Vegan Chickpea Curry
This Vegan Chickpea Curry is packed with vegetables, spices, and flavour. Make this after work in under half an hour, and pack some for lunch the next day, because this dish makes loads (and you won’t want to stop eating it).
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Introduction
Dishes like curries or fried rice really are the carte blanche of recipes - a blank canvas begging for a home kitchen Jackson Pollock to open up his or her cupboards, have their knives at the ready, and toss soy sauce or curry in seemingly arbitrary directions and locations.
No, not really (although, this is a judgement-free zone, so do with your soy sauce what you will) - dishes like these work well with pretty much any vegetable, so they’ll taste great with whatever you’ve got in the fridge or freezer.
There are a couple staple ingredients you need - onions, garlic, coconut milk, diced tomatoes, and spices. But you’ve got full authority over the vegetables you use, how much of each spice you want, and the final plating. I like to add my rice right in with the sauce and vegetables - some like to plate the rice first and scoop the curry over top (cut out the middle man - it makes the rice creamier and richer).
Each of my chickpea curries come out differently - the instructions I provide for this recipe are guidelines, not strict rules that you must follow to a tee. This is one of my staple dishes. I cook it all the time, but it’s not about memorizing the ingredients or nailing the timing. It’s about understanding how to build a curry, and that is where your culinary freedom comes into play.
The secret to this recipe is to do many little things well. Dice your onions and your garlic finely. Chop your carrots and zucchini to the same thickness so that they cook evenly. Add your spices before your coconut milk to enhance their flavour. Each step is equally important, and that is what makes a dish great.
Check out the Spruce it Up section for ideas on how to take this recipe to the next level.
Before we Get Started
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes
Yield: 5-6 Bowls
Ingredients
1 can of Chickpeas
1/2 can of Diced Tomatoes (14oz)
1 can of Coconut Milk
2 tbsp. Curry Powder
1/2 tbsp. Cumin
1/2 tbsp. Garam Masala
1 tsp. Paprika
1 tsp. Red Chili Flakes
1/2 head of Broccoli
Handful of Spinach
6 or 7 Grape/Cherry Tomatoes
1 Zucchini
1 Bell Pepper
1 Celery Stalk
1 Carrot
1 Red Onion
3 cloves of Garlic
1 cup Uncooked Rice
Method
Bring a pot of water to a boil and begin to cook your rice.
Take into consideration the amount of time it takes to cook your rice. The rest of the ingredients will take approximately 20 minutes from start to finish (including preparation).
Preheat a large pan over medium-high heat, with oil. Chop your carrot and celery in half lengthwise, and finely slice. Add them to the pan with a sprinkle of salt.
While your carrot and celery are cooking, finely dice your onion and garlic, and add them to the pan, with another small pinch of salt.
Break down your broccoli into florets, and dice your bell pepper. Slice your zucchini in half lengthwise, and thinly slice. Add them all to the pan once the onion has turned translucent, with a good pinch of salt.
Instead of adding a ton of salt at the end, we add small dashes here and there to bring out the most flavour from each ingredient.
After the vegetables have been cooking for about 5 minutes, drain and rinse your chickpeas, and toss them into the pan, too, along with your curry powder, garam masala, cumin, and paprika. Give all of the ingredients a good mix to ensure they’re coated with all of the spices.
After about a minute, pour your coconut milk into the pan, as well as your 1/2 can of diced tomatoes. Stir the liquid to combine the coconut milk and the tomatoes.
Turn up the heat to high, and allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce it down to a simmer. Add a big handful of spinach, and mix.
Slice your grape/cherry tomatoes in half lengthwise, and toss them into the pan. As soon as your rice has finished cooking, spoon it into the pan, and combine well with the other ingredients. Top with red chili flakes and a few cracks of black pepper.
Enjoy.
Spruce it Up
If you’re a fan of cilantro or parsley, finely chop some, and sprinkle over top.
To add a bit more heat, add a teaspoon of cayenne, or a red chili with the seeds in.
Add or omit any ingredients you like - mix it up with the vegetables.