Coconut Chickpea Curry
Today I’m sharing a plant-based twist to one of my favorite Indian coconut curry recipes. This is a simple and delicious one-pot dish that can be whiped up in roughly 30 minutes. Thus it’s great as a weeknight meal and also makes delicious leftovers for lunch — talk about simple meal prep!
As the weather starts getting nicer here on Cape Cod, I prefer to spend as much time as I can outside as opposed to cooking in the kitchen. That said, I like to eat delicious and nutritious meals, so even though I prefer to spend less time cooking, I’m not willing to sacrifice on taste.
Indian curries are some of my favorite go-to meals because they’re so easy to put together. They take minimal prep time, I’m talking roughly 10-15 minutes. Then you basically throw it all in a pan and let it cook through for another 20-25 minutes.
What I also love about curry is that it is packed with powerful health benefits including anti-inflammatory properties, thanks to its potent ingredients like ginger, garlic, turmeric, and onions. I’d typically cook some cauliflower on the side, but for this I decided to throw it all in together making it a one-pot meal. This dish pairs well with basmati rice or some fresh naan!
I’ll also mention that I’ve played with different variations of this recipe: with chicken; without the tamarind; without sugar; vegan and they all have still turned out incredibly delicious!
Serves 2-4
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of coconut oil (or ghee)
1 cinnamon stick, broken into two
1 large onion, sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
10 fresh curry leaves (not essential)
1 3/4- inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1 fresh red chili (or dried), chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon coconut palm sugar (you can also omit, if you prefer sugar free)
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
16-20 ounces chickpeas, cooked, rinsed, and drained)
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small to medium sized pieces (optional)
1/4 cup broth (vegetable broth, or chicken bone broth)
1 teaspoon tamarind paste (can omit if you don’t have)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
Instructions:
Add the oil into a wide-bottomed pan, this one is my favorite. Add the cinnamon stick and the curry leaves (if you’re using them), and allow them to infuse into the oil. Add the onions and fry, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until softer and browning at the edges.
Next put the garlic and ginger into the pan and stir-fry for a few more minutes. Add the red chili, turmeric, coriander, sugar, salt, and tamarind, stirring well. Then add the chickpeas and cauliflower into the pan.
Pour in the coconut milk. Pop the lid on the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes. The curry should have a lovely golden color. Take out the cinnamon stick, and pair with some steaming basmati rice or fresh naan.
*Recipe inspired by cookbook: Made in India by Meera Sodha
If you try this recipe, please be sure to tag me on social @saraannhubbard