Chickpeas and Spinach Curry – Easy and flavorful Vegan chickpeas curry, made in one pot and in just 30 minutes. Skip the takeout and opt to make this quick and easy Indian-inspired Chickpeas curry for a tasty midweek dinner.
Serve with steamed rice , homemade naan bread, and Onion Salad.
About this easy Chickpea and Spinach Curry recipe ( Channa Palak Curry)
This easy Indian Chickpeas curry with spinach is inspired by my Chickpea Tikka Masala recipe. It’s an easy-to-prepare, One-Pot meal, delicious and Healthy too. An ideal curry to cook on busy nights, when I am short on time.
Loved by my family, this tasty midweek meal curry is mildly spicy, coconut-ty, and flavorful. Perfect to scoop with Easy Homemade Naan Bread Flatbread or serve with rice.
Want to make a Chickpea Spinach curry without coconut? Try my Saag Chana recipe!
It comes together in just about 30 minutes, while most of the time – it’s hands-free and just allowing the curry to simmer away. The only prep needed in this recipe is dicing the onion and mincing the ginger garlic.
I have found a way to speed up this process too. Add the onion, ginger, garlic, and green chili (if using any) to a food chopper and process. This works fantastic too ( I can assure you. )
It is important to allow the onion-tomato masala to simmer really well. And this makes all the difference between a good curry and a fantastic chickpeas spinach curry.
Also, it is all about the flavorful sauce and the aromatic spices that we use in the recipe. The curry stores really well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and for a few months in the refrigerator.
Why you’ll love this recipe?
Budget-friendly – This recipe mostly uses pantry staples and easy-to-find ingredients from the supermarket.
Just One Pot – You will only need one pot to make this saucy and flavorful curry.
Healthy – The curry boasts three of five a day and is still soo delicious.
Easy to customize – Add cauliflower, sweet potato, or even aubergine to this curry to bulk out the meal.
Versatile – Makes a fantastic family dinner option, mid-week lunch, or even as a part of a large spread.
Can be doubled, tripled, or even halved.
Dietary needs – Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy-free, and Gluten-free.
Ingredients
You will need the following to make this comforting Indian coconut chickpea spinach curry.
Chickpeas (Garbanzo beans). I have used about 3 Cups of Fresh cooked Chickpeas. Learn how to cook fresh chickpeas from dried beans at home. You can use 2 cans of chickpeas, for convenience.
Spinach – Fresh Baby spinach leaves work fantastic for this recipe. They do not require any chopping.
Onion – Use Red, White or Brown onion. I prefer to use red onion here.
Ginger Garlic – Use 1 Tablespoon of Ginger Garlic paste for convenience. Alternatively use 4 cloves of garlic and about 2 tsp ginger, minced
Tomato – To simplify the recipe, I have used 1 can of 400g diced tomatoes with juices. If you would like to use fresh tomatoes, use about 2 medium tomatoes.
Cumin seeds – They are easy to find at your grocery stores in Asian/ Mexican Aisle. Transfer the packet of the cumin seeds to the airtight jar to preserve the freshness. Did you know you can make ground cumin at home with cumin seeds? They are fantastic to make Jeera rice ( Indian Cumin rice)
Spices – The recipe uses warming spices like Garam Masala, Ground Cumin, Ground Coriander, Chilli Powder, and Turmeric Powder. All these spices are easy to find in the spices aisle of most Grocery stores. Don’t have garam masala, use curry powder or chana masala powder instead.
Oil – I have used Sunflower oil. However, you can also use Vegetable oil, Olive oil, or even Coconut oil for this spinach curry.
Coconut Milk – A can of full-fat coconut milk adds the coconut-ty flavors in the chickpeas and spinach curry.
Lime or Lemon Juice – Adding lime juice balances out the spices. Add them towards the end of cooking.
How to make Vegan Chickpea and Spinach Curry with coconut milk?
To make this easy Spinach and Chickpeas curry, start with chopping the onion and mincing the ginger and garlic. To speed up the process, I like to add onion, ginger, and garlic to my food chopper and process it for convenience.
