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vegan chickpea curry in a green dutch oven garnished with mint and cilantro on a light pink surface.
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Chickpea Curry

Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time1 hour
Servings: 6 with rice
Calories: 360kcal
Author: Nisha Vora

Equipment

  • 12-inch deep sauté pan or medium-sized Dutch oven
  • Flat ended spatula

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil or neutral-flavored oil of choice
  • 2 teaspoons coriander seeds (Note 1)
  • 1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds (Note 1)
  • 15 to 20 fresh curry leaves, or 30 dried curry leaves (optional but recommended, Note 2)
  • 1 large yellow or red onion, finely diced
  • 6 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2- inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated
  • 1 to 3 serrano peppers, diced (1 adds mild heat; 3 for spicy!!)
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • ½ pound (227g) Roma or plum tomatoes (2 roma tomatoes), diced
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Note 3)
  • 1 (13.5 oz /400 mL) can full-fat coconut milk (Note 4)
  • ½ cup (120 mL) water (Note 5)
  • 2 (15 oz /425g) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 3 tablespoons tahini, well-stirred
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic cane sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar
  • 1 small head of Swiss chard or lacinato kale (Note 6)
  • 2 teaspoons garam masala
  • Freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice, ½ to 1 tablespoon, to taste
  • 1 big handful of cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped
  • 1 big handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped

Ground Spices

  • 1 ½ teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • A generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper

Instructions

  • Keep a small bowl of water nearby for deglazing.
    Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy-bottomed sauté pan or medium-sized Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the cumin and coriander seeds for about 1 minute, tossing frequently, or until aromatic and darker by a few shades but don’t let them burn!
    Add the curry leaves: if using fresh leaves, cover the pan immediately and stand back to prevent oil splatter. Cook for just 20 seconds to prevent burning. For dry leaves, cook a little longer.
  • Add the onions with a big pinch of salt and cook for 5 minutes, until starting to get some color. If the spices start to darken, lower the heat to medium. Add a splash of water as needed to prevent onions from browning.
    Add garlic, ginger, serrano peppers, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
  • Add Ground Spices and tomato paste and stir frequently for 90 seconds. If it dries out, add a splash of water.
    Add tomatoes + 2 teaspoons kosher salt. Use tomato juices to scrape up browned bits. Cook for 5 minutes, or until tomatoes are soft and the oil starts to release from them.
  • Pour in chickpeas, coconut milk, water, tahini, and sugar. Stir well and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, opening the pot to stir occasionally.
  • Meanwhile, rinse Swiss chard (or kale) and cilantro and mint. For the greens, remove the center ribs and discard. Roll the leaves and up slice the leaves very thinly. Chop the cilantro and mint.
  • After the simmer time, add the greens. Simmer until tender and wilted, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala to combine.
  • Off the heat, squeeze in a little lemon or lime juice, cilantro, and mint. Season to taste with salt (about ½ teaspoon kosher salt). Rest for 5 to 15 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Serve with cooked rice or flatbread.

Notes

Note 1: I like the subtle crunch of whole spices. If you don't, grind your spices first or roughly crush with the back of a sturdy mug, cast iron pan, or heavy knife. No whole spices? Use 1 ½ tsp ground coriander + heaping ½ tsp ground cumin with the other ground spices.
Note 2: If you have an Indian grocery store, seek out fresh curry leaves, which add incredible flavor. Or order dried curry leaves online. The amount of leaves depends on size. If your curry leaves are large, use the smaller range.
Note 3: Since this is a fair amount of salt, I’ve specified the salt I use. For sea salt or Morton’s kosher salt, use less salt, about 1 ¼ tsp. If using table salt, use 1 tsp.
Note 4: If you can’t have coconut products, check the FAQ section in the blog post for how to use cashew cream as a substitute.
Note 5: if you prefer a looser consistency in curries, use ¾ to 1 cup (180 to 240 mL) water.
Note 6: This weighs 7 to 8 oz / 200-230g (stems included). If using more greens, you need to add more salt. You can sub with bagged baby spinach or baby kale (I like to roughly chop before adding it to the curry); it'll cook in 1-2 minutes.