This quick and easy vegan Tomato and Chickpea Curry can be on your table in 20 minutes! It is coconut free, low in oil, full of protein and bursting with flavours!
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Why We Love This Recipe
Tomato chickpea curry is fabulous as part of a curry spread but it is also perfect as a standalone with some naan bread or a bowl of basmati rice.
It is mild and family-friendly and it is the one I turn to on a ‘what on earth shall we eat?!” night as I always have tinned tomatoes and chickpeas in my storecupboard!
Leftovers keep well so it’s great for batch cooking. It is also good, cold, in packed lunches and in sandwiches with a smidgeon of vegan mayonnaise!
Notes About Ingredients
Tomato chickpea curry is very easy to put together and uses easy-to-find, storecupboard ingredients.
- CHICKPEAS – I used canned chickpeas this time but dried chickpeas soaked and then cooked work just as well.
- ONION – I use red or brown onions, whichever I have to hand.
- GINGER AND GARLIC – Grated fresh ginger and crushed garlic are fab but I also often use jarred versions of the same. Always in my fridge and VERY convenient for a curry in a hurry!
- CHILLI – I use fresh green chilli for this dish. Remove the seeds if you want a milder curry. If you don’t have fresh, replace it with a pinch of dried to taste.
- OIL – rapeseed oil is my oil of choice but any lightly flavoured vegetable oil will do. Not olive oil!
- SPICES and HERBS – if you are daunted by the list of spices use a premade spice paste or blend instead – I won’t judge you!
- SPINACH – an optional extra. I chuck it in if I feel my offspring are in need of a green vegetable! Use fresh or frozen spinach, whichever you have.
How to Make Tomato and Chickpea Curry
This is the curry I turn to on a Friday night if I’m tired and I just want something really tasty, really fast.
- Simply fry a chopped onion in a little oil until soft.
- Add chopped chilli, grated ginger, crushed garlic and all the dry spices and fry for a further minute until your kitchen smells fantastic and the mustard seeds are popping.
- Carefully add the tinned tomatoes (they will spit as they hit the hot pan) and half a tomato tin of water.
- Add the tinned chickpeas (and frozen spinach if you are using it), season with the salt and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes or until you have a thick tomato sauce.
- If you are using fresh spinach add it now and stir in. Cook for a minute or two until the leaves wilt.
- Taste and add more salt to taste
- Optional: Serve topped with freshly chopped coriander leaves and/or slices of green chilli if liked.
What Can I Serve with Tomato Chickpea Curry?
This dish is delicious served as it is on a pile of basmati rice or with naan bread but you could also:
- have it cold for lunch with salad leaves.
- pop it in a sandwich with some chutney and raw spinach leaves or rocket.
- Serve it as part of a curry feast with coconut yoghurt, spicy chutney and a couple of extra curries as I have here.
Storage
This curry keeps very well in a suitable container in the fridge for three or four days. Eat it cold or add a little water and reheat it in a saucepan until piping hot.
It also freezes very well. Defrost thoroughly before reheating.
More Vegan Curry recipes For You
If you like this recipe, you might also like to try:
- Kale Curry with Potatoes
- Vegan Naan Bread
- Vegan Thai Green Curry
- Pumpkin Lentil Curry
- Roast Potato Curry
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Tomato Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion peeled and chopped
- 1 green chilli finely chopped (seeds removed for a milder taste)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp garam masala
- 400 g tin of tomatoes
- 480 g chickpeas (garbanzo beans) this is two cans of chickpeas, drained
- pinch salt
Optional extras
- handful fresh spinach leaves or a couple of cubes of frozen spinach
- fresh coriander (cilantro)
To Finish
- chilli slices (optional)
- fresh coriander (cilantro)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the chopped onion and fry gently until soft.
- Add chopped chilli, grated ginger, crushed garlic and all the dry spices and fry for a further minute until your kitchen smells amazing and the mustard seeds are popping.
- Carefully add the tinned tomatoes (they will spit as they hit the hot pan) and half a tomato tin of water.
- Add the drained chickpeas (and frozen spinach if you are using it), season with a pinch of salt and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes or until you have a thick tomato sauce.
- Optional: Add the fresh spinach and stir. Cook gently for a minute or two until the leaves wilt. Stir in some chopped fresh coriander leaves.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve topped with chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves and sliced chilli if liked.
