Last updated on August 3rd, 2021 at 10:28 am
This creamy chickpea and spinach curry is healthy, hearty and perfect for meal-prep. Cooked in around 30-minutes, you can simply throw the ingredients in a pot and walk-away. Serve with homemade vegan naan for the perfect quick and comforting vegan curry.
This post was originally posted on October 27, 2017 and updated June 17 , 2021 with process images and ingredient substitutions.
Served with rice, quinoa or naan and pudina chutney, this vegan chickpea curry will easily feed a family with leftovers for tomorrow.
Why We Love This Vegan Curry
This is a great recipe to have in the back pocket. I often find myself throwing it together mid-week when things start to get a little hectic and my time management skills falter. It is:
- Quick - 10 minutes prep + 30 minutes cook time
- A one-pot recipe - less dishes is always a bonus
- Made from easily found ingredients - most of which you'll probably have in your kitchen already
- Kid-friendly! It's not too spicy so the kids will love it.
- Naturally gluten-free
- A vegan chickpea curry so everyone can enjoy it!
- A good source of iron with chickpeas. Vitamin C - rich tomatoes help with iron absorption
- So easy to make and
- Freezable!
Did I mention the walk-away part? A few minutes of stirring and you are good to just walk away while it does its thing.
What You'll Need | Ingredients
While there are a few spices in this chickpea and spinach curry, they are all pretty common - you probably have them in the pantry already! The rest of the ingredients are kitchen staples.
Canned or dried chickpeas: I most often use canned organic chickpeas but if you prefer, you can use dry chickpeas. I've included instructions on how to cook dried chickpeas from scratch below 🙂
Canned or fresh tomatoes: I like to add chopped fresh tomatoes to my vegan curry but I've used canned chopped tomatoes in a pinch. You can also use regular tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes - you'll need around 3. Either will work although the canned may produce a slightly more acidic taste depending on the brand.
Spinach: You can add pretty much any leafy green you like here.
Curry Powder: Use a hot or mild curry powder in this recipe depending how you like your heat. I use Keen's curry powder because it's readily available at the supermarket and it's mild enough for my little one to eat.
How to Make Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Steps 1 and 2: Melt oil in a heavy-based pot over medium heat and add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and tomatoes.
Steps 3 and 4: Stir in the spices, ginger, tomato paste and sea salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Steps 5 and 6: Add the chickpeas, coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring the mixture up to a boil.
Steps 7 and 8: Reduce the heat to low and cook with the pot lid off until the sauce is thick and creamy. Stir in the baby spinach and allow it to wilt gently. Remove from the heat.
Step 9: You're done. Serve your vegan curry with rice or quinoa, naan or both. Yum!
How To Cook Chickpeas from Scratch
Want to use dried chickpeas in your vegan chickpea curry? Here's how.
- Wash 2 cups of dried chickpeas and pick out the gnarly brown ones.
- Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water making sure you cover them by several inches to allow for expansion. Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth to soak overnight and expand.
- The next day drain and rinse the chickpeas in cold water.
- To cook your soaked beans, place them in a large pot and cover with several inches of water - about 1 litre (approx 1 quart) per cup of soaked beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
- Add salt if you like - a good amount is around an eighth of a teaspoon for each cup of chickpeas.
- Cook at a simmer for 60-90 minutes until desired tenderness.
- If you don't have time to soak your chickpeas overnight you can quick soak them. Cover the dried beans with cold water by several inches in a large pot. Place the pot over medium to high heat on the stove and bring it up to a boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the heat and allow the chickpeas to sit in the hot water for 1 hour.
- Drain the beans before using.
Recipe Shortcuts
- Use canned chickpeas to reduce the cooking time
- Using a good quality brand of canned tomatoes will reduce your prep and cooking time.
- Or you can skip chopped tomatoes and use a tomato passata instead - this will help to thicken your curry quickly without forfeiting flavour.
- To thicken your sauce more quickly, cook the curry for 15-minutes. Around this time mix 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in a small cup or bowl. Add the "slurry" to the curry and mix it in really well. Your sauce should thicken up in no time.
What To Serve with Your Curry
- Serve your curry with steamed Basmati rice or for a healthier alternative cook a batch of quinoa.
- Try it with some homemade vegan naan
- Simply add a squeeze of lime and a spoon! So good.
Tips To Make the Chickpea and Spinach Curry
Sautéing the onion with the spices makes a real difference to the finished curry - it's where we begin to layer the flavours. Take the extra minutes to do this.
