Chickpea curry in 5 mins
This recipe started out a challenge wondering could we cook a beautiful Chickpea curry in 5 mins – we weren’t sure if we could do it but low and behold it worked and it really tasted so good – so much so the recipe video for this has over 2 million views.
Takes: 5mins | Makes: 2 Servings | Difficulty: Beginner
Traditional french cooking is all about time – time to reduce sauces and really concentrate flavour. We show here that you can still get deep flavour in short time. By using tamari or soy sauce which typically is not used in Indian cooking it gives that deeper umami note. The coconut milk adds the creamy indulgent sweet quality to the sauce which offsets the acidity in the tomatoes. We use 2 tins of chickpeas in this recipe which you could easily substitute with any other cooked bean or lentil of choice.
How to make this curry – step by step photograph guide
- Gather your ingredients
- Heat a wide bottomed non stick pan on high heat. We cook this dish on high heat as we want to cook it as quick as possible – the goal is 5 mins.
- Peel and chop the onion, garlic and ginger. Finely dice the chilli and remove the seeds if you prefer it less hot. These are known as an Indian stock, these will function as our base flavours.
- Once our pan is nice and hot add in the chopped onion, garlic, ginger and chilli and fry for 2 mins stirring regularly so that the onion starts to brown
5. Next add in the curry powder and black pepper and mix through. We want to awaken the flavours here in the spices and cook for 30 seconds and keep stirring to ensure they don’t burn.
6. Drain and rinse the cans of chickpeas and add to the pan along with the can of chopped tomatoes and can of coconut milk and mix well. Don’t worry if there are any lumps of the coconut fat these will melt and add a creaminess to your sauce.
7. Add in the zest of half of a lime and juice of half a lime.
8. Finely chip the fresh coriander or herb of choice including the stalk. And add to the dish
9. Most importantly taste and season to your liking. If you like it more spicy add more chilli, if you prefer your curry with more zing or acidity add more lime juice or if you prefer a deeper flavour add some more tamari and finally if it tastes too strong or salted and 2-3 tbsp of water to dilute the flavour and adjust to your liking.
10. Serve with some teryaki tofu and some sliced avocado or any other accompaniments that you would like.
FAQ – frequently asked questions
You can simply use water or veg stock in place and it will result in a more lighter and lower in fat version. Alternatively you could use oat milk or non dairy milk of choice however it wont be as indulgent or as rich.
Lastly you could substitute with a cashew cream sauce.
Absolutely! You could use any cooked beans or lentils of choice, some of our favourites are butterbeans, blackbeans and lentils.
Yes indeed it freezes really well and heats up great.
Allow it to cool and store it in a reusable tub in the fridge. It will last for 2 days in the fridge.
Yes indeed, white onions, green onions, leeks or even scallions can work in place, the onions function as the base flavours
It will last for 2 days in the fridge
Serving suggestions for this Chickpea curry?
- It goes amazing served with a Dosa or savoury pancake- here we make an easy Chickpea Dosa and serve it with a channa masala
- If you are doing an Indian dinner here is a recipe for a wonderful street food recipe from Dehli called a Pav Bhaji
- These Sweet potato Fritters are so lovely and crispy and add a whole other texture to this dish
- An amazing cake to finish your meal is this fabulous Chocolate mousse cake
Our favourite Chickpea recipes
- Here are 3 of our favourite chickpea recipes, a channa masala with a chickpea Dosa, or a low FODMAP chickpea curry with mushrooms which is easy to digest
Chickpea Curry
Takes 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
- ½ red onion
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ thumb-sized piece of ginger
- ½ a red chili if you like it spice like Dave, leave the seeds in!
- 1 tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- 1 g x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 g x 400g tin coconut milk
- 1 g x 400g tin of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- small bunch of coriander
- zest of ½ lime
- juice of ½ lime
- 1 avocado
Instructions
- Heat the oil on a medium heat.
- Thinly slice the onion and garlic and add to the pan.
- Grate the ginger into the pan. No need to remove the skin!
- Thinly slice the chilli and add to the pan.
- Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and chickpeas.
- Add the salt and pepper.
- Chop the coriander and add to the pan along with the lime zest.
- Add the lime juice, season to taste and serve with avocado and the grain of your choice. Lovely!
Video
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18 Comments
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Carol says:
Even my meat and potatoes husband liked it! -
Caroline says:
Super quick and easy and very tasty! This was one of my family’s first dishes switching over to plant based eating and it has become a staple for us. Thank you for a great recipe. -
Terri says:
Very nice but it needed something extra like sweet potato which I added the 2nd time I made it. -
Ben says:
Hey, how many calories is it per portion?
