This easy, flavorful coconut chickpea curry is ready in no time and packed with flavor! Now with a recipe video, above the curry recipe below!
Okay. I still have a couple MORE Thanksgiving recipes coming for you in the next couple of weeks, but right now I sort of need another break. As you may have realized, I eat all of the recipes that I make and test for this site and two straight months of Thanksgiving food is *a little much*, even for this potato lover.
I realized that I haven’t yet shared a basic coconut chickpea curry recipe here and it seemed like the perfect easy, budget-friendly, not-weird meal to break up the comfort food monotony. This healthy but comforting dish is inspired by Indian cuisine and easily customized with whatever nutritious vegetables and accompaniments you prefer.
Sometimes I see curry recipes on food blogs that basically amount to stirring together chickpeas, coconut milk, and curry powder*. We are not making our coconut chickpea curry like that today. We are building together several layers of seasoned umami flavor that will not leave you disappointed. Not to worry – this naturally vegan, gluten-free stew is still VERY easy to make, just follow the instructions and you will be good to go.
Tomatoes are a crucial part of the sweet, tangy, and savory background notes for the garbanzo beans here, so please don’t leave them out – if you do, your coconut curry chickpeas will taste a little blah. Fresh tomato season is finally over here in Maryland but canned tomatoes are perfectly fine in this recipe.
Anticipating another question I might get, you can adapt this to the slow cooker if you want to, but because there’s only about 10 minutes of simmering time anyway, I question whether the crock pot is really going to add anything. Same goes for the Instant Pot. This recipe is already quite fast and easy on the stovetop!
See the recipe notes for instructions on how to incorporate a few other common veggies like sweet potato, cauliflower, and spinach! For even more veggie power, you can also serve this with cauliflower rice!
*If I could change one thing about the way people make curries, soups and stews, it would be that everyone should STOP stirring raw spices into liquid, and instead toast them in the oil with the aromatics, which releases their flavors and allows them to be infused uniformly into the rest of the dish.
Easy Coconut Chickpea Curry
A classic easy coconut curry with chickpeas, inspired by Indian flavors. This garbanzo bean curry skips the complicated steps but doesn't skimp on flavor! Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Also free of grains, soy, and nuts.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 large red onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger peeled and pinced
- 1 tbsp garam masala
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper (reduce to 1/8 tsp if freshly-ground)
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)
- 1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (equal to 1 14-oz. can; drain before using)
- 1 and 1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk (equal to 1 14-oz. can)
- 1 and 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas (equal to 1 16-oz. can; drain and rinse before using)
- 2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice (1 lime) (lemon also works)
- chopped fresh cilantro (coriander) for serving
Instructions
In a large pan, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat. Add the red onion with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and starting to brown.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and ginger; stir and cook for 60 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in the garam masala, turmeric, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and salt. Cook for 30 seconds more to toast the spices.
Add the tomatoes to the pan and stir well. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about 3-5 minutes or until the tomatoes are starting to break down and dry up a little bit. Stir in the coconut milk and chickpeas. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
Simmer the coconut chickpea curry for about 10 minutes or until reduced slightly. Stir in the fresh lime juice. Season to taste with additional salt (I used about another 1/2 teaspoon at this point). Serve hot, over rice or other accompaniments of choice, and garnished with chopped fresh cilantro.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
TO ADD HEARTY VEGETABLES LIKE SWEET POTATO OR CAULIFLOWER: Cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces, and add them after the initial step of cooking the onion, but before adding the garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes until the vegetable is softened a little bit. It can then finish cooking when the chickpea coconut curry is brought to a boil and simmered.
TO ADD QUICK-COOKING VEGETABLES LIKE SPINACH: After simmering the chickpea curry, turn off the heat, stir in the spinach, and cover the pan. Remove the lid after 2 minutes, or when the spinach is wilted to your liking.
Pictured with my vegan coconut curry with chickpeas is a blend of forbidden rice, black quinoa, and black lentils (also featured here in my chickpea burrito bowls).
I'm Shannon, the writer and photographer of Yup, it's Vegan! I'm a morning person based in Baltimore, USA. My mission is to create healthy plant-based recipes that anyone would enjoy, using seasonal produce with inspiration from global flavors.
Abi says
Hey, I’ve just made this for the first time and it smells and tastes delicious but how do I thicken the curry?
Thanks for a lovely recipe 🙂
Karlin says
Can I freeze this curry? I have a lot of chickpeas to use up, and would like to do a big patch. Thanks
Amanda says
Had to make a few alterations based on what I had in the house, but this was a delicious dinner and SO fast! Served with steamed veggies and brown rice. Used a can of coconut cream and kept the juices in the tomatoes – so flavorful! I also fried some cumin seeds and mustard seeds in the oil before adding the onion. Thanks for this recipe 😊
Connie Clauson says
can I use carrots in this recipe
Tiff says
This recipe is AMAZING! I decided on my first try to double everything but the chickpeas because I’ve always loved coconut vegetable curry, so I thought a bag of mixed veggies would be a great addition but wanted to ensure it’d be enough sauce. I just roasted the vegetables to get some of their moisture out and added them at the same time I added my canned chickpeas. Extra vegetables. Lots of leftovers. The kids love it. It is magical! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Diana says
How much is one serving? Like about 1 cup? or 1.5 cups?
Sam says
Love this recipe!! My go to quick, healthy dinner. I add fresh spinach as well for a few extra nutrients.
Benyi Inyama says
Is there a substitute for garam masala?
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
Hi there, do you have any other sorts of curry spice blends available to you? It might be possible to combine another curry powder with a few extras to make something that resembles garam masala. Let me know and I can make some recommendations. You could also try a recipe for homemade garam masala if you’re feeling adventurous, there should be plenty online.
Anuška says
This was so good!!! I used fresh tomatoes and didn’t feel them which gave it a nice tang. It’s just so creamy, would recommend to…everyone
sophie wilson says
Can you link me to the quinoa and rice with more details of how and what to serve it with? Thank you.
Coco says
I cant see the curry in the ingredients😰😰😰
Shannon @ Yup, it's Vegan says
A curry is a stew seasoned with a mixture of seasonings.. curry powder is a blend of spices just like garam masala is. Not sure what you’re looking for but there isn’t anything missing from the ingredients. Hope this helps.
Jill Sublett says
My favorite recipe! I have been sharing this with friends all over the country! Thank you for such a delicious and easy vegan dinner. I use my instant pot to cook my dried chickpeas (soaked first) and it is the creamiest, tastiest curry ever. I could seriously live on this! Thank you!