When I finished cooking these Curried Chickpeas with Spinach I took a look at my notepad to make sure I had written down all the ingredients. I looked it over a good three or four times thinking that I had surely forgotten something. The list was just too short. How did I just make so much yum with so few ingredients?!
That’s how food should be. Uncomplicated, fast, and super tasty. I couldn’t stop sneaking spoonfuls of this dish as I photographed it—it was just that flavorful. The simple tomato sauce is kicked up a few notches with curry powder (hot or mild, your choice) and would probably be good poured over just about any vegetables. I like this combo of spinach and chickpeas because it’s filling, very nutritious, and just down right pretty.
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Use Fresh or Frozen Spinach
I used fresh spinach because I bought a HUGE 2.5 lb. bag of fresh spinach the other day and now I’m committed to using it all before it goes bad, but you can sub frozen spinach to fit your budget. Just add 8 oz. of frozen spinach to the skillet in place of the fresh and sauté until thawed and warmed through, then proceed with the recipe as usual. I also used a very large can of chickpeas, but if that’s not available in your area, just use two regular 15-oz. sized cans. Not a fan of chickpeas? Lentils would also be great here!
How to Serve Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
I served my curried chickpeas with spinach over rice, but it would also be awesome with some naan to soak up the sauce instead. NOM.
What Kind of Curry Powder Do You Use?
You can use either hot or mild curry powder, depending on how spicy you’d like your curried chickpeas to be. I’ve enjoyed both 365 brand curry powder and Sharwood’s curry powder. You can also try making your own curry powder using this recipe for Easy Homemade Curry Powder from Spiceitupp.com.
Curried Chickpeas with Spinach
Servings 4 1 cup eachIngredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.26)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.47)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 inch fresh ginger ($0.16)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp curry powder ($0.45)
- 8 oz. spinach (fresh or frozen) ($1.49)
- 1 15oz. can tomato sauce ($0.59)
- 2 15oz. cans chickpeas ($1.10)
Instructions
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger on a small holed cheese grater. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large skillet with the olive oil over medium heat until the onions have softened (3-5 minutes).
- Add the curry powder and continue to sauté with the onion mixture for one minute more. Add about 1/4 cup of water to the skillet along with the fresh spinach and continue to sauté until the spinach has wilted. The water will help steam and wilt the spinach (no water needed if using frozen spinach).
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Add them to the skillet along with the tomato sauce. Stir well to distribute the spices in the sauce and heat through (5 minutes). Serve over rice or with bread.
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Nutrition
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Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Curried Chickpeas with Spinach – Step by Step Photos
Start by dicing one onion and mincing two cloves of garlic. I used a small cheese grater to grate one inch of fresh ginger (or you can mince it). I usually use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin from the ginger before grating it. Sauté the onion, garlic, and ginger in a large skillet with olive oil until they are soft (about 5 minutes).
Add 1.5 Tbsp of curry powder and continue to sauté the mixture. You can use either hot or mild curry powder. Continuing to sauté after adding the spices will toast them just slightly and increase their flavor.
Next, add a little water to the skillet (about 1/4 cup) and 8 oz. of fresh spinach. It will likely fill up the skillet, so stir carefully until it wilts down. Most fresh spinach is sold in either an 8 or 16 oz. bag, so use the label to help you estimate 8 oz. The water will help steam and wilt the spinach. If you’re using frozen spinach, you don’t need to add any water, just warm it through in the skillet.
Drain and rinse a large 29 oz. can (or 2 15oz. cans) of chickpeas then add them to the skillet along with a 15 oz. can of tomato sauce. If you don’t have tomato sauce in your area, strained tomatoes or tomato purée is a good substitute (although you may need to add a little salt at the end).
Then just stir it all together well and let it warm through. How easy is that? I say “Pshhhhftfttfft.” to all boxed skillet meals.
This is one of the best vegan recipes I have ever eaten. It’s easy to make and it makes a large quantity. The spices are perfect. Even my meat-eating husband liked it. Try it!
I love this recipe as it is or I pad it out with sweet potato and add lots more spices.
My whole family really enjoyed this. I added a bit more curry powder and some plain Greek yogurt to mellow out the tomato sauce and give it a bit of creaminess, and that really did the trick IMO.
Beth! This is so good! I forgot to buy tomato sauce, so I used 2 cans of undrained diced tomatoes. I added a stalk of celery diced while cooking the onion. I might have been a little heavy on the curry :) I served it with basmati rice. 5 star YUM!!!
Big fan of this site so far. But I think this one needs some improvement. The tomato sauce was overpowering and a little watery. Flavor definitely lacking for me and I needed to experiment a little. I cook way more Thai curries so I only had those ingredients on hand. Added some coconut milk and red curry paste for texture and flavor. Helped a ton, but I want to experiment with more authentic ingredients next time. Also check if your canned chickpeas are soft enough before adding them! I assumed they would be, but mine were firm and needed way more cook time.
Love many of your recipes, but found this one really bland as written. It was also very acidic with nothing to balance out the tomato sauce (needs some cream or at least baking soda I think). I like how simple and easy it is to make, but sadly not a keeper. I appreciate your site a lot, though, and will look forward to trying more recipes.
Thank you for the recipe. I made it tonight, but with powdered ginger and garlic, and I cooked the chickpeas in the last step longer than 5 minutes and hotter. It came out nice. I gave it 4 stars because I like coconut based curries better, although this is lower fat and quicker, and also because the time is underestimated as in most recipes, and because 2 cans of 15 ounce chickpeas costs much more than $1.10 (especially for the organic chickpeas I get), so the prices should either be updated or removed.
Big fan of this site so far. But I think this one needs some improvement. The tomato sauce was overpowering and a little watery. Flavor definitely lacking for me and I needed to experiment a little.
I cook way more Thai curries so I only had those ingredients on hand. Added some coconut milk and red curry paste for texture and flavor. Helped a ton, but I want to experiment with more authentic ingredients next time.
Also check if your canned chickpeas are soft enough before adding them! I assumed they would be, but mine were firm and needed way more cook time.
Really bland flavor IMHO, but I’m not familiar enough with Indian recipes to know how to improve it. Definitely very cheap though and easy to meal prep.
