Chickpea and Spinach Curry

Last updated on March 12th, 2023 at 07:01 pm

Grab a pot and get this hearty, family-friendly chickpea and spinach curry on the table in around 30-minutes. Serve it with homemade vegan naan and rice for a nourishing and delicious meal.

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This post was originally posted on October 27, 2017 and updated February 18 , 2022 with updated images, notes and ingredient substitutions.

Reader Review. "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 we eagerly await chickpea curry night. Put it with some flat breads or pappadams and the whole family is happy. Thanks!" (Anton) ★★★★★

Why You'll Love This Chickpea Spinach and Curry

This recipe is a great one 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 fail.

Did I mention the walk-away part? A few minutes of stirring and you are good to just walk away while your chana saag does its thing.

Ingredients & Substitutions

While there are a few spices in this chickpea 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. 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. So, this curry is Chana Saag. "Saag" in India usually means a mix of greens like spinach, methi (fenugreek), mustard greens, bathua leaves etc. Sometimes it just refers to spinach. You can add pretty much any leafy green you like here but to keep things simple, I'm just using spinach.

Spice Mix. To create a warming bowl packed with balanced flavours we use a mixture of spices. There are a few to be sure, but all of them are available at your supermarket. You'll need turmeric, cumin, garam masala, cinnamon, cardamom and curry powder.

Curry Powder. Use a hot or mild curry powder in this recipe depending how you like your heat. I use Keen's (not a sponsored link) curry powder because it's readily available at the supermarket and is mild enough for my little one to eat.

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 chickpea curry with rice or quinoa, naan or both. Yum!

Want to Use Dried Chickpeas Instead? Here's How

Want to use dried chickpeas in your vegan chickpea curry? Let's do it.

1. You're going to wash 2 cups of dried chickpeas and pick out the gnarly brown ones. Those suckers will break your teeth.
2. 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.
3. The next day drain and rinse the chickpeas in cold water.
4. 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. 
5. Add salt if you like - a good amount is around an eighth of a teaspoon for each cup of chickpeas.
6. Cook at a simmer for 60-90 minutes until desired tenderness.
7. If you don't have time to soak your chickpeas overnight you can quick soak them before cooking. 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.
8. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the chickpeas to sit in the hot water for 1 hour. 
9. Drain the beans before using. 

Recipe Shortcuts

In a hurry? Use these recipe shortcuts to save time and get dinner on the table pronto.

What to Serve With Your Curry

You can't go past a big bowl of aromatic basmati rice or for additional protein, cooked quinoa.

Try it with some homemade vegan naan

Simply add a squeeze of lime and a spoon! So good.

Tips To Making the Best Chickpea Spinach Curry

Recipe Variations

Chickpea and Potato Curry. Add peeled, cubed potatoes when you add the chickpeas. Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry. Add cubed sweet potato with the chickpeas and cook until the sweet potato is tender.

Chickpea and Cauliflower Curry. 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.

Storage

In the fridge.

After cooling your curry completely, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

In the freezer.

Again, cool the curry completely and store it in a freezer-proof container in the freezer for up to 3-months. Fair warning - the spices can stain your containers. I divide my curry into portions and freeze it in separate containers so I can just pull out a single serve if I want.

Recipe FAQs

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If you like this chickpea and spinach curry, you might like to check out these quick and easy meals.

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