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Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe

Name: Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil (or use coconut oil); 1 jalapeno pepper (chopped); 1 serrano pepper (chopped (if desired for extra heat)); 1 medium onion (chopped); ½ cup chopped green onions; 4 cloves garlic chopped; 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger; 1 tablespoon curry powder (I use 2 tablespoons in mine!); 1 tablespoon paprika; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons curry paste; 14 ounces coconut milk; 16 ounces prepared chickpeas (canned is great); Salt and pepper to taste

by Mike Hultquist · May 17, 2019 · 51 Comments

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This quick and easy chickpea curry recipe is a staple for an easy weeknight dinner, made with chickpeas, spices and coconut milk. On the table in about 20 minutes.

How to Make Coconut Chickpea Curry

I have an easy coconut chickpea curry recipe today for you, my friends. There are days when we are all in a hurry and we just don't have much time to cook. That doesn't stop us from wanting spicy food, though. Right?

Of course not!

We want spicy food with big flavor in a hurry. We want it now! This particular recipe will most definitely deliver on that desire.

We're talking my Easy Chickpea Curry recipe, and it's going to become a new go-to in your recipe collection. It's chickpea curry in a hurry!

This is a vegetarian and vegan curry recipe, though it's easy to customize. You can add in chicken if you'd like, as well as shrimp or even lamb for a non-vegan option.

Let's talk about how to make chickpea curry, shall we?

Chickpea Curry, so vibrant and flavorful

Chickpea Curry Ingredients

Oil. For cooking. Use olive oil or coconut oil.
Vegetables. Onion, green onion, garlic, ginger, chilies. For the chilies, I'm using jalapeno and serrano, but you can use milder chilies to your preference.
Spices. Curry powder, paprika, salt and ground black pepper.
Curry Paste.
Coconut Milk. Use full fat for more flavor.
Chickpeas. I'm using canned, drained and rinsed.
For Serving. Cooked rice, fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes

How to Make Chickpea Curry - the Recipe Steps

Oil. First, heat a large pan or wok to medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon oil.

Cook the Vegetables. Add your peppers and onion. Cook them down about 5 minutes, until the peppers and onions have softened.

Next, add in the garlic, ginger and the green onions. Cook another minute, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant.

Curry Spices and Curry Paste. Add in the curry powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a stir.

Stir in the curry paste and cook it for a minute.

Coconut Milk. Add your coconut milk and stir. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat.

Simmer the Curry. Simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes or more to let the flavors develop, stirring occasionally. The curry sauce will thicken up a bit.

Processing Tip. You can process the sauce in a food processor at this point if you'd like a smoother sauce, or just continue.

Add the Chickpeas. Stir in the chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) and warm them through for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serving Chickpea Curry

Serve the easy chickpea curry over prepared white rice if desired, then squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the top.

Top with fresh cilantro or parsley, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes. Basmati rice is great here. It's a lot like chana masala.

BOOM! Done! Super easy, right? Quick and easy recipes are the best. Hey, we're busy today! I get it.

Refer to the video in the recipe card. It details all the steps to make the chickpea curry. I hope it helps! I love a good coconut curry.

Chickpea Curry in a pan, with a serving spoon

Recipe Tips and Notes

Recipe Variations

This is probably my favorite easy chickpea curry for the sheer simplicity of it. But if you're super hungry and want to vary it up, this particular recipe is perfect to use as a base.

Consider adding a meat to the recipe. I've made this with chicken, lamb and pork and it always comes out flavorful. Consider shrimp as either an add on or to swap in. I love this recipe with shrimp. The combination of both shrimp and chickpeas is flavorful and still low calorie.

Adding Shrimp. To add shrimp, simply tuck the raw shrimp (peeled and deveined) into the sauce and simmer 5-10 minutes, until cooked through. Cooking time can vary depending on the size of the shrimp.

Vegan and Vegetarian Options. If you'd like to keep it vegan, try sweet potato, eggplant or lentils. You can easily slip in broccoli or some green leafy vegetables like spinach or kale. It's also tasty with tofu.

Add Tomatoes. Add diced tomatoes for another spin. Tomatoes are commonly used in curries and I enjoy them.

To be honest, you can pretty easily include any number of vegetables you'd like to use up. Zucchini, anyone? Of course!