Excellent per the directions and even better with modifications. Mushrooms, sweet or hot peppers, carrots, green beans, kale, arugula, and my wifes favorite air fried sweet potatoes instead of the rice.
Love love this!! I will make it again. Easy and delicious!
Absolutely delicious!! Must use fresh/frozen fresh ginger! I didn’t have curry powder so I used meat masala powder (is it the same? Maybe?) and it was 100/100 – highly recommend!
I make this with heavy cream and serve it over rice. My daughter requests it almost weekly.
Recipe looks great, although the sodium amount seems extremely high. Could it be an error?
Sodium: 1286.48 mg per 1 cup.
I just ran it through the calculator again and it came out almost exactly the same. You just have to keep in mind that nutrition data that is calculated using a database like this always has a pretty wide margin of error. Since this recipe has two cans of chickpeas, it’s possible that the calculator is accounting for all the sodium that is in the liquid in those cans. Canned beans and canned tomato sauce tend to be high in sodium in general.
We cook a batch of dried garbanzos weekly that get used for multiple dishes. Also this recipie is great in the summer with garden fresh heirloom tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Reduces the salt dramatically
I have made this so many times and it’s always good. I sometimes add sliced mushrooms at the beginning and last time I added diced par boiled potatoes. Sometimes I’ve used half the amount of chickpeas because I forgot to buy the big can and I have used frozen kale. It’s always good. Filling and cheap and you always want more. So easy! This website has the best recipes. I have so many vegan favourites from here.
I added peas and carrots to this recipe to bulk it up a bit. After reading the reviews I added diced tomatoes instead and was pleased with the end result. Served over cauliflower rice, this meal is AMAZING. I am a college student and this will keep me fed for at least 3 days. THANK YOU.
Has anyone used kale instead of spinach here? How did it turn out? LOVE BB! -Aviva
Only problem is I might eat the whole pot
Yummylicious
Such a quick, easy and healthful recipe that tastes like its been cooking all night
So easy and so tasty! Definitely needed some salt at the end as mentioned but I think it should be included in the recipe because it feels lacking without
I had to use powdered ginger because I didn’t have fresh — I used 1 tsp. I also added about a quarter can of coconut milk that I had left in the fridge and added some tumeric because I add it to anything i can. It was sooo good! My husband said “you can make this any time you want”. That’s his highest food compliment!!
That’s such a good idea! I’ll try that next time
Tasty recipe, though like others I made a few tweaks. Wanted lots of leftovers so upped the scale to 8, tho used less onion than that called for. Felt lazy so used frozen chopped up onion. decided to throw in a 12oz bag of broccoli, cauliflower and carrots, plus a 12oz bag of just cauliflower, And I had a 12oz bag of frozen spinach so used all of that. Stuck with just the two cans of chickpeas since I had all that veggie filler. Liked the suggestion of using coconut milk so I used one can tomato sauce, one can coconut milk. I used sunbeam curry powder- which is plenty salty but I always add extra in recipes so I used an extra 1 TBS or so. As is was good but thought it could benefit from something else so used about 1/4 tsp of ground coriander, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp turmeric and Cumin. Could have upped the spice factor a bit but that brand of curry powder has a little bit of kick so it was still good. Pretty sure it was the cumin that did the trick and added that extra touch. Oh and I added a few twists of pepper too. Wish I had some cilantro to throw in there too. :) gunna very much enjoy these leftovers!
This is amazing with Beth’s savory coconut rice recipe. Yum.
It really was easy to make! And it tastes so good!
I made this last night! My non-vegan Hispanic family enjoyed it very much.
I think I may have added a bit too much of the pasta but it’s okay because it still came out fantastic.
Super quick meal when short on time while still packing in nutrients and some yummy plant based protein. I ate mine with some toasted pita bread
Could Cumin and Chili Powder be substitutes for fresh ginger and curry powder. It’s hard during Covid to find certain food items😔
Those are definitely two very different flavor profiles, so while it won’t taste the same at all, it might be good in a different way. :)
If I don’t have ginger, can I skip it?
Technically the recipe will still work, you’ll just be missing some of the flavor. Whether or not it’s “good” without the ginger will likely be more of a personal call. :)
Can this recipe be frozen?
Yes, this recipe should freeze very well.
I make this all the time and use Danielle Walker’s Coconut-cilantro-lime cauliflower rice recipe. I make it for family and friends and have never had anyone not give it a full five stars and ask for the recipe.
Hi,
Not a big fan of Curry, is there an alternative or can I just leave it out. BTW, love your blog!
Love this recipe! I chopped up 3 carrots and used those in place of one of the cans of chickpeas, and added 1/4 cup of soy milk at the very end to make it a little creamy, and it was AMAZING. Perfect for spooning over a bowl of white rice :)
I made this last night – and when I started pulling all the ingredients, I realized that I bought whole tomatoes instead of tomato sauce! :S BUT some comments below mentioned coconut milk, which I had on hand. Such a lifesaver! And I thought it tasted AMAZING! I put in about 2 tbps of tomato paste, 1 can of diced tomatoes, 1 15 oz container of coconut milk, and doubled the curry, and added maybe 1 tsp of cumin, and 1 tsp of turmeric, and maybe 2 tsp of red peppers to bump up the flavour. Fantastic results!
This recipe is simply delicious and very filling. Will definitely make again in the future!!!
Cooked exactly as the recipe specified, except we ended up using ground ginger instead of fresh (about 1/4 tsp.). Really delicious and so easy to make! Literally the hardest part was cutting the onion (it’s always so sad)
Could I sub out thai red curry paste for curry powder? Working with a limited pantry at the moment!
Despite having similar names, Thai curry paste and curry powder are actually two very different ingredients. They have completely different flavors (and ingredients), so it’s not something you’d want to use in this recipe, unfortunately!
This looks so good! In lieu of tomato sauce would blending canned tomatoes work? Trying to work with what’s on hand these days ; )
Thank you !
Yes that will work if it’s what you have on hand. Just may not be as flavor packed.
Could I somehow add coconut milk to this recipe?
You could certainly give it a try and see how it goes!
I added a can of coconut milk and it turned out great! Recipe was delicious without it as well!
Can you use dried chickpeas in this recipe?
I wouldn’t suggest it. I don’t think it will be quite the same.
