This easy vegan chickpea and spinach curry in a creamy tomato sauce is quick to make and so delicious!
With a homemade tomato curry paste which is well spiced (you can adjust the heat) and creamy coconut milk it's the perfect dairy free curry sauce. And you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry!
What goes into the curry paste? Red onion, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, tomato puree, curry powder, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, salt and oil.
It's packed with flavour and is a great base for this chickpea curry. Chickpeas are one of my favourite ingredients in curries.
Not only are they delicious but they're packed with protein, fibre and are a great healthy plant based alternative to meat.
How to make a chickpea curry:
Start by making the tomato curry paste. In a saucepan on medium heat add a tablespoon of oil and the finely chopped onion.
After a few minutes add the garlic and ginger and let cook for a minute until fragrant. Next add the chopped tomatoes and tomato puree.
Let this cook until the tomatoes have broken down, you can help by mashing them with the back of a spoon when they're soft.
Add all the spices and a little more oil until it resembles a tomato paste - it should smell amazing!
Now comes the coconut milk and water. Make sure you are using full fat coconut milk for this (in the tin).
This is left to simmer for 10 minutes and then the chickpeas are added. I use tinned chickpeas for ease - just drain two tins (800g total) and add to the sauce.
Leave this for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce has thickened.
In the meantime, cook the spinach. Place the spinach in a bowl of boiled water. When wilted, seive and squeeze out excess water.
Roughly chop and add just before serving! You could also sub for kale or other greens.
What to serve with this chickpea and spinach curry:
I love having this curry as it is with a naan. Use it to soak up all the sauce or tear a bit off to have with every bite of curry!
It is also delicious over some rice, quinoa or side of potatoes.
You could also serve as a side curry alongside a lentil dhal, samosas or bhajis! However you serve this, it will be delicious!
In terms of topping this curry, I like to top it with some thinly sliced red onion, fresh coriander, chilli flakes and a drizzle of vegan cream. It's a great way to make it look super pretty if making for guests!
Why you should make this curry:
- It's super easy to make and is a one pot recipe! Anyone can make this and you won't have a sink full of washing up!
- It comes together in 35 minutes - perfect when you want a quick meal!
- It's healthy and is a great curry for both vegans and non vegans! It's packed with flavour - you won't miss the meat!
For more Indian curries you may enjoy these:
Roasted aubergine and chickpea curry
Butternut squash and red lentil curry
As always if you make this vegan chickpea and spinach curry be sure to leave me a comment, rate this recipe and tag me on Instagram. I love seeing all your photos of my recipe recreations!
Don’t forget to follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram – I’d love to see you all there!
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Creamy Chickpea and Spinach Curry
This easy vegan chickpea and spinach curry is healthy, delicious and quick to make! With a spiced creamy coconut and tomato sauce - perfect for dipping naan in!
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 inch fresh ginger
- 2 large tomatoes
- 2 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 tablespoon curry powder, medium
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of hot chilli powder (or more if you like it spicy)
- 1 tin (400ml) full fat coconut milk
- 200ml water
- 2 tins (800g) chickpeas, drained
- 3 handfuls spinach
To top (optional)
- Fresh coriander
- Chilli flakes
- Drizzle vegan cream
- Thinly sliced red onion
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan on medium heat.
- Finely chop the onion and add to the pan. Fry for a few minutes before adding minced garlic and grated ginger.
- Fry for a minute until fragrant and the onion is soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and fry until the tomatoes have broken down. Help by squishing them with the back of a spoon when soft.
- Add the tomato puree, all the spices, salt and a drizzle of oil. Stir and cook for a minute until fragrant and it resembles a paste.
- Now add the coconut milk and water (fill the empty tin halfway for 200ml). Stir and leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Drain the chickpeas and add after 10 minutes. Leave for a further 20 minutes.
- Cook the spinach. Add to a bowl of boiled water and when wilted, pour into a sieve and squeeze out any excess water from the spinach.
- Roughly chop and add the the curry when it's ready. Serve and top with fresh coriander, chilli flakes, thinly sliced onion and vegan cream!
Notes
Will keep in the fridge for 3-5 days or freezer for a couple of months.
Serve as a main with naan, rice or alongside other curries!
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Will canned diced tomatoes work or only fresh raw ones?
