Chickpea and Spinach Curry (2024)

This chickpea and spinach curry has been the most popular recipe on the blog since it was originally posted 6 years ago!

Skip to Recipe

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 This Recipe Works
Step-by-Step Guide
Can I Use Dried Chickpeas?
Recipe Shortcuts
Tips for Success
What to Serve With Your Curry
Recipe Variations
Storage
FAQs
More Fuss-free Recipes for You
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 This Recipe Works

It's quick - 10 minutes prep + 30 minutes cook time
This vegan curry is a one-pot recipe - less dishes is always a bonus.
It's made from easily found ingredients, most of which you'll probably have in your kitchen already.
The kids will love it too. It's not too spicy so little tummies can enjoy it.
We love that it's naturally gluten-free
It's a good source of iron with chickpeas while Vitamin C - rich tomatoes help with iron absorption
This curry freezes really well. Make a double batch and save some for another day.

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.

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 sureyou 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.

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.
Use cornstarch. 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.

Tips for Success

Sautéing the onion with the spices makes a real difference to the finished curry. This is where we begin to layer the flavours. Take the extra minutes to do this.
Use fresh ingredients. 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.
Give it time. Unless you're in a big hurry (it happens too often, right?), let your curry simmer away or at least 30-minutes. You'll get more flavour and better textures.
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 it 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.

What to Serve With Your Curry

Serve it with rice. You can't go past a big bowl of aromatic basmati rice or for additional protein, try cooked quinoa. A cup of cooked quinoa provides 8 grams of additional protein.
Cook up some pappadum or naan to dip into all that wonderful, warming sauce.
Spoon this amazing vegan curry over roasted sweet potatoes or a jacket spud.
Simply add a squeeze of lime and a spoon! So good.
Add it to a harvest bowl with brown rice, grilled broccoli or cauliflower and lashings of natural yoghurt.

Recipe Variations

Chickpea and Potato Curry. Add peeled, cubed potatoes when you add the chickpeas. Cook until the potatoes are 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.
Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry.Add cubed sweet potato with the chickpeas and cook until the sweet potato 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.

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.

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.

More Fuss-free Recipes for You

Simple Butter Bean Soup
Mushroom Masala with Chickpeas
Red Lentil Dahl (Masoor Dal) With Roast Eggplant
Eggplant Stir-Fry (Spicy)
Quick Lemon Orzo Recipe
5-ingredient Pumpkin Lentil Soup

Want more plant-based goodness?

Subscribe to mynewsletterand follow along onFacebook,Pinterest and Insta for all the latest news. If you like this recipe, please check outmy cookbook "Great Vegan Meals for the Carnivorous Family" It's full of simple, carnivore-approved family recipes.

Chickpea and Spinach Curry Recipe

This easy chickpea spinach curry is healthy, hearty and quick to make. Perfect for mid-week meals or meal-prep.

4.80 from 112 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Vegan Indian

Diet: Gluten Free | Vegan

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

Calories: 282kcal

Author: Amanda Logan

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

Can I use canned tomatoes instead of fresh?

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.

Does this curry freeze well?

How many will this serve?

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

Recipe Shortcuts

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.

Nutrition

Tried This Recipe?I'd love to hear your feedback. Rate it & leave your feedback in the comments section below. Or you can tag @mygoodnesskitchen or hashtag #mygoodnesskitchen on Instagram.