Omg the easiest and most tastiest curry I think I have ever made! Simple but delicious 5 stars!!!
Yesterday I made it for dinner. It was a new taste, the spinach gave an awesome test to the curry.
Next time I will add some more spices.
I’m new to your site and am so impressed with your presentations and the step by step instructions as well as photos! Very impressive and thank you!
I made this today with some tomato paste and diced fresh tomatoes instead of the tomato sauce as I didn’t have any.
I didn’t have curry powder so I used some cumin, turmeric and chili flakes. It turned out really good!
It’s a really good use for spinach :)
This has become one of my favorite meal prep recipes! Heats up great for school or work lunches. Delicious!
Such a healthy recipe mam! As suggested by SHANNON even I was using coconut milk instead of tomato sauce cause the tomato sauce wasn’t handy at the time making the dish. The result – boom! Mouthwatering CURRIED CHICKPEAS WITH SPINACH dish which I served along with some chapatis!
Really yummy and fast to make!
I have tried it several times already, even replaced chickpeas with red beans once. Was a success every time. I am making it again today mixing red beans and chickpeas :) Quick, simple, tasty !
Happy to hear it Pascale!
Excited to try! Having trouble locating the nutritional info on this one,please help? TIA ;)
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
Very yummy! Fast and easy, tasty and healthy! The kind of meals I want to feed my family. Unfortunately I was a bit heavy handed on the spice this time, but half of us still ate it and next time I will know better! Added both tomato sauce and coconut milk! Thank you for sharing!
Quick, easy, simple and really tasty when complete!! I had mild curry powder and ended up adding a 1/2 tbsp more near the end of the process to kick up the curry flavour (tasted more spinachy when I used my frozen greens). Wish I’d seen the coconut milk variation as I have a feeling that would work well … next time ;) I’m really looking forward to having this for lunches this week!
Sounds great Catherine!
Delicious and healthy. Felt so energized after eating this!
This was really tasty! I only had a small can of chickpeas handy, so I threw in some chopped frozen cauliflower and a handful of peas to make up the difference. Healthy, pretty, quick, and delicious. Thanks, I’ll make this again!
Happy to hear it Alexis!
I made this today. Like Magnolia, I also added one can of coconut milk, but in addition to about half the amount of tomato sauce and it tasted really creamy and rich.
Great tip Shannon!
Just made this for dinner. Very good. Substituted coconut milk for tomato sauce because we’re trying to avoid nightshades. Might add more curry powder and/or cayenne next time for a little more heat.
Good to know!
How long does it stay fresh in the fridge? I am using it for meal prep.
We recommend no longer than 3-5 days.
This definitely needs a bit more seasoning beyond just the curry powder. I salvaged it with an additional:
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp black pepper
Salt to taste
definitely improved it, thank you!
While this was definitely easy, which I loved, this tasted pretty mediocre imo. So far I have tried two of the recipes – this one and the Migas, and have been underwhelmed by both. I think perhaps the ingredients list is just too simple for me.
Taste your food as you cook
Hey. How many calories is this dinner consisted of. I’m tryna start eating healthy and can’t seem to find the calories of this dish.
So easy to make, so cheap, so healthy, and SO delicious!!
I just microwaved the frozen spinach and blotted a little with a clean dish towel, rather than doing sauteé-ing. Worked fine : )
Can I omit the garlic? I am preggo and garlic and me are not friends at the moment :'(
It will definitely change the flavor, but whether or not it will be palatable to you without the garlic I unfortunately can not predict. :(
I’m gonna have to agree with adalgisabell on this one. The recipe was going well until the tomato sauce. Could you specify if you meant crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or a can of whole tomatoes? Tomato sauce is quite vague. Your sauce seemed to have more water in it in the half and half photo (which is what I was aiming for) but mine came out really thick and tomato-y.
Thank you :)
It’s not crushed, diced, or whole tomatoes, it’s actually a product called “tomato sauce.” :) It’s basically just puréed cooked tomatoes with salt and sometimes a little garlic or onion (barely detectible flavor). Here is an example of a generic can of tomato sauce, but every major brand that makes canned tomato products makes tomato sauce as well. You’ll find it in the same department as other canned tomato products. That being said, this product onlt seems to only be available in the U.S., so if you’re in another country the most similar product will probably be passata. I hope that helps!
The tomato sauce is Passata, cooked and strained tomatoes in a convenient package or bottle ..
tomato sauce is also commonly found in Canada.
Just came upon your recipe and loved the layout and presentation of info! Especially impressed that you added cost per ingredient and total cost for recipe! I’m hooked and will be trying this recipe for sure. But I’ll admit in advance I’m gonna add more seasoning. 😉
Thanks Danielle!
Love this – so healthy.. Thank you.
Added mushroom and dried sage to mine and it was incredible :)
How long can this be kept in the freezer?
I usually try to use up my frozen meals within three months of freezing. There’s no exact cut off time, frozen food just slowly degrades in quality over time.
Totally love it! It freezes wonderfully and has inexpensive ingredients, so that’s a plus. I love the flavor too! Thank you!
I’m not sure what I did wrong here, but mine had a weird bitter after taste. All the ingredients were fresh but I have never used this brand of curry powder before. Any ideas where I went wrong?
Hmm, have you tried tasting the curry powder itself to see if that has a bitter flavor? The only other thing I can think of is that maybe your oil has gone rancid? Sometimes when oil has turned rancid it will have a bitter flavor.
You may have overcooked the garlic. Overcooked garlic is bitter.
It was all great until the deluge of tomato sauce overwhelmed everything. If I were to make this again, I would skip the tomato sauce, perhaps putting in a couple of chopped tomatoes instead.
This is my weekly staple. I did tweak a tad bit and more curry but it’s an awesome dish. It reminds me of a tapas I ate when I lived in Spain.
It’s fine, but the spices definitely need tweaking. The tomato sauce overpowers everything.
I added cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes. Used dried ginger and the flavor was fine. Served over quinoa with dollop of plain Greek yogurt.
Once the tomato sauce is added, it washes away all the flavor of the ginger, curry and onion. It just ends up tasting like tomato sauce.
Could you subtitute powdered ginger for the fresh ginger? I’m looking forward to trying vegan meals, thanks for posting the recipe!