Fresh is best - you can totally make this curry faster by using canned tomatoes but using fresh ingredients allows you to control the curry's acidity and flavour.
Unless you're in a big hurry (it happens too often, right?), let your curry simmer away for the 30-minutes. You'll get more flavour and better textures.
Play with your food and make it your own. This is one of those dishes that once you've mastered the base recipe, you can make the dish your own. Add sweet potatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, pumpkin…it’s up to you. Curries are a great way to use up all those vegetables.
Recipe Variations
Chickpea and Potato Curry: Leave out the spinach and add peeled, cubed potatoes when you add the chickpeas. Cook until the potatoes are tender.
Chickpea, Spinach and Sweet Potato Curry: Add cubed sweet potato with the chickpeas and cook until the sweet potato is tender.
Cauliflower and Chickpea Curry: Instead of spinach, chop half a cauliflower into florets and add them to the curry with the chickpeas. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the cauliflower is tender.
Recipe FAQs
Chickpeas are a great source of fibre which helps make us feel fuller for longer. They are also a good source of protein. Adding spinach to your chickpea curry provides iron while adding tomatoes, which contain Vitamin C, helps our body absorb that iron more easily. While coconut milk is high in fat, you can reduce the amount and simply substitute it with more stock or water.
Totally. I've used a 400 gram (14 oz) tin of chopped tomatoes in this recipe and it turned out great. The flavour is slightly more acidic but it's hardly noticeable.
The curry will keep well for 3-4 days in a sealed container in a fridge.
Yes. After cooking the curry allow it to cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-proof container. Label the container with the name of the curry and the date you made it and store in the freezer safely for up to 3 months.
On its own, you'll get 4 good bowls but it will easily stretch to 6 serves with rice or quinoa.
If you like this vegan chickpea curry, you might like to check out these quick and easy meals:
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Easy Vegan Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large onion or 2 regular (optional for a thicker sauce) finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 400 grams cherry tomatoes, halved approx 2 punnets
- 1 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp curry powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sea salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp grated ginger
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 480 grams cooked chickpeas cooked or 2 cans (drained)
- 400 ml coconut milk
- ½ cup vegetable stock or water
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 3 cups cooked quinoa or rice to serve optional
- chilli flakes or sliced green chillies to serve optional
Instructions
- Melt the coconut oil in a heavy-based pot over medium heat and add the onion and cook for 5-7 minutes or until soft.
- Add the garlic and tomatoes.
- Stir in the garam masala, curry powder, turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, cumin, ginger, tomato paste and sea salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas and stir through to coat. Add the coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring the mixture up to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook with the pot lid off for approximately 40 minutes or until the sauce is thick and creamy. Stir in the baby spinach and allow it to wilt gently.
- Remove the curry from the heat and serve with a smattering of chilli flakes or chillies and cooked rice or quinoa.
Notes
- Use canned chickpeas to reduce the cooktime
- Using a good quality brand of canned tomatoes will reduce your prep and cooking time.
- Or you can skip chopped tomatoes and use a tomato passata instead - this will help to thicken your curry quickly without forfeiting flavour.
- To thicken your curry sauce more quickly, cook it for 15-minutes. Around this time mix 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Add the "slurry" to the curry and mix it in really well. Your sauce should thicken up in no time.
Just made this curry - so delicious! The kids loved it too. A winner and one we’ll make again for sure.
Such a tasty dish. It will definitely become a regular in our household. Loved it with quinoa, can't wait to have it with other options too. Great how and quick and easy it is to make.
I’ve been making this recipe on a weekly basis for some time now, so time I wrote a review. This is a family favourite and e we eagerly await chickpea curry night. Put it with some flat breads or pappadams and the whole family is happy. Thanks!
Awesome Anton. Thanks so much for leaving a comment. This is one of our favourites too. 🙂
This is such a lovely dish! I cannot believe I have only just discovered you. Today I have made this and your creamy 3 ingredient Zucchini Soup, 2 meals ready to go for a busy week. Both are lovely and quick and practical with easy to find ingredients. Thank you so much 🙂
Oh, I love this Catherine. I am glad you found me too! If you have any questions or ideas, please always feel free to reach out. 🙂
Do you think some butternut squash added to the mix would be good ?
