Chickpea Spinach Curry

Last updated on June 29th, 2022 at 12:45 pm

Cooked in around 30-minutes, this delicious and hearty chickpea spinach curry is whipped up in a single pot. Serve with homemade vegan naan for the perfect quick and comforting vegan meal.

A large skillet of chickpea, spinach and tomato curry.

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

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

Why We Love This Chickpea 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. This chickpea curry 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 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

You can add pretty much any leafy green you like here.

Spice Mix

To create a warming bowl packed with balanced flavours we use a mixture of spices. There are a few 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.

How to Make Chickpea Spinach Curry

You'll find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

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.

Two food images with onions and tomatoes cooking in a pan.

Steps 3 and 4: Stir in the spices, ginger, tomato paste and sea salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Two food images with tomatoes cooking in spices in a pan.

Steps 5 and 6: Add the chickpeas, coconut milk and vegetable stock and bring the mixture up to a boil.

Two food images with chickpeas and tomatoes cooking in coconut milk.

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.

Two food images of a curry cooking in a pan.

Step 9: You're done. Serve your chickpea curry with rice or quinoa, naan or both. Yum!

Cook Chickpeas from Scratch | Optional

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

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

Use canned chickpeas to reduce the cooking time
Using a good quality brand of canned chopped or crushed tomatoes will reduce your prep and cooking time.
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.

Serving Suggestions

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 Making the Best Vegan Chickpea Curry

Tip #1. 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.

Tip #2. 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.

Tip #3. 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.

Tip #4. 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

Is chickpea curry healthy?

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.

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes?

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.

How long does curry keep?

The curry will keep well for 3-4 days in a sealed container in a fridge.

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 serves will this recipe make?

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

How do I store the spices after making the curry?

Spices should be store in airtight containers in cool, dark spaces in the kitchen. Ground spices will keep for up to a year if stored properly while whole spices will keep for up to 3 years.

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

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