This creamy and delicious Vegan Chickpea Curry is a perfect cozy one pan dish! It's packed with chickpeas and assortment of vegetables brought together in creamy coconut milk. It is a simple 30 minute dish that is perfect for any weekday dinner or for meal prep!
I grew up eating curry almost every other day, and it is still to this day, one of my favorite meals. It is so delicious, and cozy but packed with nutrients that you forget how healthy this dish really is!
This vegan chickpea curry is versatile dish and you can use your left over veggies to make this one pan meal! It pairs really well with rice dishes, like this amazing mediterranean rice or even easy vegan mexican rice.
Table of Contents
- Why You'll Love This Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Ingredients Needed (with Optional Add-ons)
- Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Substitutions
- Variations of Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Equipment Needed To Make This Curry
- Storage and Reheating
- Top Tip For Elevating Taste
- FAQ
- Similar Asian Inspired Meals
- Best Pairings for Vegan Chickpea Curry
- Recipe Card
Why You'll Love This Vegan Chickpea Curry
- 30 Minute Meal: This simple, but tasty dish comes together in 30 minutes and uses only 10 ingredients. You can make this on a weeknight or on the weekend for meal prep.
- Customizable: You can make this vegan chickpea curry with almost any vegetable in your pantry. It's versatile so that you can use frozen, fresh or even left over veggies that you want to use up. Serve with rice such as basmati rice, favored rice, cauliflower rice (low carb option), naan, or even quinoa.
- Nutritious Wholesome Meal: Vegan curries are not only delicious but also nutritious. They are packed with plant-based proteins, fiber, and essential vitamins, making them a wholesome meal option.
- Easy to Make: Make this in one pot, with easy clean up after! This recipe is beginner friendly and uses simple ingredients that are with no advanced prep.
Ingredients Needed (with Optional Add-ons)
You only need a few basic ingredients as a base to make this delicious pot of curry. Check out the ingredient list below, before we get to the full recipe located in the recipe card!
- Coconut Milk: This recipe uses full can of full fat coconut milk for creaminess. You can also use lite coconut milk if you prefer for this recipe, but just know that the juice will be a bit runny.
- Chickpeas: This recipe uses 1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. Chickpeas provide the main plant based protein in this recipe. They absorb the flavor of curry well and provide earthiness to this dish.
- Diced Tomatoes: You will use 1 cup of tomatoes. You can use store bought canned tomatoes or just frsesh tomatoes for this recipe. I've found that roma tomatoes or smaller tomatoes work best to bring out the flavor in this recipe.
- Mixed Vegetables: 2 cups of assorted vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, and peas. You can mix and match any veggies you prefer in this dish. Some other common veggies to include in curry are diced potatoes, cauliflower and chopped green beans.
- Diced Onion – This recipe uses 1 medium sized yellow onion. You can also use red onion if you prefer for this recipe. For easier dicing, use a vegetable chopper to dice your onion.
- Minced Garlic and Ginger - Use 2 cloves of garlic and 1 inch of ginger finely minced. I like to make and store garlic ginger paste for recipes like this. Check out this tutorial by Veganlovlie on how to make garlic ginger paste for all your asian recipes. For convenience, you can also used garlic ginger paste that is found in many grocery stores. Trader Joes has garlic and ginger paste in their freezer section in cube sized portions that work great for any curry based dishes.
- Curry Powder: Use 2 teaspoon of curry powder, but adjust according to your test profile. You can find curry powder in the spices or asian sections of your local grocery store aisle. You can also try checking out your local Asian or Indian grocery stores which will definitely have fresh stocks of curry powder available.
Optional Add-Ons
- Cumin Powder (Optional): This is entirely optional, but i've found that adding ¼ teaspoon of cumin powder brings out a savory flavor to this dish, which is commonly used in south asian flavored curry recipes.
- Chilis (Optional): Depending on your spice tolerance, add 1-2 green chilis for a spicy kick. Paprika or red chili powder also work well to enhance the flavor and spiciness of this curry.
See recipe card for quantities.
Step-By-Step Instructions To Make Vegan Chickpea Curry
First, you'll want to heat the vegetable oil or olive oil in a large skillet or a pan over medium heat.
- Step 1: Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until it becomes translucent.
- Stir in the minced garlic and ginger and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Step 2: Add the curry powder to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to release its flavors.