Powdered and fresh ginger actually have very different flavors. While you can substitute, it will definitely taste different. And unfortunately it’s hard for me to estimate how much without doing some testing.
Can I add some lite coconut milk to make it creamy?
Absolutely. :)
Obsessed with this recipe. Exactly how food should be- easy, flavorful, and OH so satisfying. Only tweak I make is triple the onions, add some more garlic and ginger and instead of just adding water I do chicken broth for a bit more flavor. THANK YOU for this!!
love this. I ate mine with blue corn tortilla chips too..incredible
Loved the combo.!! Trying out different vegan meals and am pleasantly surprised!
I loved this recipe, though I did add garam masala and cauliflower, which was delicious! It ended up being a pretty large serving, so I was able to enjoy it for several meals — just how I like it! This will definitely be in frequent rotation with some other recipes. I mentioned it on my blog too! (https://alongthecamelride.com/2018/09/05/the-simplest-joys-in-life/#more-169)
This is the first recipe I tried from your blog a couple of years ago, and I keep coming back to it again and again. Every batch I make just gets better as I tweak flavors to fit my tastes. So easy to whip up after a day at work, or after the gym. I love adding chicken for even more protein (already cooked – just throw it in last to warm for a minute or so). I’ve passed this on to several friends and co-workers, and the vegetarians among them especially seem to love it. :)
Quick and easy recipe, perfect for a newbie vegan and full of flavour :)
I really love this recipe ❤️
I thought this was delicious and easy.
Made this tonight for dinner… served it over cauliflower rice… delicious and filling… def wil be making again!
I appreciate how easy this recipe was and it was nice to see a meal come together so quickly in 5 min. For me personally though, it was way too acidic from the tomatoes. I think it needed something to be able to tone down the acidity.
My ex who is a chef always added a little bit of sugar when using tomatoes in a recipe to counter the acidity.
Add 2 tbsp coconut cream to the recipe to counteract the tomato sharpness.
A pinch of baking soda works, too.
Or I used fresh, peeled, smashed tomatoes!! Try it! Good flavor and healthier since I cooked my own chickpeas!
Do you think adding tofu to this recipe would work? Perhaps replacing half of the chickpeas?
I think you could add some tofu to this, but I’d probably fry it separately first to give it a little more of a firm texture. :)
I made this with firm tofu; worked just fine!
Yum! I have a feeling as great as this one was tonight it’ll be even better leftover. Thanks for the great recipe. I made it in the instant pot. Saute followed by a quick two minute pressure cook.
I just finished making this very inexpensive dish. I also took a little culinary creative license and added oregano, parsley, basil and a little cayenne pepper to give it a little kick. If I had them, I would have added red or green bell peppers. Very simple, very delicious and healthy! SO HAPPY!!!!!
Tried this tonight. It was delicious. The recipe was super easy to follow and very little cleanup. I did add salt and a little cream to take the acidity out of the tomato sauce. Thanks!!
Made this last night and really enjoyed it. I more than doubled the curry powder and ginger, and added a little garam masala and turmeric as well–but then, we like it hot. When I try this again, I will shred the spinach before tossing it in the pot; I dislike big long cooked spinach leaves generally, and they also seemed out of place, somehow, in this Indian-inspired dish. Boyfriend loved it too.
I made this almost exactly like the recipe (used Kitchen King curry) and it was perfect, like everyone says! Easy, cheap, and I love that it’s vegan.
I have tried this recipe as written which is DELICIOUS, but I am also a fan of very strong flavors so I tend to have a lot of extra spices in my pantry. Last time I made it I also toasted a good bit of whole cumin, whole coriander, and whole mustard and doubled the curry powder, garlic and ginger. If you like STRONG indian flavors and have some extra spices in the cupboard, I highly reccommend adding a bit more seasoning. But like stated, the recipe is perfectly flavorful as written.
This is amazing! Any time you have onion, garlic, and ginger sauteeing together, you’re already in smell heaven, and then it keeps getting better. This recipe has it all – fast, easy, inexpensive, fits a few different diets well (dairy free, vegetarian, vegan), and really really tasty! Will absolutely make again! :)
tried it, loved it, saved it for later…
easy and delicious, i have toped this over a roasted sweet potato, delicious!
i thought there would be leftovers, but no…
so good! I added some red chili powder and used home-made tomato sauce (also from budget bytes). I’m freezing half for later. I used frozen spinach as well. so easy.
Definitely 5 star!
My kids loved this dish and it was super easy to make!
Love this recipe. My daughter refuses to eat onions or green peppers, so I added a good bit more garlic. Made yellow rice since we were out of brown rice. Delicious and everyone loved it.
Absolutely delicious. Freezes incredibly well for a quick work lunch later in the month. I just ate my last batch that was lost in the freezer for 3 months. Time to make more :)
Forever grateful for this super quick, delicious and nutritious recipe! Even in my tiny kitchen with barely enough counter space to fit a cutting board, and even using non-baby spinach that needed cutting and washing, and using whole fresh tomatoes chopped and puréed myself (I’m living in South Korea at the moment so all the convenience foods from home aren’t available), this was still ready in less than an hour. Love always!
I made this used whole cherry tomatoes
Great recipe. I’ve made it a few times now and tweak it to my liking. I tend to add some veg stock instead of water, and add in whatever veg I have available. Great on a jacket potato too.
I have never made an Indian meal without a jar/packet of Indian spices that tasted as good as this one. We had it with naan and your spicy roasted cauliflower. I love that it is so easy and quick to make too – thank you!
I made this with some slight variations. I have some carrots on hand that I need to use, so I diced up a couple of those and cooked them with the onions and garlic. Also, I didn’t have any curry powder (d’oh!”). I did have some Garam Masala, though, so used that and it was good. It definitely needs some salt and pepper, and could stand a bit of added heat in my opinion. That said, though, it was super easy, came together really quickly, and doesn’t require a lot of cleanup. Would make it again!
I had to tinkle with the spices. When the tomato sauce was add, it became a bit acidy. I solved the problem by adding Gama Masala, Tumeric, and ground ginger also with a teaspoon of brown sugar. Served with Israeli couscous, it was delicious!
