Easy Chickpea Spinach Curry with Coconut Milk

This one-pot chickpea spinach curry takes 25 minutes and is perfect as a quick weeknight dinner or big batch meal. Naturally vegan and gluten-free.

You have to try this one.

I'm not always a huge curry fan, but this easy chickpea and spinach curry recipe ticks every box for me.

It's creamy, savoury, very flavourful, filling, and mild (in terms of spice).

Loosely based on the traditional Indian chickpea dish called chana masala, this vegan curry is really quick to make - just 25 minutes!

It also yields 3-4 servings (3 large or 4 medium) and will keep you full because it's high in protein.

It's also great as a quick weeknight dinner for the whole family (particularly in cooler weather), packed lunch or potluck dish.

You could even double the batch size and freeze half of it for lazy meals when you don't want to cook! (I always do this with my Easy Vegetable Stew too.)

Why you'll love this

Easy weeknight meal with leftovers. This tasty chickpea spinach curry comes together incredibly quickly and you'll have leftovers for lunch the next day.

Tastes even better reheated. Honestly, it's true! The flavours get stronger once the curry has been refrigerated overnight. Great recipe for meal prep!

Great source of iron. This curry contains chickpeas and spinach, which are both good sources of plant-based iron. Plus tomatoes contain vitamin C which aids in iron absorption.

High in protein. Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are a great source of plant protein. Ideal if you're transitioning to a vegan diet and looking for easy meals.

Made from pantry ingredients. You can make this creamy chickpea curry recipe entirely from shelf-stable and freezer ingredients if using frozen spinach.

Great way to use up your pantry staples or when you haven't done grocery shopping!

(Other great pantry meals are my Chickpea Flour Pizza Crust, Store Cupboard Lentil Bolognese and Beet Pasta Sauce.)

Ingredients & Substitutes

Onion and garlic - The base of every good curry, these add flavour and aroma.

Spices - I've used Indian spices like ground coriander, turmeric and garam masala. These provide aromatic flavour while not being overpowering.

Feel free to play around with a handful of spices: ground cumin, curry powder, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika all work well. If you like spice, add some chili red pepper flakes!

Canned crushed tomatoes - You can also use canned passata or chopped/diced fresh tomatoes here.

If you use chopped/diced, I do recommend blending them first so you get a smooth texture similar to tomato puree and a more evenly distributed flavour.

Coconut milk - Use good quality, full fat coconut milk so your curry is creamy and rich. I really like Thai Kitchen and Whole Foods 365 brands (not sponsored).

Chickpeas - These provide protein, which makes the curry more filling. You could also switch it up and use your favourite type of bean if preferred.

If you don't have a can of chickpeas in your pantry, you can also cook some dried chickpeas in an instant pot ahead of time and keep them in the freezer.

Vegetable stock/broth - We just use a small amount of liquid (ideally double concentrated - see note in recipe card) for extra flavour.

If you don't have this, don't worry - just salt your curry until you achieve the desired taste.

Spinach - A great source of iron and helps balance the flavour of the curry. You can switch fresh spinach out for thinly sliced kale or chard if you're in a pinch.

How to make Chickpea Spinach Curry

Heat olive oil in a large pot on medium heat.

Add onion and cook for 4 minutes, stirring regularly until softened.

Add garlic, garam masala, coriander and turmeric, and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.

Stir in crushed tomatoes, coconut milk, chickpeas and vegetable stock/broth.

Bring curry to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally (with pan uncovered, to allow curry to thicken slightly).

Stir in spinach, and cook until just wilted. Add salt if desired.

Serve with naan or rice, and optionally top with cilantro leaves. Add some lime juice if desired for an extra kick.

See my web story on how to make this vegan chickpea curry.

---

What to serve with chickpea spinach curry

I love serving this delicious meal with brown rice, basmati rice or naan bread.

You can eat the curry on its own but it makes a more filling meal served with either of these or another vegan side dish.

Expert tips

Prep all ingredients beforehand - This curry comes together quickly, so you'll do yourself a favour by having all your ingredients chopped and ready to go.

To make this cheaper, use regular leaf spinach instead of baby - A regular bunch of spinach is usually cheaper than a pack of baby leaf spinach, and you get a lot more for your money!

Double the concentrate of your vegetable stock for more flavour - If using stock cubes or bouillon powder, make your stock double the concentrate (i.e. if the package instructions say to use ½ teaspoon powder per ½ cup of water, use 1).

Alternatively, you can also put additional salt to your curry to bring out the flavour.

Different flavours

Chickpea Potato Curry - Add in 2 heaped cups cubed potato (½ ich cubes) when you add the chickpeas, coconut milk etc., and omit the spinach.

Chickpea Cauliflower Curry - Add in 2 heaped cups small cauliflower florets when you add the chickpeas, coconut milk etc., and omit the spinach.

How to store

This spinach chickpea curry will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can also freeze it and store it for up to 1 month in a sealed container.

FAQs

More big batch recipes

If you’ve tried this vegan chickpea curry, please leave a comment or tip for others below.

I'd love to know how you’ve made it your own!

Follow Vancouver with Love on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook, and Subscribe to my newsletter!