This Easy Chickpea curry is the perfect weeknight dinner: it's quick and easy to make, it comes together in one pot, and it uses staple pantry ingredients so you can make curry any time the craving hits. By the way, this recipe packs in some serious flavor, but it doesn't require any hard-to-find spices, and it's loaded with protein and fiber! Even the most adamant carnivores won't miss the meat in this vegan-friendly dish.
Apparently, shutdown grocery trips have meant one thing for me: buying another couple of cans of crushed tomatoes, another couple of cans of chickpeas, maybe even a bag of chickpeas for good measure, and grabbing whatever other odds and ends I can think of-- an onion here, a few heads of garlic there, maybe some pasta, a bag of pretzels, some bell peppers, iced tea...
But man, at some point, you'd think I would have thought, "I don't ever need-- nor want-- to buy chickpeas again." Perhaps after I made Pasta e Ceci for the fifth time. Maybe after I more hummus than one human being should consume in a decade. Definitely when I ran out of room in the pantry.
And I was almost there, honestly. Then, out of desperate need to switch-up my chickpea game (and make some space), I made this Easy Chickpea Curry. Let me tell you, I was back on the chickpea train so quick.
Because here's the thing: This Chickpea Curry is one of those recipes that you actually can make on a whim. You don't need to defrost the meat in the freezer. You don't have to run out for fresh and fast-spoiling veggies. You just have to grab some cans from the pantry, add a few other staple ingredients you likely have lying around, and you have an actually delicious dinner in under an hour.
I should emphasize the delicious part.
It's creamy, tomatoey, and heavily spiced. It's rich and velvety and satisfying. It's a recipe that will fill you up on the first serving, but you'll go back for seconds anyway because you can't help yourself.
A SPIN ON MY FAVORITE TIKKA MASALA
If you're reading the ingredients and you're thinking, "this sounds an awful lot like your Easy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe", you're right. This recipe was born from that recipe, but even faster and even easier (and vegan approved).
While I love making my own spice mix for the perfect balance of flavors, I wanted this version to be super simple and not require any difficult-to-gather ingredients, so I stuck with pre-blended curry powder and additional cumin. I also ditched the marinade (not necessary for chickpeas!) and opted to go without ginger as I don't always have it on-hand.
You can, of course, always opt to spice things up with your own spice mix (simply follow the Easy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe if you'd like to make your own), or add in additional vegetables or aromatics.
Just like the Chicken Tikka Masala, this recipe is best served with basmati rice, some fresh lime wedges, and plenty of naan to scoop up all of that sauce. The sauce is the best part!
HOMEMADE GARLIC NAAN
Pre-packaged naan from a grocery store will work in a pinch, but there's nothing better than warm, fresh, buttery naan. If you want to make your own, this recipe for Homemade Garlic Naan is a must!
Tip: Make the dough ahead, separate it into balls, and freeze them individually to defrost later and make fresh naan any time you make curry!
SO IS THIS RECIPE CHANA MASALA, THEN?
It depends on who you ask. Some people will tell you that becuase there are so many varieties of Chana Masala, any dish consisting of chickpeas in a heavily-spiced onion and tomato sauce will count. Others will tell you that if you use curry powder it doesn't count as Chana Masala because curry powder and garam masala are very different in flavor. And even more have a list of other criteria a dish has to meet to count as Chana Masala, like using a certain type of chickpea, or including green peppers. So I'll just stick with calling it curry.
But the honest truth is, whatever you call it, it's an simple, delicious recipe inspired by authentic Indian flavors but with some corner-cutting for weeknight ease.
HOW TO MAKE EASY CHICKPEA CURRY
This pantry Chickpea Curry recipe is a simplified version of the more classic Chana Masala, made to come together in under an hour and require no soaking of the chickpeas or complex blend of spices.
Instead of including a long list of ingredients, this recipe makes sure to pay special attention to the few "must have" components. For example, to begin, we cook the onions and garlic on medium-low heat. While we want to make this recipe fast and easy, it's important that we get a good, golden color on the onions before we continue. This brings out some of the sweeter and more subtle flavors of the onion and garlic, prevents any bitterness from cooking too fast, and allows the onions to sort of melt into the sauce a bit as we continue to cook.
We also add in the crushed red pepper flakes with the onion and garlic. This allows the flakes to toast first, and then, as the onions release their juices, to re-hydrate a bit. You can also opt to omit the crushed red pepper flakes and use fresh red hot peppers if you have them on hand, or simply add a squirt of sriracha or a different chili sauce towards the end, to taste, if you prefer.