I was afraid the ginger and curry {especially the curry} would be overpowering, but they weren’t at all. The flavor was great. Just needed a little s&p. Served with brown rice and naan. Definitely making this again.
I’m going to try this tonight but THANK YOU for putting the recipe towards the top of the page! Pet peeve of mine is when I have to weed through a lengthy story and repetitive photos just to get to a recipe!
Thank you for appreciating that. :)
You mentioned that you bought a big bag of fresh spinach and had to use it all up before it went bad. I like to buy bags of fresh spinach when it’s on sale, transfer it to a ziplock bag, and put it in the freezer. Then when I need spinach for a recipe, I just grab handfuls out of the ziplock bag. No more worrying about the fresh spinach going bad before you can use it up.
Love it! I freeze it sometimes for smoothies, but I never tried adding it to a recipe like I would fresh spinach. :) I bet the texture would be better than store-bought frozen spinach, which is always SO watery.
Nice quick recipe that used almost all ingredients I already have!
I like Jessica’s idea of using half tomato sauce and half diced tomatoes to give it more texture… I might try that next time since I’m not typically a big fan of tomato sauce.
Delicious! I used half a can of tomatoe sauce and half diced tomatoes for more texture.
I had a bag of spinach that I really needed to use up, so this looked like a great recipe. I was a bit short on the curry powder, but I just subbed out half of it with some garam masala. I also just chopped up the ginger since I couldn’t be bothered to break out the grater. It was delicious! Quick and easy meat and dairy free meal that was much appreciated by this somewhat lazy cook. Thanks!
I love this dish and it is my go to for something quick and tasty. I use diced tomatoes to make it a bit more textural, I almost double the curry powder this calls for and I had cayenne pepper for my desired level of heat. I have even added peas to give myself more greens and on occasion bell peppers. Can’t go wrong with his dish!
This was fantastic. That’s all I really need to say however… I am wondering if anyone has tried this with a meat (lamb or beef)? Next time, I might try that.
I was thinking the same thing. I’m going to add shrimp as I need to have some form of meat or fish with my meals.
I was not expecting a lot. I don’t normally like chickpeas but I had 2 cans in my pantry. This was very tasty and not overly tomato-y. Easy and a nice change up from my regular rotation. If I had the time, making some naan to go with this would have been incredible.
Amazing! I was so skeptical that a dish this simple wouldn’t just taste like watered down tomato sauce, but it was so delicious!!! I agree that finding a curry powder that you like is a must…. but once you’ve got yours this dish is simple and super quick. I’m looking forward to making it again, thanks😁
Where has this recipe been all of my life? It is delicious!!!😋 I’ve made this dish twice so far and my husband and I love it! It is definitely a keeper especially since we’re eating more plant-based foods. Thanks!
Hi, I live in Ecuador and I love your site. However , I’m confused when you say “tomato sauce”. Here, salsa de tomate is ketchup. Is the tomato sauce you refer to like spaghetti sauce or what?
It is cooked puréed tomatoes with a small amount of salt and other seasonings. It’s not as seasoned as spaghetti sauce, and doesn’t have sugar like ketchup.
I LOVED this recipe! Simply, delicious, and plentiful. I’ll admit that I threw in some fresh mushrooms at the spinach stage, and it definitely works well. This will quickly become one of my staple recipes. Thank you!!!
The addition of mushrooms sounds YUMMY! I make this as a rotation for my meal prep to work, and you just gave me another option! This was on the list to make tonight, and I am adding some fresh mushrooms since I have them in the fridge! Thanks for sharing!!
YUM! I made this last night for dinner and it was wonderful. I just wished I had visited our local Indian market and bought some curry powder, since the one I had didn’t give it the flavor I wanted. I added extra turmeric and curry powder to taste, but overall this is a keeper. This will definitely be going on the dinner/lunch rotation!
My hubby and I have found that chickpeas cooked in the pressure cooker taste way better than canned ones. We cook up a biggish batch of them about twice a month and then divide them into various sizes of bags or containers and freeze them, some IN their cooking liquid (aquafaba) and some drained. It’s so easy to just get a bag of them when we are making a curry or a soup. They are very good toasted in the oven with some Indian spices and used as an appetizer, too. Chickpeas are our favorite dried vegetable to use in so many plant based recipes. We also really love lentils, too, and pressure cook the green or brown ones (but NEVER the red ones) since they are nasty when they are too crunchy in recipes. The red ones just take 20 minutes or so to cook with water in a saucepan. Right now our daughter is making vegan sloppy joes with red lentils, grated zucchini and carrot and spices. They are really tasty and have almost the texture of sloppy joes with meat. Tomorrow I am absolutely going to make these chickpeas with spinach and a batch of naan! Yum!
This became a favourite “fast-food” meal at our house when you first published it. Simple, delicious, healthy, and budget friendly. I like to add a dollop of plain greek yogurt on my dish, and I use a medium hot curry powder for warmth during preparation.
I loved this dish, though I did have to add an extra tablespoon of curry to get the taste I was expecting. Very good and if you time the rice right it takes no time to prep. Love it.
Hi Beth! Love the blog – it’s helping me get back into a cooking/healthy routine. I wanted to see if at some point you can feature this recipe in your meal prep column (which I am also loving), maybe served with something other than rice. Thanks!
Great idea! I need to make this again sometime soon anyway. :)
This looks delicious and I plan on making it tonight! Is there a calorie count for this meal?
I love this site, but cannot find calorie or nutrition counts anywhere.
Followed the recipe almost exactly and it was perfect. The only thing I added was some frozen peas as I had some in the freezer and wanted to use them up :-) definitely saving and printing this recipe and it will be my go-to chickpea curry recipe.
Does this meal freeze well?
This one does, yes! :)
This is so good!!! I added ground turkey and black beans, then used chicken stock instead of water. I didn’t put it on rice (didn’t want the carbs). 🔥🔥
Made the recipe exactly as it is described and it is amazing! Reheats well, too.
Hi! I made this yesterday and it was delicious. Im a bit of a cooking beginner and had a question regarding substitutes. The meal was great but I occasionally get bad acid reflux so I was wondering if there were any possible substitutions for the tomato sauce or maybe something similar?