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Kate says:
We make this once a week. Delicious, quick and nutritious. We throw in some baby spinach just at the end and have subbed in lentils for chickpeas. A serious crowd pleaser. -
Ann says:
I make this recipe a lot and it’s always popular with whoever I serve it to. I reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, use 2 tins of chickpeas for extra protein and add 100g of baby spinach leaves at the end. -
Lorraine says:
Mine turned out like a soup….
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Kinemaster says:
This chickpea curry looks delicious and healthy! I love the combination of flavors in this dish, and it’s great to see plant-based recipes like these on your blog. Keep up the good work!
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Neet and Angel says:
I absolutely love this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorite dishes, and the addition of the spiced coconut milk makes it so flavorful and creamy. I’ve already made it twice this week and I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
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nba 2K20 says:
Loved this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorites and the addition of coconut milk and spinach makes it so flavorful and nutritious. Will definitely be making this again soon 😋
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Loving this recipe! So easy to make and packed with flavor. The chickpeas add a great protein boost and the curry powder gives it a lovely warm spice. Definitely making this again!
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Loved this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorites and the addition of fresh cilantro and lime juice really makes it pop. I’ll have to try adding coconut milk next time for an extra creamy texture. Thanks for sharing!
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Love this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorite dishes and it’s great to see a plant-based version. The Happy Pear’s recipes are always so simple and delicious. Can’t wait to try this one out!
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Little Nightmares says:
Great post! I’ve been looking for more plant-based recipes to add to my rotation, and this chickpea curry looks like a game-changer. I love the idea of using canned chickpeas to make it even quicker and easier. Can’t wait to give it a try!
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Kimberly G Wood says:
I’ve been making this for years & my meat eating family luvs it. I double it for leftovers.😋
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Susan Flynn says:
Mine was like soup
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Jump Assemble says:
Wow, this curry looks amazingly delicious! I’m new to plant-based cooking and I loved the simplicity and clarity of the recipe. Can’t wait to try it out this weekend, thanks for sharing!
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tiktio says:
This Chickpea Curry recipe is absolutely fantastic! The flavors are so vibrant and it’s super easy to make. I love how nutritious it is too—definitely a new favorite in my kitchen. Thank you, Happy Pear!
18 Comments
Even my meat and potatoes husband liked it!
Super quick and easy and very tasty! This was one of my family’s first dishes switching over to plant based eating and it has become a staple for us. Thank you for a great recipe.
Very nice but it needed something extra like sweet potato which I added the 2nd time I made it.
Hey, how many calories is it per portion?
We make this once a week. Delicious, quick and nutritious. We throw in some baby spinach just at the end and have subbed in lentils for chickpeas. A serious crowd pleaser.
I make this recipe a lot and it’s always popular with whoever I serve it to. I reduce the salt to 1/2 teaspoon, use 2 tins of chickpeas for extra protein and add 100g of baby spinach leaves at the end.
Mine turned out like a soup….
This chickpea curry looks delicious and healthy! I love the combination of flavors in this dish, and it’s great to see plant-based recipes like these on your blog. Keep up the good work!
I absolutely love this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorite dishes, and the addition of the spiced coconut milk makes it so flavorful and creamy. I’ve already made it twice this week and I’m sure I’ll be making it again soon. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe!
Loved this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorites and the addition of coconut milk and spinach makes it so flavorful and nutritious. Will definitely be making this again soon 😋
Loving this recipe! So easy to make and packed with flavor. The chickpeas add a great protein boost and the curry powder gives it a lovely warm spice. Definitely making this again!
Loved this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorites and the addition of fresh cilantro and lime juice really makes it pop. I’ll have to try adding coconut milk next time for an extra creamy texture. Thanks for sharing!
Love this recipe! Chickpea curry is one of my favorite dishes and it’s great to see a plant-based version. The Happy Pear’s recipes are always so simple and delicious. Can’t wait to try this one out!
Great post! I’ve been looking for more plant-based recipes to add to my rotation, and this chickpea curry looks like a game-changer. I love the idea of using canned chickpeas to make it even quicker and easier. Can’t wait to give it a try!
I’ve been making this for years & my meat eating family luvs it. I double it for leftovers.😋
Mine was like soup
Wow, this curry looks amazingly delicious! I’m new to plant-based cooking and I loved the simplicity and clarity of the recipe. Can’t wait to try it out this weekend, thanks for sharing!
This Chickpea Curry recipe is absolutely fantastic! The flavors are so vibrant and it’s super easy to make. I love how nutritious it is too—definitely a new favorite in my kitchen. Thank you, Happy Pear!