Peppers and Spices

This recipe calls for both curry paste and curry powders, as well as a jalapeno pepper and serrano pepper. The curry paste and curry powder can be found at most supermarkets, though you may need to seek them out at a specialty store.

It's worth it, though, to have them in your collection of ingredients. Or you can just make your own curry paste like I do.

Any curry paste will do, whether it is green, yellow, or red curry paste. However, each will have its own flavor profile. I prefer to use either red or yellow curry paste, depending on my mood.

I used my own Yellow Curry Paste Recipe here, as well as this simple curry seasoning blend, though there are many to choose from. Garam masala is a popular addition, though I didn't use any here. I've opted for the double whammy of curry paste and curry powder. It's just the right combination for me.

Hey, spice is life! Try as many as you can!

Heat Factor / Making Spicy Curry

I like to spice up my curries by adding in hotter chili peppers, like a habanero pepper or two, maybe a ghost pepper. You can adjust the seasonings and peppers to your own personal preferences.

If you're looking to keep it on the milder side, skip the serrano and stick with the jalapeno, or just use a mild bell pepper. You'll still get some wonderful flavor without all the heat.

Here are some common questions I've heard about this recipe and other curries.

What are the Differences Between Red Curry and Yellow Curry?

The biggest differences between red curry and yellow curry is the heat level and choice of peppers. Red curries tend to be hotter than yellow curries, and use spicier red peppers as their base.

Yellow curries usually use milder chili peppers, and the inclusion of turmeric offers its vibrant yellow color.

What are some substitutes for Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)?

Garbanzo Beans, aka "chickpeas", are a firm legume, round in shape, about 1/4" thick. If you can't find them for this recipe, or prefer to use another bean, try using any of the following:

Butter Beans
Lima Beans
Cannellini Beans (white kidney beans)
Great Northern Beans.

Curry Storage Information

Curry will last up to a week in the refrigerator if properly stored. Normal time frames for cooked foods last 4-7 days stored in the refrigerator. Store it in a sealed airtight container.

Just be sure to refrigerate the leftovers as quickly as possible, and never after 2 hours of sitting out.

That's it, my friends! I hope you like it. I love this recipe. In so many ways. It's definitely a creamy chickpea curry. And, it's dairy free.

Try Some of My Other Popular Curry Recipes

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe

This quick and easy chickpea curry recipe is a staple for an easy weeknight dinner, made with spices and coconut milk. On the table in about 20 minutes.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Thai

Keyword: curry, recipe, spicy, vegan, vegetarian

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Calories: 367kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

Tap or hover to scale

4.89 from 18 votes

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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil or use coconut oil
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
1 serrano pepper chopped (if desired for extra heat)
1 medium onion chopped
½ cup chopped green onions
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 tablespoon curry powder I use 2 tablespoons in mine!
1 tablespoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons curry paste
14 ounces coconut milk
16 ounces prepared chickpeas canned is great
Salt and pepper to taste

FOR SERVING: Cooked rice, fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes

Instructions

Heat a large pan or wok to medium heat and add 1 teaspoon oil.
Add your peppers and onion. Cook them down about 5 minutes, until the peppers and onions have softened.
Next, add in the garlic, ginger and the green onions. Cook another minute, stirring, until the garlic is fragrant.
Add in the curry powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a stir.
Stir in the curry paste and cook it for a minute.
Add your coconut milk and stir. Bring to a quick boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes or more to let the flavors develop. The curry sauce will thicken up a bit.
Stir in the chickpeas and warm them through for 5 minutes.
Serve the easy chickpea curry over prepared white rice if desired, then squeeze a bit of fresh lime juice over the top.
Top with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes.

Video

Notes

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. You’ll get a decent spiciness from this mixture, though the coconut milk tempers it quite a bit. Add in extra serrano peppers or hotter peppers to up the heat factor.

This recipe is vegetarian/vegan.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 367kcal Carbohydrates: 25g Protein: 8g Fat: 27g Saturated Fat: 19g Sodium: 334mg Potassium: 542mg Fiber: 7g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 2245IU Vitamin C: 12.6mg Calcium: 100mg Iron: 6mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Easy Chickpea Curry Recipe

How to Make Coconut Chickpea Curry

Chickpea Curry Ingredients

How to Make Chickpea Curry - the Recipe Steps

Serving Chickpea Curry