Made with canned chickpeas and frozen spinach, this dairy-free, Easy Chickpea & Spinach Curry is so tasty and so hearty!
*This post was first published in September 2016. It has been updated with photos and text and is being re-published today.
We love this Easy Chickpea & Spinach Curry so much that we almost always lick our plates clean after enjoying it for dinner.
It is luxuriously creamy, incredibly satisfying, and a healthy and nutritious plant based dinner. It is also great for meal prep – so long as you portion it out and close the containers!
This is a curry that can be enjoyed year-round but especially on cold winter days… and cold winter days reminds me of the following story…
When cold, wet and dreary weather forced us indoors during the winter of 2003, my then 5-year-old daughter and I started a “cold-weather” tradition.
We would wake up most Saturday mornings, and (even before we brushed out teeth) we’d start the process of bread making.
My daughter would help me pick a recipe for a new type of bread and we’d spend a good part of the morning measuring, mixing and kneading (and in her case, bathing in) the ingredients to our latest venture.
And, when that loaf emerged from the oven – ahh – the look on her face of pride and accomplishment, why it was simply priceless!
However, as she got older and soccer and Tae Kwon Do and homework began to fill our weekends, our little cold-weather tradition was set aside. We’d talk about it fondly from time to time, but that was it.
Then, voila, senior year happened on us this year and things seemed to have changed. Instead of just talking about our cooking soirees of long ago, my daughter started bugging me to let her help with our next meal.
So, I did one better, instead of just having her help, I decided to play supervisor and guide her on some of the basics of curry making so when she is off on her own, she can whip up a couple of easy curries that will last for days!
How to make this Easy Chickpea & Spinach Curry?
• Most of the curries I make, start off with a standard base of onions, ginger, and garlic sauteed together.
• For a super simple curry, I add a can of tomato paste and a can of coconut milk to the onion, garlic, and ginger.
• I vary the spices I use, opting for a mix of coriander, cumin, turmeric, garam masala and/or paprika usually.
• Then I throw in whatever veggies I fancy and voila – curry in a hurry becomes a reality!
The first curry my daughter made all on her own was an Egg Curry that I posted on Instagram not too long ago.
Her second was this Chickpea & Spinach Curry!
Since we had picked up some packages of microwave rice from Walmart over the weekend, she suggested we enjoy our quick and easy Chickpea & Spinach Curry with a package of even quicker and even easier, Long Grain & Wild Ready Rice.
However, if you have a bit more time on hand, why not whip up a delicious turmeric quinoa or some tasty Sri Lankan roti to go with this curry.
Do you remember the first thing you ever made entirely by yourself?
For me, it was spaghetti and meat sauce and my eat-almost-anything-gladly dad ended up suggesting we order pizza… hmmm…
Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin. For more fusion, spice-filled, recipe ideas, please subscribe and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or oil of your choice
- 1 medium yellow onion – chopped
- 3 cloves garlic – chopped
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1 6 oz can tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garam masala
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 cans chickpeas drained
- 2 cups spinach
- Salt and pepper to taste
- parsley/chilies to garnish optional
Instructions
- Add oil to a pan and saute onion in it for about 10-12 minutes till slightly caramelized (the more caramelization, the deeper the taste/flavors)
- Add in the garlic and ginger and saute a couple of minutes
- Add in the coconut milk
- Then add in the tomato paste and spices and mix well till all ingredients are well incorporated
- Then add in the chickpeas and spinach
- Take off the heat as soon as the spinach starts to wilt
- Garnish with parsley/chilies and enjoy with your favorite Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice!
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Shashi, I just love this recipe! We’ve made it a few times already and can’t wait to make it again soon.
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This was so creamy!
I scaled this recipe up and cooked it whilst camping for 18 people! It was lovely! So easy to do and received so many compliments. What a great and tasty dish.
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This looks delicious.
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What a delicious vegetarian curry!!! Loooove chickpeas as well as the rices from that American brand.
How did you know that I’ve been looking for curry inspiration?? We had some of the BEST curry in Edinburgh and London–I simply can’t wait to make this, especially since chickpea and spinach are my favs 🙂
I love bread making! That sounds like such a fun tradition! I also love that you guided your daughter on making curry – this looks like such a delicious dish 🙂
I love chickpea curries – have not made one for ages so thanks for the prompt 🙂
Even though we’re not vegetarians, I still try to make a couple of veg meals a week, just because they’re so much healthier! Anything curried is always a big hit in our house!
We aren’t vegetarians here either – but I do love ’em! Thanks so much Cynthia!
You have me craving a delicious spinach curry so bad right now! Curry is one of my favorite dishes so I can’t wait to try yours!
Thanks so much Pamela! Spinach curry with paneer is one of my favorites, though that one I haven’t been able to replicate just right yet 🙂
Finally a curry that I can make without being scared with a lengthy list of spices that I have absolutely no idea where to find…and look at that colour…just wonderful!
Thanks so much Angie! Actually, when I was in college, one of my sister’s friends told me of an easier curry to make – it involved caramelized onions, a can of diced tomatoes and curry paste!
Perfect! You can’t go wrong with curry and they are so easy to throw together and make!
Yet another reason why we need lil Shashi to come to college in upstate New York! I’ll keep her fed with all sorts of treats, and she can come over and whip up this curry in a hurry for us! (Love the ‘curry in a hurry’ term, too…haha!) Glad to see that she is taking after her Mom in the kitchen…this one looks delicious! Great idea about the bread baking thing…I’ll have to do that with Robbie once he gets older. Oh, and I love keeping Uncle Ben’s in the cabinet for easy meals, too. Yum! 🙂
Haha – David, there’s a restaurant just down the street from that’s called “Curry In A Hurry” – and I think there’s a blog too – or there used to be, so I cannot take credit for it.
I cannot wait to see what bread you and Robbie bake up – when Lil Shashi was into bread making, it used to take me longer to clean up the mess from the kitchen AND off her, than it used to take to actually make the bread – but, dude – it was so worth it!
And, btw, she has a couple of college’s she’s applying to up by y’all! GAH! Also, btw – thanks so much!
I really enjoy good curry, this looks delicious! I love how quick and simple it is!
Thanks so much Marye
Wow! What a wonderful “cold-weather” tradition, I should also start this thing with my daughter as she loves spending time with me in the kitchen. Glad that your daughter made this awesome looking curry by herself. I am sure it was fantastic. Lovely share, Shashi.
Thanks so much Anu – I hope you do – there’s so much fun in the process of it all 🙂
That’s such a great tradition and it’s wonderful that your daughter has an interest in cooking. This curry looks so good – hearty and flavorful!
Thanks so much for your kind words and for stopping by today, Amy.