You could maybe do coconut milk instead? It will be a really creamy dish instead of tomatoey. Just make sure to use full fat coconut milk so that it’s not watery.
this recipe was super good the first time I made it, when I use the canned chickpeas. Then tonight, I tried to use the dried chickpeas, following the quick soaking method on the bag of chickpeas, that called for boiling for two minutes and soaking for two hours, not a good idea. The chickpeas will not fully cook in this dish, you go that route.
Chickpeas even after using the quick boil and soak method, still need to be cooked/simmered for 60-90 minutes before using.
You might find the following information helpful.
http://toriavey.com/how-to/2012/10/how-to-soak-and-cook-chickpeas/
This was lovely as is! When I want to add meat I pan fry some seasoned and cubed chicken thighs before I add the onion, ginger and garlic. Today I had some zucchini and bell pepper left and it goes great with it as well! This has been a lovely staple food for me, thanks!
This is such a great, easy dinner! I’ll be making this a lot!
I didn’t have any spinach, so I used kale. It came out great!
This is amazing! Couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was. I added a few tweaks of my own and will be eating this at every opportunity. I browned eggplant and added that and instead of rice, I used “cauliflower rice”. OBSESSED.
How does this recipe do frozen?
This should freeze very well.
I have made this quite a number of times now, Always a hit!! One thing I do is I add frozen peas toward then end of cooking, it adds more healthy yummy veggies and it works perfectly flavor-wise!! :D
This is my #1 lunch recipe. I make it over the weekend, then take some for lunch at work every day that week, along with rice. I look forward to it ALL MORNING. It’s ridiculously easy to put together and so, so good. Thank you!!!
Thank you so much for this recipe! It was super easy to make and tastes amazing. I used diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce because its what I had on hand, and added a pinch of red pepper flakes, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly and served it over basmati rice. I’ll definitely make this one again!
I”ve made this twice now. I always keep some cooked chickpeas in the freezer ready to use and this just makes it one very quick, easy and delicious meal to whip up and enjoyt instantly. Thank you.
I like this recipe very much!! I made it for my family last week and got rave reviews. So, I’m making it again today. This is my newest favorite quick fix meal. It requires very little prep time and it is so filling and nutritious. Thank you very much for sharing it.
I followed the recipe exactly as written, using frozen spinach, and it was delicious. I can’t believe something so simple and quick can be so tasty! And it’s vegetarian too! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.
This was so easy and absolutely amazing. I only had a small can of sauce so I substituted chicken stock for the balance. My best friend took the leftovers and went crazy. My new go to quick curry recipe.
Made this dish last night, albeit with lots of variation. You gotta work with what ya got, ya know? So I used one can of chickpeas, 2 whole peeled & diced tomatoes plus one half cup of pasta sauce, a whole large onion, ground ginger, frozen spinach, only one tablespoon of olive oil, and the amount of garlic and curry powder called for. I split it into 3 servings. It was awesome! I will add to my arsenal of regular dishes. Thanks for the idea!
Made this last night with some white rice. Had some leftovers for lunch and topped it off with a few fried eggs. I feel the eggs really added to the dish and something I’ll do again in the future!
If you have more time on your hands, try browning the onions with baking soda (http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/04/best-channa-masala-chole-technique-chickpea-tomato-curry.html). So good!
I actually make this then dehydrate it for backpacking meals, and I love it. It works well, and is a great go to if I’m cooking for vegetarian friends on the trail! Thanks for sharing.
I made this for dinner this evening, served over farro. It was delicious!
Well made this tonight..a goid few years after your posting.
Am in Majorca n a two month break and wanted to go native tonight.
Thanks so much. Simpke recipe which gave tasty result. I made it with couscous instead of rice. It worked and it is just as economical!
Once you’ve made the chickpea curry could you freeze the leftovers or not? Great recipe by the way!
Yep, freezes great! :)
This is delicious! I used a can of diced tomatoes rather than the sauce and only a regular sized can of chick peas as there are only 2 of us. Easy to have all ingredients on hand for a quick meal anytime.
I’ve been devouring your blog recently. I really want to try this recipe but my husband isn’t too fond of curry. Is there another seasoning that you think would be good to use instead? Thanks!
Garam masala would also be great.
I would suggest maybe finding another brand of chick peas to use. Goya, they actually add the lovely preservatives that I try to stay away from. I found some other brands at my local Fresh Thyme market. Otherwise, this is a delicious meal! And my kids loved it too!
I like to use canned organic chickpeas. Normally just the store brand organic.
If you don’t want to spend on organic, I checked and found 2 brands that contain no gmo: Hanover and Bush’s.
Super quick, easy, and delicious. Like one of the other commenters, I didn’t have any fresh ginger on hand, so I just substituted for 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger and it tasted fine. I’m sure it would be even better with fresh though.
My only complaint is more of a personal preference – I would have liked a bit more sauce because once I put this over rice, it pretty much soaked everything up. Next time I’ll just add more tomato sauce and maybe some diced tomatoes as well.
So easy, delicious and awesome.
I just made this, and loved it! Thanks so much for a great, fast and easy meal! I served it with your seasoned rice from your SNAP challenge-also delicious :)
I have a question about the tomato sauce. I have acid reflux and I can’t eat anything that has tomato in it so what can I add as a substitute?
You could do a creamy coconut style curry using coconut milk instead of tomato sauce. I’d say you’ll probably need 1/2 to one whole can of coconut milk. I’d suggest using whole fat coconut milk (the kind in a can, not the dairy milk substitute), instead of “lite” because that will be too thin. Just add the coconut milk at the end and let it heat through without boiling because that can make it clump up.
Hi Beth,
What steps would you recommend if I want to add bone-in chicken (whole chicken cut into 12 pieces)?
Thanks!
You could try browning the meat first, remove it, continue the recipe as stated here, then add the chicken back and the end and let it simmer in the sauce until it’s cooked though. I’d suggest using a lid while the chicken simmers, too, to keep the moisture in.
Made this and added ground beef. Pretty good!