Next, we add the curry powder and cumin. We mix it all up and let it get toasty before moving on. Usually, for Indian food, you'd want to toast whole seeds for optimal results. But even toasting ground spices can bring out subtle tastes like a slight extra nuttiness, while mellowing some of the harsher flavors.
Now it's time to make the sauce. First, we add crushed tomatoes or canned tomato sauce and mix well, gently scraping up any toasted spices on the bottom of the pot. Then, we add in full fat coconut milk, which gives this recipe its creamy consistency. Avoid low-fat alternatives as they tend to be too thin for a good sauce.
Finally, it's time to add the stars of the recipe: the chickpeas! It's best to drain and rinse them first, as it decreases the sodium in the recipe and makes the chickpeas easier to digest and less gass-producing.
And all we have to do is wait for those chickpeas to warm through and soften just a bit to the perfect tender consistency, and for the sauce to thicken slightly.
At this point, we adjust our seasonings to taste (and add salt and pepper!) and sprinkle over a little chopped fresh cilantro, if we have some on hand. Now it's time to serve!
EASY CHICKPEA CURRY VIDEO
Easy Chickpea Curry
- Total Time: 40 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1-2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 (15 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk
- 2 (15 ounce) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges, for garnish (optional)
- Naan bread and rice, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- In a large, heavy bottomed pot or high-walled pan, heat the oil over medium-low. Add the sliced onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and deep golden, about 15 minutes. Add a tablespoon of water at a time if the onions get dry.
- Increase the heat to medium. Add the curry powder and cumin and stir until toasted, about 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and gently scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden or rubber spoon to release the any browned spices or onions stuck to the bottom.
- Pour in the coconut milk and add the chickpeas the pot. Stir and reduce to low heat. Let simmer until the sauce is thickened and the chickpeas are slightly softened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and adjust other seasonings as necessary.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges over basmati rice and/or with naan.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
vivian says
A good, easy recipe, and good tasting too! I found the cooking time for the onions and garlic was far too long, but you just have to play it by ear and use your own judgement.
Sarah says
Awesome recipe! Has become a staple dinner in my household!
D. Robinson says
I am vegan and made this dish as a meal prep for the week and absolutely loved it. The ingredients are simple, readily availability and it's an easy, no-fuss meal. This is now a staple in my meal prep routine.
Jalissa Phillips says
This recipe deserves at least 10 stars. I made it last night for my son and I and it was aaammmazzing. Ingredients are so simple, but the taste is Exquisite. I will be making this weekly in my home!!!
Holli says
Awesome recipe! So easy. My kids (ages 4, 2, and 1) cleared their plates without coercion. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for sharing!
Unknown says
Love it! Tastes amazing with whole-wheat paratha. But I recommend guiding us in how much salt and pepper to use, as people like me are not good with adjusting them.
Bean says
I used 1/2 tsp. of salt in mine and it seemed about right. And about 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper. Hope that helps.
Aixa B. Lau says
Ground pepper instead of red pepper flakes, or in addition to the flakes? Thanks.
Morgan says
Hi Aixa-- you can use ground pepper in addition to the red pepper flakes, to taste. You do not have to use ground pepper though if you find your dish doesn't need it! Hope you enjoy!
Ana says
How did your kids go for this given how much heat comes from curry powder? Any tips ?
Kai says
Curry powder doesn't have any heat. It's the pepper flakes that are spicy. Just omit them for a.mild curry.
SweetP says
First time eating chickpeas. I made this recipe during my Daniel's Fast, OMG I will definitely be making it again. Delicious
*I added ginger
Crystal says
This was so good...i cracked a couple eggs on top and broiled for brunch... very versatile meal..I may try it with beef or chicken too. I added a little to many shaky shakes of red pepper flakes so it was a little spicier than im used to but the eggs balanced it out.Thank you.
esb says
you make no sense
you took a recipe and added so much odd stuff to it, so there is a question - why do you need recipes at all? Just use everything you have in the fridge
It's like "I loved your hamburger. I just added some shrimps, brocolli, and apple pie to it - tasted great!"
Alistair says
@esb hey, I’m just some internet stranger but I hope you see this:
Your comment is so comprehensively unhelpful & sad.
