Chickpea and Spinach Curry

A white bowl with chickpea spinach curry and white rice with naan bread.

5 from 6 votes

This tasty Chickpea and Spinach Curry is a heathy, comforting vegetarian dish that's packed with protein, fiber, and plenty of flavor. This easy Indian curry is a great way to introduce your family to new flavors and it can be made in 30 minutes!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Entree, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 304kcal

Author: Dr. Sonali Ruder

Equipment

Sauté Pan

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grated or minced ginger
2 teaspoons grated or minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon Kashmiri chili powder* (see notes)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 can (14.5 oz) crushed tomatoes (about 4 plum tomatoes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 (15 ounce) cans low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 container (5 ounces) baby spinach, roughly chopped or torn (can use frozen spinach)
1 cup coconut milk
2 teaspoons garam masala* (see notes)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
Fresh cilantro for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until softened, 6-7 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and cook another minute until fragrant.
Add the turmeric, chili powder, cumin, and coriander and stir to combine with the onion. Cook another 1-2 minutes to toast the spices.
Add the tomatoes, salt, chickpeas, and ½ cup water. Simmer 7-8 minutes until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. If desired, mash some of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon to thicken the gravy.
Stir in the chopped spinach. Simmer 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted.
Stir in the coconut milk, garam masala, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve the curry with basmati or brown rice and/or naan.

Notes

*Kashmiri chili powder is a mild Indian chili powder with a smoky flavor and mild spice level. You can buy it online. If you can't find it, you can substitute a teaspoon of paprika with a pinch of cayenne pepper.

*Garam masala is an Indian blend of dried spices commonly used in Indian cooking. It can be found in grocery stores or you can buy it online.

Toast the spices in oil in the pan for a minute or two before adding the rest of the sauce ingredients. This is known as blooming the spices. It gives the dish a deeper, more aromatic flavor.

Use a microplane grater zester to grate the ginger and garlic so that there are no large pieces.

Use full-fat coconut milk so the curry doesn't get watered down.

If you want to thicken the curry, an easy tip is to mash some of the chickpeas with the back of a spoon.

You can add other ingredients to this vegetarian chickpea curry to make it even heartier. Diced potatoes or sweet potatoes, cauliflower, paneer (Indian cheese) or tofu would all make excellent additions to this dish.

Nutrition