This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
This quick 30-minute belly-warming Vegetarian Chickpea Curry With Coconut Milk is nourishing, hearty, and it’s the perfect dinner for the cooler months. It’s chock full of veggies and pairs perfectly with a warm piece of naan!
Table of Contents
This recipe brings nourishment and comfort to your plate with spinach, tomatoes, chickpeas, and beneficial spices that really amp up that creamy coconut milk. Dig in with a spoon or a fresh warm hunk of naan and you’re set!
If you find comfort in a luscious curry and coconut blend like I do, definitely check out my Curry Salmon With Coconut Milk and my Coconut Curry Instant Pot Lentil Soup. And if you’re a Ramen soup fanatic, you have to fix yourself a bowl of this Chicken Curry Ramen Soup. You’ll be obsessed!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s quick & easy—This is a hasty 30-minute meal, if that, and it involves very little work.
- It’s healthy—Comfort food as a whole gets a bad rap for being unhealthy, but I disagree. Comfort food can be nourishing, and this recipe boasts that fact.
Ingredients for Chickpea Curry
A full ingredient list with exact measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Curry paste—This recipe requires Indian curry paste, not Thai curry paste. You can use Mild, Medium, or Spicy depending on your preference.
- Coconut milk—Full fat unsweetened coconut milk is what you’re looking for!
Recipe Variations & Modifications
- Vegetables—You can add more veggies to this recipe if you want. I’ve added broccoli, carrot, and zucchini in the past and they all go super well in this dish. Additional veggies can be added in Step 1 along with the onions, garlic, and ginger.
- Protein—My husband isn’t big on chickpeas, so sometimes I nix my vegetarian chickpea curry and make this with diced chicken breast or thighs. You could also easily turn this into a nice ground turkey recipe!
- Lentils—You can swap the chickpeas out for lentils!
How to Make It
Step 1. Heat the oil in a deep sauté pan or skillet over medium-low, then add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Simmer until fragrant and the onions are translucent, stirring often to prevent the garlic from browning. This should all take about 2 mins.
Step 2. Add the chickpeas and drained tomatoes. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Step 3. Add the coconut milk, curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, and salt. Stir until the paste has dissolved and the seasonings are fully mixed in.
Step 4. Finally, stir in the baby spinach and cook until it’s wilted down. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may want to add one handful at a time. Let the curry simmer for about 10 minutes on low, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Pro Tip
If you want to add extra yummy veggies, like broccoli, peas, zucchini, squash, cauliflower, mushrooms, etc., you can add them along with the onions, garlic, and ginger in Step 1. You may just need a little extra oil for sautéing so the pan doesn’t dry out.
How to Serve This Dish
My favorite way to eat chickpea curry is with a soft warm hunk of naan, sometimes a dollop of yogurt. You could also serve it with a pile of fragrant basmati rice! If you prefer veggies on the side as opposed to adding extra veggies into the curry itself, oven-roasted broccoli with nutritional yeast is a great option, as is this air fryer broccoli.
Storage, Reheating & Freezing
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- You can freeze this dish! But there are a few things to keep in mind: sauce separation may occur, but it’s still totally edible, and vegetable texture may change. To thaw, just pop the container into the fridge the night before and let it thaw overnight.
- To reheat, transfer the curry to a microwave-safe dish and heat in 25-second increments until heated through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chickpeas are a great source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and they’re a decent source of protein for vegetarian dishes. Furthermore, the fiber and protein in chickpeas can help regulate blood sugar levels. Fiber slowings down carb absorption, resulting in a steady rise in blood sugar levels instead of a spike.
Yes, however the amount of fiber and protein in a serving helps the body better process them, which helps regulate blood sugar levels by slowing glucose absorption into the bloodstream.
More Cozy Coconut Curry Dishes to Try…
If you try this Vegetarian Chickpea Curry With Coconut Milk, please pop back in and leave a 🌟 star rating and let us know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Vegetarian Chickpea Curry With Coconut Milk
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 TBSP freshly grated ginger
- 30 oz cooked chickpeas (2 15 oz cans), drained & rinsed
- 15 oz can of diced tomatoes, drained
- 1 can coconut milk (14 oz)
- 2 TBSP concentrated Indian curry paste, mild, medium, or hot—whatever your preference!
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 heaping handfuls of spinach, torn or roughly chopped
- Sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the onions, ginger, and garlic. Simmer until fragrant, stirring often to prevent browning; about 2 minutes. If you're adding any other veggies to this curry, you can also add them at this step. Use more oil if necessary to prevent the pan from drying out.
- Once the onions are tender and translucent, add the chickpeas and drained tomatoes. Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the coconut milk, curry paste, curry powder, turmeric, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir until the paste has dissolved and the seasonings are well mixed into the dish.
- Stir the spinach into the curry and cook until it's wilted down. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may want to add one handful at a time.
- Let the curry simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and serve with warm naan, pitas, rice, or enjoy it on its own!
Such a great recipe to make when fall is almost near.. good flavours and good comfort food..love it and this is on my list as well ❤️
Love this Vegetarian Chickpea Curry With Coconut Milk recipe, so refreshing and delicious! I love curry so I will make it soon. Thanks for sharing :)
This turned out great! Such a warm, comforting dish. Will make it again.
Totally in love with this chickpea curry. Thanks a lot for sharing.
I love the complex, earthy flavors here. They’re so perfect with the flavor and texture of the chickpeas.
I tried this chickpea curry for dinner and it was fantastic! Super easy to whip up, and the flavors were on point. Paired it with some warm naan and it was perfect comfort food.
Hi….when do you add the broccoli, or cauliflower, or other veggies?
Hello! Any additional veggies can be added when you start to sauté the onions and garlic in the beginning. I hope that helps! (Also, I’m in the midst of updating this recipe post, so if you come back and it looks a little different, that’s why.) Let me know if you have any other questions.
Have you made this in a slow cooker?
Hi Lauri, I haven’t. This is a really quick cook on the stovetop, so I’m not sure how it would do in a slow cooker. If you try it, I’d suggest cooking it on low and for only a few hours. Please let me know if you try it!
Came out great! Needed a quick dinner and it saved me