This delicious vegan chickpea curry is creamy and perfectly spiced and ready in less than 30-minutes. A wonderful plant based weeknight meal.
There’s always time for another vegan curry recipe and this vegan chickpea curry is all that and a bag of chips (translation: it’s divine!).
I was inspired by our vegan lentil curry to make this and it will definitely go onto the regular rotation from now on in our house.
It’s a perfect mix of spices and flavors in a super creamy sauce. But the best part is that it’s ready in less than 30 minutes and pretty much flop proof!
It is the perfect meal to make on a weeknight when you don’t have a lot of time but still want something really delicious to eat.
It’s also high in protein and fiber and all that good stuff.
If you love this recipe, then you’ll also love our vegan chana masala and our vegan curry so check those out too.
How To Make Vegan Chickpea Curry
You will find full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. This is a summary of the process to go along with the process photos.
- Add olive oil to a pot along with chopped onions, crushed garlic, garam masala (or curry powder), cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper and sauté until the onions are softened.
- Add canned chickpeas, chopped tomatoes and coconut milk.
- Mix together and bring to a simmer.
- Let it simmer for around 10 minutes or so until the flavors are really well blended.
- Add a little coconut sugar for flavor balance and some salt and pepper as needed and that’s it!
Serving Suggestions
Serve with basmati rice (or cauliflower rice if you prefer), and some fresh cilantro and you have a beautiful meal. Some vegan naan on the side would be fantastic as well!
Ingredient Notes
The Spices. The spices really make this dish and I encourage you to use all of them:
- Garam Masala. We used a garam masala powder but you can also use a curry powder.
- Cumin, ground coriander, cayenne pepper and turmeric. These complement the garam masala perfectly while a dash of cayenne pepper adds a little extra heat and the turmeric adds a little color.
Canned Chickpeas. We used two 15-ounce cans of chickpeas which makes this recipe really fast and easy to make. If you prefer to use cooked chickpeas (not canned) then you can just use 3 cups.
Coconut Milk. We used canned, full fat, unsweetened coconut milk and this provides the creaminess without overpowering the other flavors at all.
Storing and Freezing
Leftovers keep very well in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave.
More Vegan Curry Recipes
- Vegan Coconut Curry
- Vegan Thai Green Curry
- Vegan Sweet Potato Curry
- Vegan Massaman Curry
- Vegan Potato Curry
- Vegan Korma
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to leave a comment and rating below!
Vegan Chickpea Curry
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion White, Yellow or Brown, Chopped
- 1 tsp Crushed Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Garam Masala or Curry Powder
- ½ tsp Cumin
- ½ tsp Ground Coriander
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- ¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 2 (15-ounce) Cans Chickpeas Drained, or 3 cups cooked chickpeas
- 14 ounces Canned Chopped Tomatoes (1 can)
- 14 ounces Canned Coconut Milk (400ml) Full Fat, Unsweetened
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Sugar or Light Brown Sugar
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper To Taste
For Serving:
- Basmati Rice
- Fresh Cilantro
Instructions
- Add the olive oil to a pot along with the chopped onions, crushed garlic, garam masala, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and cayenne pepper and sauté until the onions are softened.
- Add the chickpeas, chopped tomato and coconut milk and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for around 10 minutes until the flavors are blended.
- Add coconut sugar and mix in. Add sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Serve over basmati rice or cauliflower rice with some fresh cilantro.
Notes
- We used two 15-ounce (425g) cans of chickpeas in this recipe. If you would prefer to use cooked chickpeas (not canned) then the amount to use is 3 cups. If you’re using cans, there’s no need to measure it in cups, just use two full cans (drained).
- Leftovers keep very well in the fridge for 4-5 days and can be reheated in the microwave. It also freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat in the microwave.
- Nutritional information is for curry only and does not include rice.
I actually did not make it. That’s because it called for coconut milk. I realize that’s vegan but so high in saturated fats!! Is there an alternative plant based milk that can be used and is more healthy?
That’s the problem with most curries; they all call for coconut milk.
Thank you!
Hi John. You can experiment with alternatives like almond milk, oat milk and cashew milk depending on your preference for creaminess and taste. Hope that helps!
This is so delicious!!!! I am not a vegan but I occasionally do a Daniel Fast for spiritual reasons. I decided to try this recipe and I made my own Garam Masala too. I usually add a lot of extra seasoning to recipes because I love flavourful foods. I didn’t really add much extra to this. It was basically perfect as listed. (Although I did triple the garlic and add a teeny bit extra seasoning lol). 10/10! I wrote it into my personal recipe book for my favourites or my creations.
That’s awesome Kristen! Thanks so much for sharing!
We loved this wonderful chick pea curry recipe. I made it 2 weeks ago and it went down so well I’ve made another pot full today. It’s so tasty and satisfying. Thank you, I love your recipes. 🥰
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Elspeth! Thanks so much for sharing and for your great review!
I have been making this recipe for a very long time, it is amazing! I make at least once a month. If anyone has any suggestions on how to cook this in the instant pot- please share the details! I love getting out my instant pot in the fall/winter months and would love to make this in it! Thank you for all your recipes, This is my favorite spot to find Vegan meals! Be well xo
Happy to hear you enjoy the recipes Erin!
I’ve made this a number of times. Sometimes I will add additional veggies such as cauliflower or broccoli. The family loves it. In spite of the number of ingredients this comes together very quickly and leaves everyone very satisfied.
That’s great Julia! Thanks for sharing and for your lovely review!
Absolutely delicious.
Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe Magali!
It turned out to be delicious and I will certainly make it again. I just let it simmer till some of the fluids evaporated. Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe and looking forward to trying out some other of your recipes.
Thanks so much for sharing Jocelyn!