This chickpea curry recipe so quick and easy, a staple for easy weeknight dinners, made with lots of chickpeas, spices and coconut milk. On the table in about 20 minutes! Just grab a few ingredients out of your pantry and you have dinner with big flavor in a hurry!
You might also enjoy my Chicken Tikka Masala or Chana Masala recipes!
Coconut Chickpea Curry Recipe
I have an Easy Coconut Chickpea Curry dish 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! Or at least under 30 minutes, please. This particular recipe will most definitely deliver on that desire.
This recipe is going to become a new go-to in your recipe collection. It's chickpea curry in a hurry!
This particular recipe is vegetarian or vegan, 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?
Featured Reader Comment
From Ale V: "This is the most delicious curry I have ever tried. Made this today for dinner and man! so good!"
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, garam masala paprika, salt and ground black pepper.
- Coconut Milk. Use full fat coconut milk 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, naan or roti.
How to Make Chickpea Curry - the Recipe Steps
Heat some oil in a large pan or wok to medium high heat and cook down the peppers and onion.
Add the garlic, ginger, and green onions, and cook another minute, then stir in the spices - curry powder. garam masala, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
I sometimes like to add in a bit of curry paste here as well for extra flavor.
Pour in the coconut milk, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 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.
Stir in the chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans) and warm them through for 5 minutes.
Serving Chickpea Curry
Serve the easy chickpea curry in a bowl on their own, or 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.
Recipe Tips and Notes
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.
- Want Meats? Go for it. 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 baby 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!
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.
Heat Factor (for Spicy Curry)
For spicier chickpea curry, you can add an extra teaspoon of curry powder, or incorporate hotter chilies like habanero pepper or maybe a ghost pepper.
I also like to add in a flavorful curry paste into the sauce, which adds a touch of extra heat. See the Recipe Video in the recipe card.
For milder chickpea curry, stick with the bell pepper, which has no heat. You can also dial back on the curry powder.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover chickpea 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. You can also freeze it for 3 months or longer.
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
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or use coconut oil
- 1 medium bell pepper chopped (use jalapeno or serrano for extra heat)
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ½ cup chopped green onions
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons curry powder
- 1 tablespoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon paprika (or use crushed red pepper)
- 14 ounces coconut milk
- 30 ounces chickpeas (2 cans) drained
- Salt and pepper to taste
- FOR SERVING: Cooked rice (optional), fresh chopped cilantro or parsley, lime wedges, spicy chili flakes, roti or naan on the side.
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, garam masala, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Give it a stir.
- 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 in bowls with a squeeze of lime juice, then garnish and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This recipe was updated on 1/27/25 to include new information and photos. It was originally published on 5/17/19.
TPomroy says
Another win from CPM. Super easy to make and a great flavor. I some extra jalapeno and added a little of the homemade chili crisp (from this site) it was bangin'!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!!!
Debra says
Made this last night and my husband and I were in heaven. Truly delicious and so easy to make!! I added some chicken thighs I had leftover from the night before, a few potatoes and fresh spinach.
This is such a versatile recipe. Thank you so much this will become a favorite in our house.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Debra! Super happy you enjoyed it! One of my favorites for sure.
Carol says
So easy and absolutely delicious. Restaurant quality recipe. I added cauliflower to mine. I will be making this dish often.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great to hear, Carol! Super happy you enjoyed it. Thanks!!
Andrea Rogers says
Recently transitioning to a pescatarian diet and was EXTREMELY happy to find the recipe on Pinterest. It is DELISH and provides food for several days. I added red and yellow and orange bell peppers as well as fresh cilantro to the end and it just tastes so amazing. Doesn’t make me miss meat at all and the flavors are so robust and yummy. Thank you so much!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great to hear, Andrea! Thanks for the comments. See you around the site!
Nina says
Very Nice, this was dinner today, we loved it. Defintly going to cook it again!
Love from Norway
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Nina! Super happy you enjoyed it! Cheers to Norway! =)
Elfriede says
This was so good! I did not have a jalapeno so I substituted sriracha sauce and I added red curry sauce. Yum!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Elfriede! Very nice! I love the substitutions. Perfect! Glad you enjoyed it.
Jen Morgan says
Your recipe looks delicious! However, I have dairy sensitive people AND a coconut allergy in my house. Do you have any suggestion as to how I could attain that level of creaminess without either? What could I use?
Thanks so much!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Jen, I would look into something like soy milk, almond milk or a similar product for dairy free. Let me know how it turns out for you.
LizM says
Cashew cream is also a great way to make soups, sauces and curries creamy.
Jean says
Fantastic! The flavors were just wonderful!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Jean! Glad you enjoyed it! I love this one.
Kevin says
Yikes! 95% of daily saturated fats in one serving? Where does all the fat come from? Was excited to make this, probably still will but not very often.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Kevin, most of the saturated fat is in the coconut milk. Look for a low-fat coconut milk brand as a substitute. Let me know how it turns out for you.
Kevin says
Awesome, I’ll give it a try. Thanks dude!
Micheline says
At first it tasted like powdered spices so I added a splash of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, then it was perfect! I also added garam masala spice and fresh cilantro! Yum!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I'm glad you enjoyed it, Micheline.
Gaines says
I just made this today, and it's really good! I doubled the recipe and added a medium-sized ratalu (also called purple yam- tastes like yuca) I got at an Indian grocery store instead of another can of chickpeas. I added that in with the coconut milk to let it simmer until tender before adding the chickpeas. I used some jarred red curry paste, and it was very good, but I want to try your curry paste recipe. I also added a couple of teaspoons of tamarind concentrate that I saw at the store which added a bit of sweetness and tang. The heat was good with the serrano and jalapeño, warm, but I didn't have to take breaks, haha.
Found your website from the Poblano Cream Sauce recipe, it's great!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
That's great, Gaines. Glad you found me! I love the addition of the ratalu. It's a nice way to mix it up. I appreciate the rating!
Kerry says
Hi. This looks lovely! Can you please tell us the brand of curry powder and curry paste you use.
Many thanks
Kerry
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Kerry. I use a couple different homemade curry powder recipes (here is my Homemade Vindaloo Curry Powder Recipe) and I usually make my own Curry Paste Recipe, depending on the type of curry I'm making. There are so many brands to choose from, though.
Manish shah says
Which curry paste used in this receipe ??
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Manish, try my yellow curry paste recipe, though you can use any of your own favorites. Of course flavors will vary, depending on the chosen curry paste. https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/yellow-curry-paste/