Totally, Mallory! I've had some Pinterest friends add squash to the recipe and it looks delicious. Cut it in to cubes and cook it with the rest of the recipe. 🙂
I have made this recipe several times and it is delicious. A keeper! Thanks for sharing. I am making it again this evening but I have some ground turkey that needs to be eaten going to throw that into the mix and see if everyone still loves it with meat.
That's the beauty of recipes, you can take them and make them your own. x
Delicious recipe but can you please just cut out the first 12 paragraphs? I’m here for the ingredients, not to hear about your daughter.
Thanks Julia. And when you are paying all the bills on this blog you can absolutely have a say in what content I post. FYI - feel free to use the Jump To Recipe button next time so you don't have to read the post. I am glad you like the recipe. Have a nice day.
I loved your blog post, thats what makes blogs so amazing compared to online magazines that just showcase recipes, much love x
Thanks so much, Elizabeth. I am so grateful for that. I really love the personal nature of blogs too. ps: your site is beautiful. Thank you again, you have lifted my day. x
Omg so rude!!! Please don’t ever do this again to another woman. It is not ok! Dig deep to find the part of you that felt entitled to tell another woman that she is not pleasing you! As if anyone is here to serve you. Please heal this so you can stop causing harm to others.
Thanks so much for your support Kristin. Unfortunately, this happens a lot. Not to me but to other bloggers. It is such a shame because I think the stories and connections we can make here on these blogs is what makes them special. A cookbook won't answer any questions you might have about a recipe or walk you through the steps if it doesn't work out. In recent years there has been a real shift away from bloggers sharing their stories instead we only speaking to the recipe. Such a shame. Thank you again. Have a beautiful day. x
Unbelievably rude Julia. Learn some manners. Off you go now
I meant to comment when i cooked this. I've now remembered to now that I have just had a serving that I froze, and it was still so delicious. I've run out now so i'm going to cook it again this week!
Thanks Amanda.
I think this is the most popular recipe on the blog because it just so simple and tasty. I'm getting feedback that kids really like it too, which is fantastic. Who wants to cook two meals, right? I am so glad it's freezing well for you. Thanks for taking the time to let me know, Kat. Have a great day. x
Incredible recipe. All of the spices compliment the dish so well. We usually add about twice the amount of curry that you cal for though haha. We have this recipe probably twice a month!
Oh, that's fantastic Cliff. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. Hahaha! I love a good bit of curry too! Enjoy.
Even my picky eater (rates all of my cooking on a scale of dog poo to vomit, I’m not a bad cook, she just hates EVERYTHING), she ATE this, and LIKED it! She used her bread to mop up the last bits of sauce. My husband and I really liked it too. The spices and flavors work really well together. Thank you!
Oh, that's fantastic Jenni. Thanks for letting me know. I have a picky eater too! Arghhhh. I feel like a contestant on Masterchef when I serve her dinner. She sticks her little tongue out to barely taste what's on her fork. Holy Moly! I am so glad the dish is family-approved. Have a great day. 🙂
Delicious. I’m not a vegan but I am making an effort to ditch meat and dairy. The spices are very complementary and the finished product is very creamy. I added more coconut oil after adding in the large quantity of spices because they were sticking to the pan a bit. I served with rice and pita bread. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I see you’re from Australia - I’ve called it my home for the last six months and I’ll miss it when I return to Canada soon.
Hi Avery! Thanks so much for writing and I'm so glad you enjoyed the curry. I hope you've loved your stay here - in so many ways Australia is like Canada. Safe travels when you do head home, x.
late to the curry in a hurry party, but this was brilliant. Three carnivores hooked into it with only one teen complaining about the tomatoes (not a fan)! Lovely, mild, full of flavour. Served with bread rolls and a slaw salad. Quite delish and packed up a serve for lunch tomorrow. Can confirm it works just fine with the lite coconut milk.
This has been the first time I've ever commented on a food blog, I just had to come here and thank you for this recipe! I started "properly" cooking for myself only a couple years ago, and never found a curry recipe I could pull off... until now! This is perfect, my fiance loves it, I took it to a Thanksgiving potluck and it vanished, just wow. Thank you 😀
Adam, you have absolutely made my day. I am so happy you like this curry. It is one of my favourites to eat but also because it is so easy and accessible to others - that is my favourite part of blogging about food. Congratulations on getting engaged too! What a lovely time for you. x
Hi, Ive just found your Chickpea curry. Looks delicious and Im going to try out on my daughter and her partner this weekend. Read the story about your broken hearted daughter, poor little girl. But that was a year ago I can see, and now she will have moved up a class. Is her true love still there?