Eating this now as I type this. So good! Needs a bit of salt, but perfect over white or brown rice.
nice and delicious dish
I’ve done this recipe twice now and I really appreciate how cheap, easy, and delicious it is! Plus I’m a big fan of one-dish meals. The first time I used regular tomato paste and found that the end result tasted really tomato-y, if that makes any sense. :P There wasn’t a whole lot of flavour, just strong curry and strong tomato. So the second time I tried using tomato pasta sauce and I’m eating it right now. Soooo good!!! I think that the third time I make it I’ll try adding some peas. ;)
Tried this tonight, so so so delicious and easy to make! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I just discovered your recipe for “chickpeas and Spinach”sounds so good think I will try this today. I am a single person so the smaller quantites are better. HR.
Made this last night and my husband and I Loved it! Added a half teaspoon turmeric (so good for you) and 1 Tblsp nutritional yeast (try to add hear and there for flavor and nutrition). Definitely on our “make again” list!
So great!! Relatively cheap, so easy to make and delicious! I added some more curry powder but kept everything else and served it over jasmine rice. Thank you!!!
Could you use ginger powder instead of fresh ginger? Love your site…thanks for the recipes!!!
Ginger powder has a surprisingly different flavor than fresh ginger, but I still think it would be good in there. Try a half teaspoon or so, then add more if you feel like it needs it.
I love you. Will you marry me?
LOL, in all seriousness, I love your site. I’ve made 6 or 7 recipes now, with only 1 that I did care for. This made for a super easy, healthy, and delicious dinner :). Thank you!
I have made this a few times now. I end up using a can of diced tomatoes instead of sauce, this leaves the meal very runny. So this time I took out all the solids after the cooking was done and reduced liquids in the pan. The Holy grail might have been found.
I’m pretty sure I found this recipe, and therefore this blog, from a post on Imgur. I’ve made it two times and it is absolutely DELICIOUS! I’m really not a fan of spinach nor chickpeas, really, but something about the way it is cooked makes it taste so good.
The first time I made it, I screwed up and made it way too spicy. However, after a bit of sugar, it was somewhat bearable. The second time, it was perfect – this time I made some naans from your recipe with it, oh my god, so good.
And, regarding this, it tastes (if possible) 50% better in the days after, cold over some rice. By the third day I had it for lunch, it started to taste a bit funny, but that’s pretty understandable.
My friends also agree that it tastes great, too ;)
YUM! This was so delicious and SO hearty mixed into a bowl of freshly steamed rice. With filling, cheap recipes like this, my student loans will be gone in no time!
Hi Beth! Thanks for posting this very easy to make and cheap recipe. I just made this and it was a breeze to make. I had to add in more curry powder at the end because it wasn’t as seasoned as I wanted it to be. I also used organic chopped ginger in a jar since I didn’t want to go through the hassle of skinning and grating ginger.
I just tried this recipe and it turned out delicious.
Hi Beth,
I am very new to eating healthy. For me it’s always been strictly tuna/chicken for protein, any veggies I could get my hands on, and supplements (B complex) for everything I missed. That was so bland. I got so tired of granola, raisins, chicken and steamed veggies. This recipe, this website, I appreciate it. I did this recipe tonight, and I enjoyed it. Dishes like this make it easier to make the decision I’ve been teetering on: vegetarianism. Although I won’t give up the occasional barbecue, I don’t intend on eating any meat. THANK YOU. Now if I could just get some tips on how to make stopping smoking easier, you’d be an angel! Much love, and I look forward to further exploring your site.
Adios!
Hi! This recipe was great and cheap! Great for people who are just starting to learn how to cook. So much flavour. Thank you so much!
I tried this tonight with kale instead of spinach, worked just the same! It’s so tasty!
Hi Beth,
I’ve just recently discovered your blog with this recipe, love the concept and the page is very pretty as well.
I’m doing Erasmus and it’s my first time away from home. I used to cook some things before (just basic things) and watched A LOT of cooking shows, but I’m only now starting to get more adventurous in the kitchen and trying diferent recipes and ideas.
When I saw this recipe and how simple and cheap it was I jumped right in to it. Cooked it today and let me just say: “OOOHH LORD!!”. It’s one of the tastiest dishes I’ve ever cooked! I ate it with some basmati rice and it was amazing.
I’m gonna follow the blog from now on and try as much of your recipes as I can. Thank you so much!
Hi Beth,
I just started making one of your recipes each night and I made this one 2 nights ago. Being a tomato based curry, my husband and son were just so-so about it (we live in Okinawa and Japanese curry is usually a brown sauce). I enjoyed it very much and saved the rest for leftovers. Two days later I am eating this for lunch and OH MY how the flavors have melded. This is one of those dishes that gets even more flavorful with a day or two to come together. I have one more serving in the fridge that I will be enjoying for lunch again tomorrow. Thank you for the wonderful recipes and I love your blog!!
I made this today with regular curry and frozen spinach. I don’t think we have hot curry powder around here so I need to think of ways to add a little more flavour to this dish. I’m giving it 3 stars which – considering I don’t really like chickpeas or spinach – is a lot & I will be making this again. Thank you so much for your recipes Beth, I like to cook vegetarian food on the cheap and your site has given me a lot of ideas… definitely hoping for even more vegetarian/vegan recipes!
So…I think I got this wrong. I bought fresh spinach and added it all, including the stems?
this is what came of it: http://i.imgur.com/IuXm0B0.jpg
The stems aren’t soft. I feel like it’s one of these things that go unsaid because they’re obvious but I should’ve just used just the spinach leaves..right?
Ah yes. I think the difference is between baby spinach (which has small leaves and tender stems) and mature spinach (very large leaves and fibrous stems). Mature spinach probably needs the stems removed first. Sorry about that!
This was my first budget bytes recipe and I am hooked: it was super easy to make and so delicious!!!
This was definite hit! Tasty and easy. I added a bit more curry powder, and a bit of onion powder, since I only had a small onion. In the future I could imagine adding more veggies, for some variety.
Love it. Super quick and easy. I use curry paste (generally easier to find) and throw in some frozen peas and corn at the end. Makes a lovely colourful dish, and it’s super filling and cheap
Loved this!! Just made it. I have five kids and they loved it too! Will be making it often, and trying it with lentils too! We had it over brown rice. Very filling!
I made this recipe last Sunday adding more spinach and served it over a bed of jasmine rice. This recipe had the greatest flavor, I’m a curry fanatic. I took the leftovers to work for lunch and my co-workers were at my desk to find out what was causing such a delicious aroma. To add a hint of spice the next time I prepare this I’ll add a scotch bonnet.
