This chickpea curry with coconut milk and spinach is delicious, creamy, and easy to make. This recipe is vegan and gluten-free and is ready in about 40 minutes.
This creamy chickpea curry is made with coconut milk, fresh baby spinach, tomato sauce, canned chickpeas, and a vibrant curry seasoning blend. Adjust the heat to your liking (see notes below).
This chickpea curry recipe is perfect for quick weekday dinners or as a recipe for beginners. The chickpeas become beautifully tender after simmering and pair perfectly with wilted baby spinach. It’s also great for meal prep!
If you want to add extra veggies, I love sliced or diced bell peppers, red onion, and sweet potatoes. Serve this over basmati rice, cauliflower rice, brown rice, jasmine rice and naan and top with fresh cilantro, red pepper flakes, and a wedge of lime. Add a dollop of plain yogurt (either whole milk or dairy-free) to make this recipe extra creamy.
This is comfort food! If you like Indian food and curry recipes, try Instant Pot Coconut Chicken Curry.
Recipe highlights
- Easy to make: This is a simple recipe using pantry ingredients that takes only 30-40 minutes.
- Vegan: This plant-based recipe is dairy-free, egg-free, and meatless.
- Gluten-free: As prepared, this chickpea curry is gluten-free. Skip the naan or serve with gluten-free naan.
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Ingredients
- olive oil - For sauteing the onion, or coconut oil
- yellow onion - Chopped
- garlic - Minced
- fresh ginger - Minced or grated
- seasonings - Chili powder, ground coriander seed, ground turmeric, cumin, garam masala, kosher salt
- coconut milk - Full fat canned coconut milk or light coconut milk (Tip: shake the can of coconut milk before opening)
- tomato sauce - This comes in a can
- chickpeas - Can of chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
- baby spinach - Fresh baby spinach
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
Sauté the onion for about 5 minutes until they become translucent.
Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
Add the coriander, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, chili powder, and salt and cook for 1 to 2 additional minutes until fragrant.
Pour in the coconut milk and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
Add the chickpeas, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After simmering, taste and add additional salt if desired.
Remove from the heat and add the fresh spinach and gradually stir it into the curry.
The residual heat will wilt the leaves after a minute or two.
Garnish (optional) and serve warm. Serve chickpea and spinach curry with:
- Basmati rice
- Naan
- Fresh cilantro
- Plain yogurt (either plain whole milk yogurt or plain dairy-free yogurt)
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh lime juice
Substitutions
- Coconut milk - This recipe uses full-fat coconut milk (found in a can). Substitute with low-fat or lite coconut milk if desired.
- Tomato sauce - Tomato sauce is found in a can near diced or crushed tomatoes. This is not the same thing as a jarred pasta sauce. This is called tomato passata in some countries.
- Spinach - Fresh baby spinach can be substituted with fresh tender spinach or kale that has been destemmed and torn into small pieces.
Adjusting the spice level
If you are new to Indian cooking, curry is very flavorful and can be hot. This recipe is mild to medium heat.
- To make the recipe spicier, add ¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the spice blend.
- To make the recipe more mild, use less garam masala and chili powder, add a splash more coconut milk, and/or serve with yogurt.
Equipment
Storage
Store chickpea and spinach curry in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Chickpea and spinach curry can be frozen for up to 3 months. Fully defrost before reheating in the microwave or on the stove.
FAQ
Canned chickpeas are already cooked and can be eaten straight from the can but simmering for about 20 minutes helps to make them more tender.
Vegetables like onion, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, red bell pepper, sweet peas, snow peas, and zucchini are all great in curry.
📖 Recipe
Chickpea Curry with Coconut Milk and Spinach
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander seed
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1-½ cups coconut milk
- 1-½ cups canned tomato sauce
- 28 oz canned chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 6 oz baby spinach
To serve (optional)
- Basmati rice
- Naan
- Fresh cilantro
- Plain yogurt
- Red pepper flakes
- Fresh lime juice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat and sauté the onion for about 5 minutes until they become translucent.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook for another minute.
- Add the coriander, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, chili powder, and salt and cook for 1 to 2 additional minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the coconut milk and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.
- Add the chickpeas, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
- Remove from the heat and add the fresh spinach and gradually stir it into the curry. The residual heat will wilt the leaves after a minute or two.
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