Oh, Liz. Thank you for writing. She still sees her friend, although not as much. She has just started her transition days for her own school next year and is loving her female friends - 4 girls going through to the same school together. But, we will always be grateful for her young man last year. He set the standard pretty high for how to treat a lady x
Love this recipie! It was a hard pill to swallow, buying a few of these expensive spices that i didn’t have in my kitchen but they go so far and are soooooo worth it!
Thanks Katie, I am so pleased you enjoyed the curry. I love it too. I hope you get to use up the spices you bought - Here is an article with storing tips to help keep them fresh for longer. https://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-storing-your-spices-234304 🙂
I absolutely love this dish it’s so yummy, I cook it once a week!
Oh, that's great news Ciera. I am so happy you like it and it's part of your weekly rotation.
Wow. I love this curry and it has quickly become a family favourite, satisfying my vegetarian diet, my df/gf spouse and my picky eater teen. Everyone loves it! Thank you so much for this fantastic recipe!
Oh, thanks so much Martina. I am so glad your family likes this dish. It is one I am most proud of because it is family-friendly and really simple for busy parents to prepare. Thanks for taking the time to write, I really appreciate it. x
So great! I want to add carrot next time
Fantastic Nea! I am so happy you like it. Carrots would be great and I often think about adding eggplant too.
I'm confused why one large diced onion would yield a thicker sauce than two medium diced onions.
You're totally right, Alexandra! I have moved the brackets. Adding onions to the dish - either 1 large or 2 regular - will make a thicker sauce. Sorry for the confusion and thanks for pointing it out. Cheers! A.
I love it taste yummy
Fantastic, Marissa. It's one of my favourites - I am so pleased you like it.
We just made this tonight and it was so yummy! A family favorite.! My 3 year old who dislikes tomatoes kept asking for more and my husband who has been skeptical of replacing a number of our meals with vegetarian dishes loved it too!
Yayyyyyy! That's fantastic news. I love this. You've made my day, Ashley xxx
I haven't made it yet, it's for tomorrow, but I'd like to know if I can use tin of tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes?
ThanksPil
Hi Pilar,
You could use a can of chopped tomatoes or perhaps whole tomatoes and chop them up a bit in the cooking process. You will get a slightly different flavour but it will still work. I hope you enjoy it! Have a great day. A.
absolutely amazing dish, tried it - one of the best currys ive had ever. And very good for you
Oh, that's fantastic news Amy. Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I love this curry too and am so happy others are enjoying it. x
Made it tonight and thought it simple and easy to cook. I left it on the hob and totally forgot about it and was rewarded with a really delicious and nutritious curry.
Ten out of ten for a great recipe, it doesn't need to be messed with but
I may chuck in some sweet potato next time I cook it but then I think sweet potato can go in everything.
Thanks for sharing it.
Hi Ann-Marie,
Oh, you're right - sweet potato can go in everything! I am so happy you enjoyed the recipe - it is one of my favourites. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. x
Delicious! I gathered & measured/chopped all the ingredients before beginning to cook, and this came together in minutes! Used frozen garlic cubes (the ones from Trader Joe's) which made it even easier.
I added about a half-teaspoon of kashmiri pepper (since I was flat out of red pepper flakes), which gave it a nice kick. Will definitely be adding this to my weekday go-to list!
Oh, thanks so much for letting me know, Mary. I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe.
I've got to get my hands on those frozen garlic cubes. We don't have them here. What a great idea!
Thanks again, Mary. Have a great day.
Hi! Do the leftover freeze well?
Hey Becky,
Yes, you can freeze this curry. I like to freshen it up a little when I thaw it with some fresh herbs like coriander (cilantro).
Enjoy! A, x.
Delicious! It’s on our regular dinner rotation and even my very non-vegetarian husband enjoys it.
Oh fantastic, Haley! It's always good when everyone likes the same thing, isn't it? It makes life so much simpler. I am so glad you like this chickpea curry; it's still a firm favourite in this house. Thanks for taking the time to write and let me know. x
Question, I’ve never cooked with cardamom. I didn’t know it was big seeds. Do you put the whole thing in and just leave it? Is it meant to be removed like a bay leaf at some point?
