Chickpea & Spinach Curry (One Pot, Vegan, 30 Minutes)

This Chickpea and Spinach Curry is soooo flavorful, and loaded with nutritious spinach and sweet peas, simmered in a buttery coconut cream sauce.  It’s also easy to make in just 30 minutes and using only one pot!

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:

We reeeallly love curries around here! And for good reason.

Whether it’s with lentils, potatoes, or healthy veggies, the flavor options of curry are virtually endless. And one of our favorite ways to enjoy it is in this recipe for Chickpea and Spinach Curry- with a delicious concoction of chickpeas, spinach and sweet peas. Triple yum!

This dish has so many great qualities:

• Creamy and buttery– combining spices like curry powder and garam masala simmered with veggies in a coconut cream sauce has comfort food written all over it.
• Easy-to-make– our favorite part? All you need is 1 large pot to make this recipe, and 30 minutes of your time. Win-win.
• Enough for a crowd– This recipe makes about 4 cups curry. Add rice and/or naan bread and turn it into even more servings.
• Great for leftovers– this curry makes a great dish for leftovers (maybe even better, as the more it sits, the more flavorful it becomes).
• Healthy– This meal is vegan, gluten-free, oil-free and packed with healthy veggies. Also, it’s only 210 calories, and boasts 7.3 grams of protein in one serving.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

Optional Ingredients (but recommended!):

• nutritional yeast
• cayenne pepper
• lime juice
• turmeric

INGREDIENTS LIST:

• Coconut milk– for this recipe, you’ll use 1 can of light and 1 can of full-fat coconut milk. You can also use whatever you have on hand (2 of light or 2 of full fat). Just be aware it may affect the consistency of the final dish. See the Notes section of the recipe (bottom of page) for further instruction.
• Garam masala– If you don’t have this yummy spice on hand, we recommend replacing with additional curry powder, OR you can use 4 parts cumin + 1 part allspice. Or make your own more elaborate spice blend.
• Sweet Peas– use frozen peas for this recipe only (never canned!). You can use “sweet peas”, regular peas, or even English peas. All will work well.
• Spinach– if using frozen spinach (which we recommend for the ease of it), make sure to press out any additional moisture (using paper towels or a kitchen towel). If you skip this step, your curry may turn out more runny.
• Veggies– Of course, we love adding spinach and peas to this recipe, but if you want to swap out with other veggies, you can try mushrooms, cauliflower, bell peppers, kale, or even finely diced sweet potatoes.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cook the garlic and Onions.

To make this Chickpea & Spinach Curry, first, in a medium saucepan, add 2 tablespoons vegetable broth over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and onions, stir, and cook until onions are soft and translucent, about 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

2. Add Additional Ingredients and simmer.

Add the minced ginger and stir. Cook for 1 minute. Then add remaining 1/2 cup vegetable broth, entire can of light coconut milk, spinach, curry powder, and garam masala. Stir.

Over medium heat, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow boil. Simmer uncovered for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

3. Add coconut cream, spices and chickpeas.

Next, add the thick coconut cream from the top of the can of full fat coconut milk (do not use the liquid from the can, if any). Also, if using (optional), add the 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and dash of cayenne pepper at this time. Add the chickpeas, and melt the coconut cream into the sauce.

4. Add all remaining ingredients.

Simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring, then add the frozen sweet peas, coconut sugar/maple syrup, and salt. Stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and add lime juice, if desired. 

5. Serve.

Serve this chickpea and spinach curry over basmati white rice and/or naan bread.

Storage Instructions:

Store leftovers in an airtight containers in the fridge for 3-4 days.

EXPERT TIPS & FAQ’S:

RELATED RECIPES:

• One Pot Lentil Curry w/ Peas (+ Instant Pot option)
• Potato Curry (Oil-Free)
• Slow Cooker Thai Yellow Curry
• Coconut Curry Cauliflower Soup
• Instant Pot Chana Masala
• Lentil Keema

If you make this Chickpea and Spinach Curry, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your photo with  #veggie__chick  on Instagram.

Note: This recipe was originally created in August of 2016. It was updated in October of 2021 with new photos and an improved recipe.