we get to the full chickpea curry recipe below, here are a few notes about the ingredients you will need:

  • Onion and garlic: These are the only two ingredients that you need to chop and will serve as the base aromatics for our sauté.
  • Fresh ginger:I highly recommend using fresh instead of ground ginger for richest flavor, which you can either grate or finely-mince. That said, if you do not have fresh ginger on hand, you can sub in 1 teaspoon ground ginger instead.
  • Dried spices:We’ll use a simple blend of garam masala, ground cumin, and ground turmeric, which we will sauté briefly with the onion and garlic to enhance their flavors. We’ll also use fine sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper for seasoning.
  • Chickpeas:I always opt for canned chickpeas to make this recipe extra quick and easy, but you are welcome to cook your own chickpeas from scratch if you prefer.
  • Coconut milk:This is my go-to brand of coconut milk, which is always wonderfully thick and creamy and tastes delicious in this coconut chickpea curry.
  • Diced tomatoes:I recommend using fire-roasted diced tomatoes if possible, but plain diced tomatoes will also work perfectly well here.
  • Greens:I tossed a few handfuls of baby spinach into this batch, but kale or collard greens would also work well.
  • Lemon:I always like to add a hint of fresh lemon juice to the pot of curry, and then serve each bowl with a few extra lemon wedges on the side for squeezing. (I personally prefer this curry very lemony!)
  • Fresh cilantro:I love topping this curry with lots of fresh cilantro, but feel free to omit if cilantro’s not your thing.

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Chickpea Curry Variations

Here are a few more ways that you’re welcome to customize this chickpea curry recipe to your liking:

  • Make it spicier: Sauté a fresh chile pepper (Thai chile, jalapeño, serrano, etc) along with the garlic and onion, or simmer extra crushed red chili peppers or cayenne in the sauce.
  • Use cream or half and half: If you’d rather not use coconut milk, you’re welcome to sub in heavy cream or half and half instead.
  • Add a protein:Chicken, beef, pork, meatballs, or shrimp would all go well with this curry if you would like to add a protein.

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More Favorite Curry Recipes

Looking for more cozy curry recipes to try? Here are a few of our faves:

  • Cozy Cauliflower Curry
  • Sweet Potato Chickpea Coconut Curry
  • Tomato Lentil Curry
  • Green Curry Salmon

Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (5)

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Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (6)

Quick Chickpea Curry

★★★★★4.8 from 23 reviews

  • Author: Ali
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x

Description

This Indian-inspired chickpea curry recipe is incredibly easy to make in less than 30 minutes and simmered in the most delicious lemon-ginger coconut curry sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Sauté veggies. Heat oil in a large stockpot or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Add the garlic, grated ginger, garam masala, salt, cumin, turmeric, a pinch of cayenne, and a few twists of black pepper and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  2. Simmer. Add the chickpeas, coconut milk, diced tomatoes and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer, and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
  3. Finish. Add the baby spinach and lemon and stir until the spinach has wilted.
  4. Season. Taste and season the sauce with additional salt, pepper and/or lemon juice, if needed.
  5. Serve. Serve warm over rice, garnished with fresh cilantro and extra lemon wedges. Enjoy!

Notes

Source:This recipe is inspired by Indian and Pakistani-style chana masala, which translates to mean “spiced chickpeas.” To learn more about the origins and details of this delicious dish, I recommend diving into this post from 196 Flavors, which also includes a more authentic chana masala recipe.

posted on September 9, 2022 by Ali

Gluten-free, Indian-Inspired, Main Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

28 Comments »

Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe | Gimme Some Oven (2024)

FAQs

How to make chickpea curry thicker? ›

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.

How long is chickpea curry good for? ›

How to store and reheat this chickpea curry: This chickpea curry can last in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can store it in the freezer (without rice) for 3-6 months.