Heat oil in a saucepan and add the cumin seeds. Next add the onion, ginger, and garlic and saute them until translucent – about 2-3 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and spices, and stir together to combine. Simmer the onion-tomato mixture, covered for at least 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. This step is necessary to make sure the masala is cooked really well.
Turn the heat down, and add the chickpeas, garam masala, and coconut milk. Mix together and cook covered for 5 minutes.
Finally, add the spinach, and lime juice and stir together. Cook covered for just 3 minutes.
Just before serving, drizzle vegan cream/ yogurt, and coriander leaves, and serve with onion slices.
Serving Suggestions for this Creamy Chickpea Spinach Curry
Serve this comforting Chickpeas Curry over steamed basmati rice, cumin rice, yellow pilau rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa, or couscous.
Tastes great with Yogurt Flatbread, Homemade Naan bread, Frozen Paratha, or even Phulka roti.
Makes a delicious meal spread along with Tarka Dal, Boondi Raita, Onion Bhaji, and Pickled onion.
Tips to make the Best Chickpea Spinach Curry
SIMMER – This Chickpea+Spinach curry can be made in 10 minutes. But simmering the onion tomato masala is essential and this adds tons of flavor to the curry.
DO NOT RUSH – Don’t hurry in adding all the ingredients in one go. Add them in stages.
SPICES– Always adjust the spices to your liking. If you love it spicier, add 1 Green chili or Jalapenos, diced in the curry. Add them while sauteing onion, ginger, and garlic.
SMOOTH CURRY OR CHUNKY CURRY BASE – If you like the curry chunky, you don’t have to do anything. But for a smooth curry base, stick a hand blender into the simmered onion-tomato masala mixture and blend till smooth.
GARNISHES – Toppings and Garnishes will elevate the textures in the curry.
Store Leftover Curry
Store any leftover spinach and chickpeas curry in an airtight container for up to 3 days, in the refrigerator.
To reheat, Warm the curry thoroughly in the microwave or on the Stovetop, stirring in between. Garnish with fresh toppings and serve with homemade flatbread.
Can I freeze this Spinach and Chickpeas Curry?
Yes, this Chickpea Spinach curry freezes really well for up to 3 months. Transfer the cooled curry into freezer-safe containers or in zip lock bags, labeled, and freeze.
If you love this Vegan Curry, you will also love
Creamy Coconut Chickpea Spinach Curry recipe below
Ingredients
- 2 tsp sunflower oil or coconut oil
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1 medium red onion diced
- 4 Garlic cloves minced
- 2 tsp ginger minced
- 1 can tomato chopped (400g)
- 2 can chickpeas, drained (500g) or 3 cup fresh cooked chickpeas
- 3 cup spinach 90g
- 1 can coconut milk 400g
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp garam masala or Curry powder
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- salt to taste
- 2 Tbsp lime juice or to taste
To serve
- 4 Tbsp Vegan Cream or Yogurt
- 2 Tbsp Coriander leaves
- Lime Wedges
- Red Chilli flakes
- Rice
Instructions
- Heat oil in a sauce pan. Add the cumin seeds and allow it to splutter.
- Add the diced onions, ginger, garlic and sauce for 2-3 minutes, until translucent.
- Add the tomatoes, spice powders and salt, stir to mix together. Cook covered for 9-10 minutes, until the mixture has reduced.
- Add the chickpeas, coconut milk to the onion tomato mixture and simmer for another 5-8 minutes.
- Now add the baby spinach, lime juice to taste and mix together. Cover and cook for another 3 minutes and turn off the flame.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Garnish the chickpeas spinach curry with cream, coriander leaves, red chilli flakes and sliced onions. Serve over with rice and/or with homemade naan bread.
Vidya Narayan says
This is absolutely delicious. We love curries with chickpeas. Hearty, filling and comfort food with some rice.
Natalie says
I used a blender to smooth it out for my kids, you know how they are, right?! It was very tasteful, thanks!
Beth says
You can’t beat a recipe that is this flavorful and also this healthy. I can’t wait to try it!
Sue says
Love that everything is easy for me to find at my grocery store, can’t wait to make it 🙂
GUNJAN says
I am always looking for new ideas for chickpeas. I found your recipe and loved the idea of adding spinach. My family loved it and demanded to make it again. Its a super hit curry recipe in my house.