This chickpea and spinach curry has been the most popular recipe on the blog since it was originally 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.
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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 This Recipe Works
For a lovely light curry, try my quick Sri Lankan-style tofu curry.
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 and spinach curry with rice or quinoa, naan or both.
Serving this chickpea curry over a cup of cooked quinoa adds around 8g of protein.
Can I Use Dried Chickpeas?
Of course! You'll need to begin soaking the chickpeas the night before. Here's how.
- 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 adding them to the chickpea curry as per the recipe below.
Recipe Shortcuts
In a hurry? Use these recipe shortcuts to save time and get dinner on the table pronto.
Tips for Success
What to Serve With Your Curry
Recipe Variations
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.
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.
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.
More Fuss-free Recipes for You
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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.
Anna
Love this recipe so quick and easy. I add a couple of spoonfuls of red lentils to thicken it up and I usually add some cauliflower and a ball of frozen spinach instead of fresh so its all stuff I usually have to hand. I’ve added other veggies though whatever I’ve got in. It was recommended to me by a friend and it’s become a regular in my rotation.
Amanda
Oooooh, I love the lentils idea to thicken the sauce, Anna! I am so glad you enjoyed the curry and added some extras t make it your own. Thanks for writing. I appreciate it. 🙂
Natalie
My family and I love this recipe. It’s quick, easy, and most important delicious!
Thank you for sharing.
Amanda
Oh, I love that. Thanks Natalie. I am so glad you guys enjoyed it. x
Catherine McCormack
This is so delicious! Absolutely loved it and will definitely have it on my list of fave currys!
Amanda
Awesome Catherine. Thanks for commenting - I appreciate it. And I am so happy you enjoyed the curry.
Antoinette
I’ve already made this dish twice now. It’s absolutely delicious with so much flavor. Thank you for sharing this wonderful dish.
Amanda
Oh Antoinette, I am so happy to read this! Thanks so much for sharing. I am so glad you enjoyed it. x
Rosangela Crispino
Just made this without the tomatoes WOW
THE BEST 5 ⭐️ +++
Amanda
How was it without tomatoes, Rosangela? You've inspired me to try it! I am so happy you enjoyed it and grateful that you took the time to comment. Thank you. x
Antoinette
Hi there! This was excellent! Very tasty and full of flavour!!! How much do you get for 282 cal?
Amanda
Hi Antoinette, I am so gad you enjoyed it. The recipe makes around 4 serves, so the calorific content is for a quarter of the total amount made. 🙂
Manon
Thrilled with how this turned out! So much flavor for such a relatively quick cook-time, and so hardy for a vegan meal. I loved the spice mix. I have a feeling this will become a regular on my meal rotation!
CaraCara
Hey! I just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe; it’s become one of our favourites. It’s quick and easy to make and tastes delicious. I’ve recommended it to others and they also thoroughly enjoyed the flavours. Thanks for brightening up all our evening meals 🙂
Amanda
Oh, thanks so much for sharing this - I am so happy you like this recipe and that you're sharing it with friends and family. That makes me so happy to hear and I am so pleased to be a part of your food story. x
Rachael
I made this for dinner the other night, what a fantastic recipe!
This was a massive hit, even for my husband who is a carnivore and usually comments on not having meat in his meal.
I didn't have two cans of chickpeas, so I added some butternut pumpkin instead. it worked so well! I have been looking forward to eating the leftovers for lunch the past two days.
This is definitely going into the rotation for my weekly meal planning 🙂
Amanda
Oh, that's awesome Rachael. I am so you glad you guys enjoyed it and I love that you could adapt it to work with what you had in the kitchen. Perfect!
Thanks so much for letting me know 🙂
Amy Soeldner
So delicious and it was a hit at dinner tonight. This is a recipe I will put into our regular rotation. I was highly complimented on it by my SO. He even wished I had more so we could have it the rest of the week. I love the mix of spices, chickpeas, spinach and the coconut milk which gave it a creamy base. I liked that you could make this recipe as spicy or not as you want. I served it alongside a romaine, tomato, cucumber, red cabbage salad and homemade bread. It was quite the colorful and yummy meal. Thanks!
Amanda
Oh, Amy thanks so much for taking the time to write. I really appreciate it and I'm so glad you enjoyed the curry. I love this one too. Have an awesome day and thanks again xx
Maureen
Just made this it came out amazing! I used dried chilies very zesty
Amanda
Absolutely yummy. PERFECT!
Amanda
Yay! Thanks so much, Amanda xx
Tamara
Made it tonight! Followed the recipe, only substituted veg stock for chicken stock because it’s what I had.
It’s very delicious! I think the flavour could be even bolder. Ate it with naan and a veggie samosa. Will make again!
Amanda
Thanks so much, Tamara. I am so happy you enjoyed it. This chickpea curry is a a great all-rounder, one that is suitable for the whole family. But, by all means make it your own. Some readers add more spice, others more salt, some completely different vegetables. It's all yours now - that's what so great about recipes; you can make them your own. Have a great day and thanks for taking the time to leave feedback x
Jo
Hi Amanda, thanks so much for this recipe, it was absolutely delicious! I added a couple more teaspoons of curry powder. And also a couple of teaspoons of hot chilli powder as I like more heat, and it was amazing. The best chickpea curry recipe I've come across.
Amanda
Oh, thanks so much Jo. I am so happy you enjoyed the chickpea curry and that you made changes to make it your own. I love that about recipes - you start somewhere and then take it in your own direction. Thanks again, Amanda x
Tianna
made this last night for me & my partner and it was delicious!!!
I added about a tsp extra of curry powder and extra 1/2tsp of salt, also decreased the spinach, added the whole can of coconut milk, and added cauliflower. Served with Jasmine rice. Delicious, saving this for the future!!!
Jena
So perfect in so many ways, yjank you.
Amanda
Awesome! I love this. x