It’s really unnecessary for you to go to the effort of attacking this person who contributed their experience, simply because their approach rubs you the wrong way.
It’s not just unkind, unfair & destructive; it doesn’t make sense.
People play with switching up recipes all the time; half the value of these comments is in sharing your variations with other readers! Certainly that’s why I read them.
I’m sorry for however you’re feeling already, that their comment made you react so strongly; I hope you can find a place of safety to work through that.
(I mean this sincerely, not sarcastically. I’m annoyed by your comment just as your were Crystal’s, but I don’t want to just add to the angry atmosphere.
It seems to me you’ve felt a painful overreaction, which I know in my life usually means I’m seriously hurting just beneath the surface.
I hope you can hear me as genuine, not condescending - I think you can be better than that comment, but sometimes first you need to feel better in yourself.)
Anyway, I hope others don’t feel unsafe to contribute.
@crystal thanks for sharing! The eggs addition feels very shakshouka-adjacent, I’ll have to try it!
P.s. we’ve made the recipe as written a couple of times and *loved it* - so simple & delicious. I paired it with a naan dough you can freeze ahead, to make the actual cook super simple on a busy day 😀
tj says
Thank you, Alistair, for taking the time to respond with understanding & empathy. Very well said.
Anna says
You are so incredibly kind and this kind of maturity is so impressive. I stumbled across your comment and had to let you know that we need so many more people like you in this world!
Patty Powledge says
Love your response, I like seeing all variations of recipes, besides the original. I use 1 can of chick peas and 1 can of black beans. Instead of 1/4 of pepper flakes I use 1/2 and 1/4 of cumin since I really dislike cumin. 1 can of tomato sauce instead of crushed tomatoes and 2 chicken breast cut up in small cubes. Is all I had at the moment I made the recipe, I did the original recipe the second time and dint like it much that way but I love the taste of it after my adjustments. I really dislike the cumin, that is the only reason I didnt like it. Now I just use 1/4 of the cumin and everything is perfect. Thank you for taking the time to show some emphaty.
banana says
why you hatin! get out we don't need you!
I will be adding eggs to my next curry leftovers, great idea :]
Dawn Robinson says
I agree.
Sherry says
Used this recipe as a base w/ a different mix of veggies and some spice & cream add ons. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe!!! 🙂
Sarah says
Super simple, easy to throw together using pantry staples. I did not do the red pepper because my kids dislike too much spice. Threw in an extra tsp curry (yellow mild) and about 1/2 tsp salt. Served over left over coconut quinoa--it was a good combination. I will add this to my rotation of 'recipes in a pinch'.
suzy says
i am obsessed, i cook this almost every night.
Jamie says
I had another recipe in mind for my chickpeas but felt tired by the time I needed to start cooking it, so I googled and came across this recipe. It was so, so easy and quick. I definitely see this as one of my healthy “ fast food” meals. It was a little too spicy (I used the 1/4t. of chili pepper flakes and 2T. curry powder), so I will adjust this 2 a wee bit. I make yogurt at home, so I had plenty to help mitigate the burning sensation, but there was still a bit too much burning for us. But the flavor is delicious! I served it with basmati, lime, and cilantro also. So tasty!
R. Stanard says
Made this for the first time. It is delicious. Followed the recipe exactly with the exception of adding some fresh spinach at the end for some color contrast. Next time I will add a bit more red pepper because I like spicy. But loved this recipe. So tasty and easy to make.
Aixa B. Lau says
I was planning to make fried tofu with veggies, but then changed my mind when I found this recipe. By then I had cooked medium grain rice which I serve with Chinese food. But basmati? Of course! Next time. Thanks for reminding me.
Bean says
Very, very good. I added about 1/4 tsp. of cinnamon and I pureed the onion, tomato, coconut milk mixture before adding the chickpeas. This gave the sauce extra body that really clung to the rice (and my kids couldn't pick them out!). The lime on top is a must! Served with quick sautéed snow peas and homemade naan. Spot on.
Lori says
The addition of cinnamon and lime gave this the extra kick it needed. Thanks for the suggestion.
Louis Ventelucci says
Dear Morgan,
many thanks for the recipe.
I tried it yesterday and it was very delicious.
The combination of the herbs is perfect.
Yours sincerely,
The Vegetarian Hannibal
Stephanie says
Easy and delicious! Definitely becoming a staple in my kitchen.
