This chickpea and spinach curry has been the most popular recipe on the blog since it was posted 6 years ago!
Grab a pot and get a hearty, family-friendly vegan curry on the table in around 30-minutes. Serve it with pudina chutney and rice for a nourishing and delicious meal.
This post was originally posted on October 27, 2017 and updated February 18 , 2022 with updated images, notes and ingredient substitutions.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Chickpea Spinach Curry
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- Step-by-Step Guide
- Want to Use Dried Chickpeas Instead? Here's How
- Recipe Shortcuts
- What to Serve With Your Curry
- Tips To Making the Best Chickpea Spinach Curry
- Recipe Variations
- Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- Chickpea and Spinach Curry Recipe
- Leave a Comment
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 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. For a lighter curry, you could try my quick Sri Lankan-style tofu curry.
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 a riff on 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.
Step-by-Step Guide
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.
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.
- You're going to wash 2 cups of dried chickpeas and pick out the gnarly brown ones. Those suckers will break your teeth.
- 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 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.
- 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.
What to Serve With Your Curry
You can't go past a big bowl of aromatic basmati rice or for additional protein, cooked quinoa.
Add pappadum or 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
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.
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 chickpea and spinach curry, you might like to check out these quick and easy meals.
Want more plant-based goodness?
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Chickpea and Spinach Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon 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 teaspoon garam masala
- 1-1½ teaspoon curry powder add more for more heat
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 480 grams cooked chickpeas cooked or 2 cans (drained)
- 200 ml coconut milk half a 400ml (14 oz) can
- ¾ cup vegetable stock or water
- 3 cups baby spinach
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes or diced 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 3-5 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 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 25-30 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.
Maria
This is a seriously good recipe. I absolutely love it. I use canned chickpeas and tinned tomatoes because I always have those on hand. I also used 1 can of coconut
milk.
Amanda
Fantastic, Maria! I am so happy you enjoyed it and thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Susanna
Love this walk-away recipe! It made my life simpler as it's hard to cook with a one-year-old climbing everywhere. Will not read your other recipes 🙂 I am glad I found you. Thank you
Susanna
Hrlp
Can I sub whole cow's milk for the coconut milk? Maybe add it in later so it doesn't cook too long?
Amanda
Whole cow's milk will change the flavour profile of the curry and does run the risk of curdling. If possible, I would stick with traditional coconut milk.
Hrlp
Thank you for replying! Has anybody tried Silk unsweetened almond coconut milk instead of canned coconut milk?
Amanda
Hi Hrlp,
I haven't tried it but I imagine you'll get the coconut flavour but not the thickness. Add a touch of cornflour to your curry sauce and that should thicken it right up. 🙂
Bek
Just made this curry - so delicious! The kids loved it too. A winner and one we’ll make again for sure.
Leanne
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.
Anton
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!
Amanda
Awesome Anton. Thanks so much for leaving a comment. This is one of our favourites too. 🙂
Catherine
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 🙂
Amanda
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. 🙂
Mallory
Do you think some butternut squash added to the mix would be good ?
Amanda
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. 🙂
Glenda
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.
Amanda
That's the beauty of recipes, you can take them and make them your own. x
Julia
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.
Amanda
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.
Elizabeth
I loved your blog post, thats what makes blogs so amazing compared to online magazines that just showcase recipes, much love x
Amanda
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
Kristin
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.
Amanda
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
Misha
Unbelievably rude Julia. Learn some manners. Off you go now
B
Are you serious here?? You are so entitled... people have to pay for their blogs... and should be reimbursed for the time it takes to put all this together. So you can quietly scroll and quit complaining.
Amanda
Thank you, B. I appreciate the support. x
Kat Varcoe-Cocks
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.
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
Cliff Taylor
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!
Amanda
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.
Jenni
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!
Amanda
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. 🙂
Avery
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.
Amanda
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.
Lisa
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.
Adam
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 😀
Amanda
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
LizHughes
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?
Amanda
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
Kate
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!
Amanda
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 🙂
Ciera
I absolutely love this dish it’s so yummy, I cook it once a week!
Amanda
Oh, that's great news Ciera. I am so happy you like it and it's part of your weekly rotation.
Martina
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!
Amanda
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