Hi Ally, yes you can use canned tomatoes, probably about half a tin. Or if you want it more tomatoey you can use a full tin, but let it simmer for longer so it thickens! Tamsin xo
I just made this and it is AWESOME! I wanted more veggies in so I added thee handfuls of baby kale as well. It is yummy and super easy to make. Thank you!
Hi Moujounouko, thank you for your comment, I`m so glad you enjoyed it so much 🙂 Tamsin xo
I made this dish tonight and It was amazing! I added diced potatoes and used the low-fat coconut milk, arugula instead of spinach and it was delish! Served it with the garnishes as pictured. It got rave reviews and we are looking forward to the leftovers! Thank you for your great recipe.
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for your comment. So glad you all enjoyed it! Enjoy the leftovers 🙂 Tamsin xo
Excellent combination of spices! Very good. I did add a small package of sliced mushrooms, a baked sliced eggplant, and a package of extra firm tofu. But the overall flavour is fabulous!
Thank you!
Hi Jackie, thanks very much for your comment! So glad you enjoyed it, those additions sound delicious! Tamsin xo
This was the tastiest thing I've eaten for a while. I added sweet potato & butternut squash as I only had one tin of chickpeas & it seemed a bit watery. This was a good idea, it was delicious!
Hi Joanne, so glad you enjoyed it, those additions sounds delicious! Tamsin xo
I absolutely love this recipe. I swapped the tomatoes for cherry tomatoes 8-10 cherry tomatoes to be precise. Such a lovely tasty meal. My husband enjoyed also so I'm making again
Thank you for your comment Faye - so glad you both enjoyed it and will be making it again 🙂 xo
I made this tonight for my 12yo and I and it was DELICIOUS!!! We both loved it. Thank you 🙂
woooow was that good or what. Made this for dinner last night and it was fantastic. Throwing the leftovers into a tortilla for a little veg curry burrito
Hi Emily - thank you so much for your comment. So glad you enjoyed it so much! A curry burrito sounds amazing 🙂 Tamsin xo
ive made this curry 4/5 times in the past month for myself, family and friends. all with raving reviews on how good a veg curry is
I have tried many versions of chickpea curries - and this is now my favourite.
Hey, I just made this and it was absolutely delicious, thank you!!! If there was one thing, my chickpeas were a little al dente, do you think the heat was too low? Thanks heaps!
Hi Nick, thanks for your comment, glad you enjoyed it! Did you use chickpeas from a tin? These are precooked so only really need 5-10 minutes to heat through. Hope that helps, Tamsin xo
WOW! I cook a lot of curry and this has to "hands down no contest" one of the best recipes I have come across. Thank you for this delightful dish!
I love making a good curry, this one was the best! The recipe was easy to follow and the end result was delicious. It's nutritious, healthy and scrummy. I've made this twice already!
This was amazing!!! Going to be a regular from now on!
Aww thank you for your comment Rayanne! So glad you enjoyed it so much 🙂 Tamsin xo
Can you use tomato paste instead of purée?
Hi Kristina, yes definitely 🙂 x
@Tamsin, if using tomato paste instead of pure, how much paste should we use? Still the 2 tbsp?
I'd probably add 1 tbsp mixed with 1 tbsp of water 🙂 xo
Thanks to you both for this thread. I am going to make this recipe this week but was finding the 2tbsp of puree to be potentially wasteful. Looking forward to this meal!
Absolutely delicious! I subbed in kale and a sweet potato just because of what I had on hand. Everyone (including the kids aged 9 months and 3 years) loved it!
Hi Trina aww that makes me so happy thank you! Bet those additions were so delicious too! Tamsin xo
hi, I don't really like any type of milk but I'd love to try out this recipe because It looks so delicious so what can I substitute the milk with??
Thank you!
Hi Mari, this recipe calls for coconut milk (from the tin, see the recommended products for an example) not the kind that would be a dairy milk substitute. This can't really be subbed for anything in this recipe. Tamsin xo
I just tried this, so glad I found this take on the recipe! It was everything I needed from a chickpea and spinach curry!
Hi Nicole, thanks so much for comment! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Tamsin xo
Sooo tasty! The tanginess of the tomatoes together with the creaminess of the coconut milk is such a perfect combination! Perfect winter comfort food and healthy to boot! Love it!
Thanks Pearly - so glad you enjoyed it :)xo