Sharon says
I made this on a whim. I didn’t have crushed tomatoes so I used left over sauce I had in the freezer I made with fresh tomatoes. I didn’t follow the amounts for the spices I just guesstimated. This was so good! I must put the left overs away right now or I’ll over eat.
Jordan says
This dinner is delicious and super easy/fast to make! We make it often!! I wanted to make this tonight but don’t have an onion. Can you make this without an onion?
Olivia says
I made it without onion (didn’t have one on hand) but supplemented with onion powder. It was delicious.
Kara Bibb says
One of my resolutions is to mindfully prepare more vegetarian meals. I have been using chick peas regularly and this is far and away the best chick pea dish I have made so far! I only had one can left so I threw in bell peppers, carrots, and snow peas and it was so beautiful and yummy!
Melanie says
Is this recipe make ahead, freezer friendly?
Liz says
I’m going to make this today, I’ll definitely have leftovers. Will it freeze and reheat well?
Marcel says
I enjoyed this curry very much. However toasting the curry powder 30 seconds before adding the crushed tomatoes increased the flavor even more.
Rex says
I made this 2x now, great and amazing every time!!! Minor modification, fresh chickpeas, 1 pound. Household favorite go to recipe.
Amy Gray Light says
Making dinner for eight. (Not Dinner at Eight, lol).
Should I double this? We will have apps, naan, veg side and dessert as well. Thank you. On the 27th so timely reply appreciated.
Bill says
It was really good but mine came out too runny. Any idea on how to thicken it?
Gloria says
Me and my family really enjoyed this recipe!
Jenn says
I used my immersion blender and gave it a couple of whirrs to thicken it. My issue was that the chickpeas did not soften at all in the time provided. For our taste, I probably need to cook it for an hour or so. It might thicken up then, don't know, but at least the chickpeas would be softer.
Sherry says
I followed your recipe almost exactly - the only thing I did different was add about 1 tsp of sugar and I took some (about 1/2c ) of the curry and blended it (chickpeas and tomato, onion, sauce included) to thicken it a bit. Talk about an easy recipe that I am sure would be even better with chicken
Dottie says
We make this almost weekly. It’s delicious. While a 15 oz can of crushed toms isn’t readily available, I use petite diced, cook through 15ish minutes *after* the onions have cooked, blitz it all with a hand blender, then proceed with recipe as written. So so good!
Katie says
Great recipe. Family loves this dish.
BaeJaMadeIt says
Home Chef here, and loved this recipe though I had a number of swap outs based on the ingredients I had on hand.
- I used evaporated milk
- 1/2 Chili Powder 1/2 Cumin = Curry Powder
- Rotel Tomatoes
Garnished with Cilantro & Lime really bringing this dish to the next level
Even with the ingredients I had on hand, it was excellent and I cannot wait to try the recipe with the ingredients listed (which I’ve purchased since making)
10/10 recommend
I’m in a household of 1 adult, 1 infant (9 mo) and we were able to get approx 4 adult servings (by measure standard of 1-1/2 cup per person)
PepperAnn says
Wowza!! Thank you for this recipe!! I added a steam bag of fresh cauliflower and it was bedonkadonk!!! I am cutting way back on my meat consumption and this came into my life at the perfect time. I intend on keeping all of these ingredients on hand to enjoy this once per week (leftovers for lunch!)
ChiChi says
I mistakenly put in TWO cans of crushed tomatoes but it was still delicious! I cooked the onions for quite a while and THEN added the garlic for a couple of minutes so as not to burn it.
Julie says
This was delicious! Full of flavor and simple to make!
Jeannette says
Should you drain the crushed tomatoes prior to adding them to the recipe?
Morgan says
Hi Jeanette! Add as-is. The crushed tomatoes should be pretty sauce-like from the can. Hope you enjoy!
Kathy says
My husband is a definite carnivore, so I get nervous trying for healthy recipes. He LOVED this!!! It was amazing. I did add a touch of ginger because I love it. Had no lime, but everything else I followed to the letter! This is being added to our list of “Mediterranean” dishes that I will insert in our menu!
Niomi Smith says
I can not believe this was so bloody tasty. Thankyou!! I followed your recipe to the letter with cashew cream, as I'm dairy free, pistachio nuts for garnish and pappadams instead of rice... Insanely good. Thanks again!
Morgan says
I'm so glad you liked it Niomi, and thank you so much for letting us know that cashew cream works well for others who are looking for dairy-free options as well!!