- The mix should become brown and will have a curry aroma
- Step 3: Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to the pan and stir to coat them in the spices
- Step 4: Pour in the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Step 5: Add the mixed vegetables and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Stir well to combine.
- Cover the skillet and let the curry simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded together.
- Step 6: Adjust the thickness of the curry by adding more coconut milk if desired.
- Season the curry with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning to your preference.
If you are adding in the optional seasoning, such as cumin and chili powder, add it to the curry at the end (step 5). Adjust according to taste preference.
Serve the vegan curry hot over cooked rice or with naan bread. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley. Enjoy!
Tip: To thicken the curry and bring out the flavor a bit more, you can mash some chickpeas while making the curry. The chickpeas will absorb the curry flavor and will naturally thicken the curry a bit more!
Substitutions
This recipe is naturally vegan, gluten-free and dairy free, so it is accommodating to most people who have allergies to dairy and gluten.
Chickpeas are the main source of plant based protein in this dish. You can substitute other lentils such as cooked red lentils or kidney beans.
You can also skip chickpeas altogether and add another form of protein such as extra firm tofu to make this a protein rich meal.
Variations of Vegan Chickpea Curry
This curry recipe is versatile that you can make with many variations:
- Make it Spicy - add 1-2 green chilis or Jalapeños towards end when you simmer the curry for 15-20 minutes to pack some extra heat in this dish.
- Choose your Veggies: You can make this dish with practically any veggies you'd like! Some veggies i've found that pair well are diced potatoes, cauliflower or bell pepper for this recipe.
- Plant based Protein - Substitute Chickpeas for another plant based protein such as Tofu or seitan (gluten) to make this a nutritious meal.
Check out our Tofu curry and Chickpea Potato Curry- they use several of the same ingredients, and is packed with protein!
Equipment Needed To Make This Curry
This meal can be made in one pan or pot - and is easy to clean up after!
I like to use stainless steel pan to make this recipe to bring out the curry flavor in this dish. Non-stick or aluminum pans tends to react with curry spices, so i prefer not to use these when making dishes with spices and herbs.
Storage and Reheating
This meal is great for meal prep and can last 7-10 days in the fridge.
You can also freeze in batches for up to 4 months. To reheat, simply warm it up in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot.
Top Tip For Elevating Taste
Bring out the chickpea flavor in the curry broth by mashing a few chickpeas while simmering. The mashed chickpeas are absorbed into the broth to bring out the earthy flavor even more so!
This will also thicken the curry broth, so adjust the thickness by adding in more coconut milk or vegetable broth if desired.
FAQ
Yes! You make a slow cooker version of this recipe. You do not need to use canned chickpeas to make this in slow cooker. Soak the chickpeas in ¼ teaspoon baking soda the slow cooker the night before you make the meal.
In the morning, drain and replace the water (2 cups). Add in all other ingredients as mentioned in this recipe and cook on low for 8 hours. Note that you will still be using 1 full can of coconut milk for this recipe.
Similar Asian Inspired Meals
Looking for curry or asian inspired recipes like this? Check out these dishes below!
Best Pairings for Vegan Chickpea Curry
This recipe pairs well with rice, bread or naan. Check out some easy, simple and tasty suggestions below:
Recipe Card
Equipment
- 1 Pan Use stainless steel pan for best results
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1- inch piece of fresh ginger minced
- 2 teaspoon curry powder adjust to your spice preference
- 1 can 14 ounces/400g chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 can 14 ounces/400ml coconut milk
- 2 cups mixed vegetables e.g., bell peppers, carrots, peas, cauliflower
- 1 cup diced tomatoes canned or fresh
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder Optional
- 2 green chilis Optional
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or a pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until it becomes translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and ginger and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the curry powder to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly to release its flavors.
- Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas to the pan and stir to coat them in the spices.
- Pour in the coconut milk and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Add the mixed vegetables and diced tomatoes to the skillet. Stir well to combine.
- Cover the skillet and let the curry simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded together. You can adjust the thickness of the curry by adding more coconut milk or vegetable broth if desired. Season the curry with salt and pepper to taste. Adjust the seasoning to your preference.
- Serve the vegan curry hot over cooked rice or with naan bread. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.
Sara
Turns out great! adding potato makes this dish even more delicious!