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This Chickpea Curry is a fast weeknight meal, featuring protein-packed chickpeas in a creamy curry base. Adding a squeeze of lime, fresh basil, and a little sweetness create a delicious Thai-style flavor.

chickpea curry in bowl with naan bread

Why You’ll Love this Chickpea Curry

This curry recipe has become a go-to for me, because it calls for easy ingredients that I usually already have on hand. You’ll need a can of chickpeas and a can of coconut milk, along with some curry powder and a few fresh veggies. (You can use frozen veggies in a pinch, too!)

Tip: Save the liquid from the can of chickpeas, and make Aquafaba Mousse. It’s an impressive egg-free dessert, calling for only 3 ingredients.

curry powder with vegetables in pan

How To Cook Chickpeas

If you don’t keep canned chickpeas on hand, or if you would prefer to cook dried chickpeas from scratch, I have tutorials for that! You can cook chickpeas in the Instant Pot, or you can cook them on the stove top. (Click the orange links to go straight to the printable tutorials.)

fresh cilantro stirred into the curry sauce

What Do You Put in Curry?

If you’re like me and don’t always keep a jar of curry paste on hand, I find it’s easy to create a rich flavor using canned coconut milk and a curry powder blend from the store. Curry powder is typically a mix of turmeric, coriander, ginger, cumin, chili powder, and pepper, and the strength can vary by brand, so definitely be sure to taste this sauce as you go.

For a rich flavor, I also like to add:

  • Fresh lime juice
  • Fresh basil (Thai basil is great, but regular basil also works)
  • Maple syrup (for a little sweetness)
  • Plenty of salt (you can use tamari or soy sauce, for a deep flavor, too)

What I love about recipes like this one, is that you can use up any produce you have in the fridge. I’m using red onion and bell pepper in this case, but this recipe also works well with kale, spinach, Swiss chard, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, and sweet potatoes. It can be a kitchen-sink style meal!

chickpea curry in white bowl with bell peppers

More Curry Recipes

If you have other ingredients you want to use up, you may enjoy the following recipes, too!

chickpea curry with naan bread

Thai Chickpea Curry (Quick & Easy)

4.90 from 29 votes
This easy Chickpea Curry is made with just a handful of ingredients that you probably already have on hand. I love how fast & flavorful it is!
prep10 mins cook20 mins total30 mins
Servings:4

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 red onion , chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper , chopped and seeds removed
  • 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic , minced
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 (15 oz.) can coconut milk (I use full fat)
  • 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas , rinsed and drained
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil , roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion and pepper until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Add in the ginger, garlic, and curry powder and stir for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  • Add the coconut milk, chickpeas, salt, and maple syrup, then give the mixture a stir. Bring the liquid to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot to let the flavors simmer together for about 15 minutes.
  • Remove the lid and stir in the lime juice and fresh basil. Stir until the basil is wilted, then adjust any seasoning to your taste. Serve warm, with rice or cooked quinoa.

Video

Notes

You can use a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies in this recipe instead of fresh, and feel free to use dried spices if that's what you have on hand. I typically use 1/4 teaspoon to start with, and then add more to taste when using dried vs. fresh herbs.

Nutrition

Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Sodium: 597mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1025IU | Vitamin C: 40mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 4mg
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: vegan
Keyword: chickpea curry
Nutrition info is for 1 of 4 servings, and is automatically calculated using an online calculator. For more accurate results, be sure to use the labels on your own ingredients at home.

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment below letting me know how it turns out for you! And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too. We can all benefit from your experience.

Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite fast weeknight meal?

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. This recipe is so delicious and easy. We have been making almost once weekly and cannot get enough!

  2. Absolutely amazing! My stepdaughter has decided to not eat meat anymore so we did this recipe together. We both loved it! It will be made again and again. Thank you so much for your amazing recipes!

  3. I made this last week for the first time and it was fantastic! I’m vegan but my omnivore partner said she would order this at a restaurant. She said “I don’t even like basil or lime in my food and this is delicious.” It will definitely be added into the rotation.

  4. Hi Megan, can this be made in the instapot? Or is it so quick it’s easier on the stove?

    I plan to make it tomorrow but will add some more veggies like maybe broccoli