Jason says
Came out pretty good, despite making a couple of errors (one was intentional). When shopping for the ingredients, i couldn't find garlic. I'm not aware of a shortage, but it was no where to be found. I was bit sad about that as I'm the type of guy that would likely be posting "I made this recipe except I used 30 cloves of garlic, it was good but I can't figure out why I can't taste the curry." I also straight up forgot the chile flakes. I've been watching my sodium intake of late, so I tend to not use salt. No salt makes for bland food, but herbs and spices can make up for the lack of salt (trained chefs will probably disagree, but I like not having high blood pressure). Next time I will definitely not leave out the garlic and chile though.
Stephanie says
Thank you so much. This was an easy recipe to follow and make. My toddler loved it (as did her parents) this one will become a staple in our house.
Morgan says
Always love to hear when a recipe gets the toddler seal of approval! Thanks for letting me know Stephanie, and I'm so glad you liked it.
Nik says
Hi! i do love this recipe & make it often but im hoping for advice. every time i make it, the coconut milk doesn’t seem to actually blend with the crushed tomatoes… comes out tasting fine but a bit watery in texture & you can see the little white flecks of coconut milk in the sauce. am i doing something wrong? i’ve tried multiple different coconut milks
Laura B. says
I am not a fan of anything coconut. Is there anything I can sub without straying too far from the flavor profile you created? I am not a super creative cook, so anyone with a snarky comment, please just scroll by this.
Tina says
Heavy cream worked well for me!
Kim says
EXCELLENT recipe! Made this last night for dinner and it was DELICIOUS!
Made some changes by adding some frozen chopped spinach, fresh hydrated chickpeas, and garlic paste (instead of fresh chopped).
Definitely going into my weekly rotating meal planning list.
Me says
Thank you for the recipe! I didn't use coconut milk instead I used a shelf stable 2 percent milk and it turned out just fine! A pinch of crushed red pepper and white beans as well as chic peas because I didn't have enough chic peas it turned out great and everyone liked it. Thanks. Happy new year
Morgan says
I bet the white beans were great! Happy New Year to you, too!
Blaire says
This was very easy and so, so good. I did use light coconut milk, so it wasn't as thick as it probably would have been if I had followed the recipe to the letter. But served over rice, it didn't seem overly soupy at all. My spouse and I will absolutely be making this again!
Morgan says
Great to hear that it still worked out well with the light coconut milk, and so glad you liked it, Blair!
Robbin says
Made this for my non vegan husband (with Spicey ribs) he loved it. Side of rice and hot sauce. Win!win!
Claudia Estrada says
This is my favorite easy curry recipe. I'm making it again this week. It's so tasty, I think the cumin works really well to make it stand out from the other simple curry recipes I've tried.
Morgan says
I'm so glad you like it, Claudia!!
Sue says
Hello, should I use refined coconut oil or unrefined? Thank you!
Megan says
Great recipe that's easy to make. It was the first time I ever made curry and it turned out really tasty. Thanks!
Morgan says
That's awesome, thanks Megan!
Kelli says
This is fantastic thanks! I had to make conversions to grams, as I'm in Australia. I also do not know what our equivalent is to red pepper flakes, couldn't find them at shop,so I used cayenne pepper instead. Turned out amazing.
Morgan says
Thanks Kelli! I'm so glad you liked it!
Jessica says
Delicious! I didn't have any crushed tomatoes so I used a can of tomato sauce, which added a bit more liquid, so I added a second can of chickpeas. I also added about a tsp of brown sugar to sweater just a tad. So tasty, even my 9yo loved it!
Lilo says
It’s a nice recipe that you can adapt to what you want. I added potatoes and carrots to give it more body, and I didn’t have coconut milk so I used veggie broth, milk, and heavy cream to replace and used coconut butter to give it a coconuty taste. I also blended some chickpeas and broth together to make the curry broth thicker.
Morgan says
I love that you were able to adapt it to fit what you had available! So glad you enjoyed it, Lilo!
Patricia says
I just made this last night for my meal prep I got about 4 servings out of it paired with rice I did add about .5 tablespoons extra of curry and cumin just my personal preference on the spices and a dash of turmeric. This was so good I had to eat one of my servings immediatly and heated a few of the prebought naan bread with butter
, absolutely amazing I will be remaking this And it was so easy to make other than waiting for cooking time everything else was done in minutes!