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Easy Chickpea Curry

June 8, 2020 by Morgan 35 Comments

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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.

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.

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. 

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

EASY CHICKPEA CURRY VIDEO

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Easy Chickpea Curry


★★★★★

5 from 23 reviews

  • Author: Morgan
  • Total Time: 40 mins
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or coconut oil
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 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

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with lime wedges over basmati rice and/or with naan.
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 30 mins

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Filed Under: Quick and Easy, Uncategorized

« Pasta e Ceci (One Pot Pasta and Chickpeas)
Southwestern Pasta Salad »

Comments

  1. vivian says

    August 4, 2020 at 7:04 pm

    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.

    ★★★★

    Reply
  2. Sarah says

    December 14, 2020 at 10:02 pm

    Awesome recipe! Has become a staple dinner in my household!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  3. D. Robinson says

    December 24, 2020 at 11:37 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jalissa Phillips says

      October 5, 2022 at 10:39 am

      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!!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  4. Holli says

    January 12, 2021 at 10:05 am

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Unknown says

      July 14, 2021 at 8:50 pm

      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.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Bean says

        September 1, 2021 at 10:19 am

        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.

        Reply
    • Ana says

      September 23, 2022 at 12:51 am

      How did your kids go for this given how much heat comes from curry powder? Any tips ?

      Reply
  5. SweetP says

    January 16, 2021 at 11:38 am

    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

    Reply
  6. Crystal says

    March 11, 2021 at 10:34 am

    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.

    Reply
    • esb says

      September 14, 2022 at 1:29 pm

      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!”

      Reply
      • Alistair says

        October 9, 2022 at 2:52 am

        @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 😀

        ★★★★★

        Reply
      • banana says

        October 17, 2022 at 9:28 pm

        why you hatin! get out we don’t need you!

        I will be adding eggs to my next curry leftovers, great idea :]

        Reply
  7. Sherry says

    June 18, 2021 at 10:06 pm

    Used this recipe as a base w/ a different mix of veggies and some spice & cream add ons. Yummy! Thanks for the recipe!!! 🙂

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  8. Sarah says

    June 23, 2021 at 7:07 pm

    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’.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  9. suzy says

    July 10, 2021 at 8:00 pm

    i am obsessed, i cook this almost every night.

    Reply
  10. Jamie says

    August 21, 2021 at 11:20 am

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • R. Stanard says

      February 9, 2022 at 5:05 pm

      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.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  11. Bean says

    September 1, 2021 at 10:22 am

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lori says

      May 10, 2022 at 8:16 pm

      The addition of cinnamon and lime gave this the extra kick it needed. Thanks for the suggestion.

      ★★★★★

      Reply
  12. Louis Ventelucci says

    September 12, 2021 at 4:22 pm

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  13. Stephanie says

    September 29, 2021 at 5:58 pm

    Easy and delicious! Definitely becoming a staple in my kitchen.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  14. Sharon says

    October 20, 2021 at 6:20 pm

    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.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Jordan says

    January 1, 2022 at 4:19 pm

    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?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Olivia says

      July 8, 2022 at 9:24 pm

      I made it without onion (didn’t have one on hand) but supplemented with onion powder. It was delicious.

      Reply
  16. Kara Bibb says

    January 7, 2022 at 10:16 pm

    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!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  17. Melanie says

    February 22, 2022 at 3:17 pm

    Is this recipe make ahead, freezer friendly?

    Reply
  18. Liz says

    July 30, 2022 at 9:21 am

    I’m going to make this today, I’ll definitely have leftovers. Will it freeze and reheat well?

    Reply
  19. Marcel says

    August 1, 2022 at 9:22 am

    I enjoyed this curry very much. However toasting the curry powder 30 seconds before adding the crushed tomatoes increased the flavor even more.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  20. Rex says

    September 1, 2022 at 11:02 pm

    I made this 2x now, great and amazing every time!!! Minor modification, fresh chickpeas, 1 pound. Household favorite go to recipe.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  21. Amy Gray Light says

    October 23, 2022 at 4:59 pm

    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.

    Reply
  22. Bill says

    November 1, 2022 at 11:57 pm

    It was really good but mine came out too runny. Any idea on how to thicken it?

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  23. Gloria says

    November 11, 2022 at 8:37 pm

    Me and my family really enjoyed this recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  24. Sherry says

    January 13, 2023 at 6:25 pm

    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

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  25. Dottie says

    January 30, 2023 at 7:35 pm

    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!

    Reply

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MEET MORGAN

Morgan is a full-time food blogger, pizza-related sleep talker, and self-described hobby hoarder.
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