Walk-Away Chickpea and Spinach Curry

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Last updated on January 31st, 2021 at 08:28 am

I love a fuss-free recipe and this Chickpea and Spinach Curry is just that. Throw the ingredients in to a pot and walk away. It's that simple. The resulting curry is full-bodied and loaded with gorgeous spiced flavours. And, it's ready in around 40 - minutes. Thank you, M'am!

Served with rice, quinoa or homemade naan and pudina chutney, this curry will easily feed a family with leftovers for tomorrow.

Why This Chickpea and Spinach Curry is So Popular

This chickpea and spinach curry 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. It is:

• Quick; ready in around 40-minutes
• Made from easily found ingredients, most of which you'll probably have in your kitchen already
• Gluten-free
• 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.

Ingredients & Substitutions

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 you've cooked from scratch. 

Canned or fresh tomatoes: I like to add chopped fresh tomatoes but I've used canned chopped tomatoes in a pinch. You can also use regular tomatoes - you'll need around 3. Either will work although the canned may produce a slightly more acidic taste depending on the brand.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry Step-By-Step

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. The following is a summary of the steps to go along with the process photos.

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 with rice or quinoa, naan or both!

Want to Use Dried Chickpeas? Here's How.

1. Wash 2 cups of dried chickpeas and pick out the gnarly brown ones.
2. Place the chickpeas in a large bowl and cover them with cold water making sure you cover them by several inches of water 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) of water 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. 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. 

Enjoy x.

Recipe FAQs

If you like this curry, you might like to check out these quick and easy meals:

• Vegan Tikka Masala
• Spiced Eggplant Stir-Fry
• One Pot Vegan Mushroom Pasta
• Japanese Tofu Curry
• Masoor Dal with Roasted Eggplant

Hungry for More Plant-Based Goodness?  Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all the latest news and updates. If you like this recipe, please check out my cookbook. Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family is full of simple, carnivore-approved family recipes.

Walk-Away Chickpea and Spinach Curry

A dinner you can throw in a pot and walk away from, this Chickpea and Spinach Curry is super simple, robust and aromatic.

4.64 from 63 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Vegan Indian

Diet: Gluten Free | Vegan

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 381kcal

Author: Amanda Logan

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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 1 can
• ▢ 200 ml vegetable stock ½ can
• ▢ 2 cups baby spinach
• ▢ 3 cups cooked quinoa or rice to serve optional
• ▢ chilli flakes or sliced green chillies to serve optional

Metric - US Customary

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

After adding the coconut milk I half fill the empty can with the vegetable stock. 

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?

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. 

Does this curry freeze well?

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.

How many will this serve?

On its own, you'll get 4 good bowls but it will easily stretch to 6 serves with rice or quinoa.

Nutrition

Calories: 381kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Sodium: 894mg | Potassium: 806mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2091IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 7mg

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