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Chickpea Spinach Curry is rich, full bodied, nutritious and abundantly delicious. Served over a bed of fluffy rice, this is one of my favorite meals to enjoy and to meal prep.
Why Make This Chickpea Spinach Curry Recipe
Let’s start with the incredible rich flavor this recipe has. The coconut cream and array of Indian seasoning come together beautifully after simmering together in tomato sauce.
- Simple. It’s a simplistic, nourishing meal.
- You can keep this vegetarian and still feel satisfied. It’s also wonderful with shrimp or chicken but definitely not needed.
- Meal Prep Friendly.
Ingredient Notes
- Chickpeas. Canned chickpeas/garbanzo beans that are drained and rinsed.
- Canned DicedTomatoes. I use canned tomatoes. This is the base of the sauce.
- Tomato Paste. This is to add a little richness and thickness to the curry sauce.
- Onion. This is for aromatics and flavor.
- Garlic. This adds lots of flavor, aromatics and who doesn’t love garlic!
- Ginger. Fresh ginger is best, you can find this in the produce aisle at several grocery stores. It gives a warming fiery flavor.
- Seasonings. This is the main ingredient to embody full Indian curry flavors. Curry, cayenne, salt, cumin, turmeric, paprika.
- Sugar. This is to bring the flavors together.
- Coconut Milk. I used canned full fat coconut milk. The full fat version will make the sauce thicker and more rich.
- Spinach. I use fresh baby spinach. Frozen spinach will work, however I find that it makes the dish more watery and I prefer it luscious.
- Cilantro. For fresh garnish.
How To Make This Chickpea Curry Recipe
- Step One. Start rice if using, cook it according to the package.
- Step Two. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium/high heat. Sauté the finely chopped onions until golden and fragrant.
- Step Three. Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add in all the seasonings. Stir well and let the seasonings cook a bit for about 1 minute (do not let them burn!) Add in the tomato paste and stir.
- Step Four. Add the canned tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk, sugar. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Next, add in the spinach and let it wilt into the curry sauce. Let it simmer for 2-3 more minutes, the sauce should thicken. Give it a taste and add more salt, or more sugar if desired. Serve chickpea spinach curry over rice or grain of choice. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.
Recipe Pairings
Chickpea Spinach Curry is great on it’s own as a vegetarian dish but you can pair it with yummy sides!
- I like to have Salad Rolls or Egg Rolls as a side. Steamed veggies and fresh pita or Naan bread make a great pairing.
Recipe Tips
- Wear an apron or clothes you won’t mind getting stained, just in case. Curry and Turmeric stain easily and they always get somewhere they shouldn’t 🙂
- Taste as you go. This is a wonderfully seasoned recipe but you may want a little more salt, or perhaps you want to sweeten it up with another Tablespoon of sugar.
- Add Protein! This is great served with chicken or shrimp (especially shrimp). Feel free to add protein if you want!
- Your coconut milk must also be full-fat and shake it well before opening the tin or it will make your curry watery.
Recipe FAQ’s
Is chickpea Spinach curry good for you?
Yes, this recipe offers a lot of benefits from the depth of spices and the ingredients. It is a very feel good recipe for health, but it does have (good) fat in it from coconut milk and lots of carbs from the chickpeas & rice. Feel free to skip the rice to cut out a lot of the carbs. .
Does Chickpea Spinach Curry keep well?
Yes, this is a great recipe to meal prep with, the flavor gets better and better.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
This recipe is wonderful for meal prep, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. It gets better in flavor as it sits, so I highly recommend enjoying those leftovers! You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months.
Other Veggie Loaded Meals To Try
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Chickpea Spinach Curry
Chickpea spinach curry is rich, full bodied, nutritious and abundantly delicious. Served over a bed of fluffy rice, this is one of my favorite meals to enjoy and to meal prep.
Equipment
- large deep skillet
Ingredients
- 1 cup rice, uncooked
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ⅓ cup yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tbsp ginger, minced
- 2½ tbsp curry powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ½ tsp paprika
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, *more to taste if you like spice.
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1- 14 oz can diced tomatoes
- 1- 14 oz can full fat coconut milk
- 2 15 oz can chickpeas
- ½ Tbsp white sugar, more as needed
- 3 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Start rice if using, cook it according to the package.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium/high heat. Sauté the finely chopped onions until golden and fragrant.
- Add the minced garlic and ginger and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently. Next, add in all the seasonings. Stir well and let the seasonings cook a bit for about 1 minute (do not let them burn!) Add in the tomato paste and stir.
- Add the canned tomatoes, chickpeas and coconut milk, sugar. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Next, add in the spinach and let it wilt into the curry sauce. Let it simmer for 2-3 more minutes, the sauce should thicken. Give it a taste and add more salt, or more sugar if desired. Serve chickpea spinach curry over rice or grain of choice. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.
Notes
- Wear an apron or clothes you won’t mind getting stained, just in case. Curry and Turmeric stain easily and they always get somewhere they shouldn’t 🙂
- Taste as you go. This is a wonderfully seasoned recipe but you may want a little more salt, or perhaps you want to sweeten it up with another Tablespoon of sugar.
- Add Protein! This is great served with chicken or shrimp (especially shrimp). Feel free to add protein if you want!
- Your coconut milk must also be full-fat and shake it well before opening the tin or it will make your curry watery.
- This recipe is wonderful for meal prep, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge. It gets better in flavor as it sits, so I highly recommend enjoying those leftovers! You can also freeze this dish for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1.5cup | Calories: 739kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 33g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 1063mg | Fiber: 12g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2319IU | Vitamin C: 14mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 12mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!
Bravo! This dish was very tasty! Thank you.
This was so easy to make. Cost effective and really tasty.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks for coming back to let me know 😊. Happy eating, xo!
Love this simple recipe ☺️I make it every other week!
Hi There! thrilled to hear you enjoy this recipe. Thanks so much!