What is chickpea curry made of? ›

Coconut Chickpea Curry is a simple & fast one pot Indian dish of curried chickpeas made with coconut milk, tomatoes and store-bought ground spices. That said, you can absolutely change up some of the flavors of this beautiful curry. Make it authentic coconut chickpea curry by following my recipe notes below.

Does milk make curry thicker? ›

Coconut Milk/ Cream

Coconut is a great ingredient used for thickening curries. It can be used in any form – milk, cream or grated. This method is most suited for Thai, South Indian and other Asian curries.

Does cornstarch make curry thicker? ›

Yes, curry is best thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot flour. Combine 1 tablespoon starch/ flour with 2-3 tablespoons water or curry sauce to make a slurry. Add to the pot and simmer for 2-3 minutes until thickened.

What happens if your curry is too watery? ›

Curry becomes runny if it has more water content, so cook it for few more minutes to let the water evaporate and curry turns thick(this also turns flavors stronger). Also make sure not to overcook the curry. If it is more runny usually I add 1 tablespoon of besan flour.

When to add cream to curry? ›

Puree the ingredients with either an immersion blender or a regular blender. Return to pan and add lemon juice plus salt to taste. Now add your chicken and simmer in the curry on medium-low to medium until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked through, add the heavy whipping cream, then stir.

Does simmering thicken sauce? ›

How do you make a sauce thicker? The easiest way to thicken a sauce is by reducing the amount of liquid. This can be done by simmering your sauce or bringing it to a full boil—do this uncovered, so the steam can escape.

Why do chickpeas go bad so fast? ›

Yes, chickpeas that are left standing in water can go bad if not stored properly. The water provides a moist environment that can promote the growth of bacteria and mold, leading to spoilage.

How to prepare chickpeas? ›

Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with water by a good few inches then leave them overnight (8 to 24 hours). Quick soaking method. This takes only 1 hour before cooking. Put the chickpeas in a large pot and cover them with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

Are canned chickpeas cooked? ›

Canned chickpeas are pre-cooked chickpeas. You can eat canned chickpeas straight out of the can! (Just be sure to rinse them off before chowing down to wash out excess sodium) Otherwise, you can roast them or turn them into any number of delicious dishes, like these here.

Why is my chickpea curry bitter? ›

Your curry can taste bitter if the spices and garlic are burnt or if you've added too much fenugreek to the dish. You see, the secret to cooking a delicious curry recipe is to create a spicy paste and slowly cook it before adding your meat.

What do Indian people call chickpeas? ›

Chana, gram, and besan are common Indian terms for chickpeas and chickpea products: Chana dal are split chickpeas, while gram and besan are most often used to describe chickpea flour.

Why is chickpea curry good for you? ›

As a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and fiber, chickpeas may offer a variety of health benefits, such as aiding weight management, improving digestion, and reducing your risk of disease. Additionally, this legume is high in protein and makes an excellent replacement for meat in many vegetarian and vegan dishes.

How do you thicken besan curry? ›

There are various ways to thicken a curry without adding extra spices.
  1. Add tomato puree.
  2. Add grated onions that have been fried to remove its rawness.
  3. Add Groundnut paste.
  4. Add slightly roasted chickpea flour (Besan)
  5. Add curd or milk cream (malai)
Mar 10, 2019

How do you use chickpeas as a thickener? ›

Halfway through cooking the stew, you crush some of the chickpeas in the pot, which thickens the soup base as it simmers. Here's why. Legumes like chickpeas, beans, and lentils are high in starch, but the starches are in the center, contained within an outer shell.

How do you thicken chole curry? ›

Mash some chickpeas with the spoon to thicken the gravy. If you prefer an even thicker gravy, add less water or mash more chickpeas to release the starches. You can keep the consistency you prefer. At home, we prefer chole recipe with a bit of gravy.

Can you use chickpea flour to thicken curry? ›

Alternative uses for chickpea flour

This can be in the form of: Thickener: When used instead of cream, cornflour or wheat flours in soups, sauces and curries, it thickens and helps prevent curdling, especially in warm yoghurt based sauces.

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