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.
Super easy to make & so yummy !!! Subbed the garam masala with curry powder & the coconut sugar with brown sugar as mentioned because that is what I had on hand & it all came together wonderfully! Served over broccoli & diced potatoes, & have already bookmarked the recipe as we will certainly be making this lots!
Awesome! Thanks so much Carly!
Let me tell you what – this dish is fantastic! Anyone who felt it lacked flavor may have been using old spices or something. This dish is seriously phenomenal. Unfortunately I don’t have any cilantro but that’s not stopping me from having my THIRD bowl. You’ve outdone yourself with this one.
Thanks so much Chrysta!
this was a little bland alison, what can I add to give it more?
Sometimes it’s just a case of adding in some extra salt to bring it all to life!
Hi there. What can I use in place of coconut milk, coconut cream?
Yes you can use canned coconut cream. 🙂
Your recipes are inspiring us to eat less meat.
We all need to be educated,on how to cook “GOOD” vegan food and you have become our springboard to this cuisine… so, “well done you”
Let’s all work together for a brighter sustainable future
Keep up the good work
Love Mike x ????
That is so awesome to hear, thanks so much Mike! 🙂
Thank you. I have enjoyed reading your recipes and will certainly make a lot of them.
Good but I almost feel like it’s missing something, though I can’t put my finger on what. Maybe because I didn’t use fresh garlic? Other than granulated garlic, I followed the recipe as written.
Very tasty and fast recipe. About 10 min of work and some time on the stove. I added some soy sauce and lemon for the uami-tangy flavor – but this is just my take on it. Highly recommended!
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing!
I love this recipe! I make it at least 2-3 times a month, and my family is always so pleased! I usually add more veggies to it 🙂
Awesome! Thanks Brianna!
Delicious and super easy to make! Added in extra of all the spices to my own taste but was so good my family devoured it.
Awesome! Thanks Natasha!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I make it nearly twice a month and it’s my favorite dish to ease people into vegan eating. They’re usually shocked at how flavorful and “not-boring” it is lol. I’ve included a link to this recipe on multiple blog posts by now. I love It that much!
Thank you so much! 🙂
I love this recipe and have made it several times. It tastes just like the curry my Asian friend makes ????????????
Fantastic! Thanks Desiree! 🙂
I made this last night and it came out so well! Seriously delicious. I can’t wait to make this every week 🙂
Awesome! Thanks Chloe! 🙂
Delicious and easy. My husband would NEVER eat chickpeas ….until he tried this. Great recipe!
Awesome! I’m so happy to hear that Anna. Thanks for the wonderful review! 🙂
Absolutely delicious! I had Curry powder and substituted that for the Garam Masala and served over Basmati rice. The whole family rated it a “keeper”
So happy to hear Susan! Thanks for the amazing review! 🙂