Hi Kristen! I use ground cardamom in this recipe but if you can only get your mitts on the full pods, give one a light smash just to loosen it up a little and pop it in while you cook. And yes, remove it after you're done cooking - you don't want to chomp down on one of those. I hope you enjoy the curry. Thanks for stopping by. A.
I made this last night and it was amazing!
Simone! That's fantastic. I post recipes and cross my fingers that others will like them as much as I do. Also, anything that can make dinner easier, is a bonus so I hope it goes in to your rotation. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. That was super kind of you. x
Just to make sure, is it 480 grams of dry, not cooked, chickpeas ? 🙂
Hey Monica,
You'll want to use cooked (from dry) or canned chickpeas. I use canned all the time to save time. This recipe is all about keeping it simple. 🙂
I have made this twice. It is so delicious. Wondering if anyone has substituted lite coconut milk? If yes, did you get the same results? Thanks in advance.
Howdy Helen. Firstly, I am so glad you like this curry. It is one of my go-to's especially for a quick weeknight meal. I haven't tried it with any other milk besides coconut milk. I think if you used another milk you may have to add a little cornflour to thicken it. Perhaps you could try subbing half the coconut milk with another milk and seeing how that goes first. I would love to hear how it goes! Please check back in 🙂 Thanks, Helen.
This is on rotation at our house and my two and four year olds love it. Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic, Jennifer. I am so glad your little ones like it. My daughter does too. Thank goodness. 🙂
Both times I've made this the sauce hasn't thickened. It's delicious regardless but I don't know why it's still watery after 50 minutes of cooking. The only differences I made were excluding the cardamom and ginger (just don't have them) and using veggie broth instead of stock. Maybe I didn't boil it enough? I love it anyway.
Hi Dakota, I am so glad you like this dish but I'd love to work out why it isn't thickening. Are you cooking it down with the lid off? You can reduce the sauce to a simmer and cook it down but you will have to watch it a little more so it doesn't burn the bottom of your pot. Finally, if all else fails you can add a spoon of cornflour to the sauce. Scoop out a quarter cup of the sauce, add a spoon of cornflour and stir it to create a sludge before pouring it back in… Read more »
A long story short, my mom held me back from advancing (with excellent grades) to third grade so I could go through school with kids my own age instead of being the youngest. I am 67 years old and I still resent being held back for, as I see it, no good reason. All through school, my friends were the older kids and I dated older boys. If your daughter has the self-assurance and intellectual ability to keep up, please let her. We seem to be far more driven by arbitrary numbers rather than the individual.
Hi Marlene, Thanks so much for sharing your story. I appreciate it. Staying back clearly impacted your life. We have opted to have our daughter do another year at kindergarten for the reasons you have described - we don't want to keep her back after she starts primary school. She is a clever girl but is a pretty shy kid and gravitates towards adults instead of spending time with other kids. We looked at her situation and personality and decided it was kinder for us to give her another year of kindergarten (she has a few friends doing the same)… Read more »
This was really tasty, I appreciated you including measurements that those of us in the USA could use. My tip would be Don't put a cover on (I know it doesn't say too but I did out of habit) I couldn't figure out why it was so watery until I took the cover off and let it cook down. I also put a pinch of pepper in to get the full benefits of the curry/tumeric. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Yvonne. Thanks for the great feedback. I will make a wee note in the recipe to clarify the lid being left off - I do it naturally but that doesn't mean everyone else does.Thanks for the heads up. I haven't added pepper to mine before but I might next time. Thanks for the tip!
Oh you poor girl, what a decision to have to make! Here, we have no choice. My January baby started school aged 4 and just sailed through with all the others. In her case, it worked just fine, she was generally at or near the top of the class and enjoyed herself. She got her PhD last year. But all children are different, and you are the best judge of what will suit your precious daughter best. Heartbreak is a terrible thing at any age, and I feel for you. Good luck with it x
Oh, thank you Christine. I love hearing that your daughter is doing so well. My Elf is a smart girl and I think will do well in school too. She is socially shy and I am trying to weigh up whether a year will help her feel more confident. Arghhh. Thank you so much for reaching out, I appreciate it so much. x
Oh, my heart! You are definitely doing the right thing by your girl, she will be fine and will make lots of new friends. And then when she does go to primary school she will be fierce! This curry is perfect and thanks for sharing your grocery list in your email, that is so helpful x
Oh, my friend. I needed to hear that - I am wrestling with this so much. Thank you. xx I am so glad you are around again and I LOVE the new look site. It looks wonderful.