I recently stumbled upon your website and have been very impressed.
Thanks,
Niki
Beth – long time reader, first time commenter. Love the site and SNAP challenge. I made this tonight at 9:30 so the boyfriend and I could have something different for lunch. I was done before 10 pm! Thank you for the quick and tasty meal. The only change I made was I added some cayenne as I didn’t have hot curry and a can of tomato paste with 2 cups of water instead of the sauce. SO good. Thank you!
This is a great freeze and reheat recipe perfect for work lunches. However, I do feel that the hot curry powder makes a huge difference. I’ve made this with hot and regular curry…with the hot it is amazing, with the regular it is OK. And, the hot curry really isn’t that hot, just more flavorful.
This wasn’t really my thing. I used powdered ginger, so maybe it would be better with freshly grated ginger. I think I just don’t like the taste of the curry powder with the tomato. I added sesame seed oil, which made it a little better. I might try again with some sriracha, because I appreciate how filling it is.
I have a bulk container of dry chickpeas and I would LOVE to know how to use them to make this recipe! Do I just need to soak them overnight and they’ll be ready to go or is it more involved than that?
I actually just did that the other day! I used a slow cooker to cook the chickpeas, then added them to the recipe just as if they’re canned. Any left over cooked chickpeas can be frozen, too. To cook in a slow cooker, I just added 1 lb. dry, unsoaked peas to the slow cooker with 6 cups of water and cooked on high for about 5-6 hours.
Soak the dried chickpeas in cold water over night. In the morning, rinse them in cold water, return them to the pot, add water and bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING! I’m a graduate student, living on a limited income and I absolutely LOVE this. I added a little parsley and Sriracha for a some extra spice, but these curried chickpeas are great as is. It’s a hearty meal that’s packed with protein, vitamins, and flavor. I’ll definitely make this again and freeze it for the coming winter months.
This was really good and possibly the easiest thing I have ever cooked. I basically live off of your recipes now, thanks for the ideas!
I really love this recipe. I’ve made it do many times that I barely have to look st the ingredients. I do add more curry powder (more like 2 tablespoons) and it is amazing. Keep up the great work!
Ugh. Autocorected.
*so
This was so easy and cheap and also delicious! I have curry powder but all the curry recipes I have used separate ingredients, so I didn’t really know how to use it, but I should have learned a long time ago!
This is so good! I made it today for the first time and it was super easy and delicious. The only alteration I made was to use only 8 oz of tomato sauce and reduce it considerably in the skillet. I’m eating this as a stand-alone, without rice or bread, so I didn’t want it to be too runny. It worked well.
Made this once. Now I get cravings for it. Even my meat loving fiance asks for it.
I tried this recipe last night, everyone loved it! It is so healthy and simple. Thank you.
This been real good. Me did make a few substitutes. Instead of the olive oil me use bacon grease, sausage balls instead of chickpeas, pig feets for the onions (me been mallergic to onions they been making me eyes cry), and cheddar cheese instead of the spinaches. And just use salt for the spices. It turned out real nice. Me eat it for breakfast every morning. It been healthy and filling.
Idiot.
My husband and I love this recipe! We like to add a little plain yogurt too!
I ended up using about 2 Tblsp of curry powder- I tested it near the end and wanted to amp up the flavor just a little bit more. I also used a frozen package of spinach that was 10oz rather than 8, but hey! Extra spinach never hurt anyone.
All in all, a super easy and delicious meal! This one kept me feeling full for hours and made plenty of leftovers too. And the best part, this took about a total of 20 minutes to make. I love it.
This curried was so flavorful and delicious. It was also so easy to make..Keep the great recipes coming.!! Love your recipes and the readily available ingredients used in them…Nothing complicated or fussy. lol
I made this for lunch today with a few alterations. Instead of using olive oil to saute the onions, garlic and ginger I used coconut oil. I only had about 6oz of spinach, so that was what I used along with adding 2 tablespoons of coconut butter as well as an extra 1/2 tablespoon of curry powder and 1 teaspoon of brown sugar because I used a little too much tomato sauce and wanted to balance the acidity. Due to the alterations, I’ll be serving this over your coconut rice to keep with the flavor. But again, another fantastic meal has been made in my kitchen thanks to your recipes!
I love Indian flavors, and this is such an easy (and inexpensive!) way to get my “fix” without ordering takeout. Equally delicious over basmati as over naan, it’s now a go-to weeknight dinner.
I’ve made this recipe many times since my boyfriend discovered it. We both love it so much. I, a little more, because it’s such an easy meal to throw together during the week! We enjoy eating vegetarian a few times per week. This meal is filling, fits our budget and is just so delicious. I’ve been craving it, so I headed to the store this morning for the ingredients. Lots of left overs for the boyfriend to take to work during the week too! Can’t wait for dinner!
I fried off the spices first, then added the onion and garlic it infuses the flavour a touch more.
I’ve tried a lot of Budget Bytes recipes, and this might be my favorite. Perfect weeknight meal, with lots of leftovers for lunches!
I googled “curried chickpeas” and came across your site. This was delicious! I didn’t have fresh ginger so subbed ginger powder. I also used chickpeas that I cooked myself. Yum. Now I’m looking through your site, planning what to make next. :)
Great recipe! I did two packed cups of fresh spinach, stems and all (and definitely not afraid to more as we like cooked fresh spinach).. I also added 1 tablespoon of extra hot chili powder that I got at the Indian grocery store.. We like things spicy! This is not the common chili powder but is simply ground chili peppers, pure and simple… Great ‘base’ recipe that is good as is or easily spiced up..
I made this recipe yesterday and I couldn’t wait to have more today :) sooooo yummy! Love your blog! Can’t wait to try more recipes! XOXO
I forgot that I also added a little cumin to boost the flavor a little bit…. if you feel like its something is missing, try it out!
This was GREAT!! I made mine with quinoa and it cost pretty much what you said. It was $9.24 and I got 6 meals out of it ($1.54 each). Thank you SO MUCH!
Just made this for lunch. I manage to take 10x longer than I should with pretty much every task in the kitchen, but this still managed to come together within about half an hour. Really good, super easy, tons of leftovers — this one is definitely going in my regular rotation.
I made this for dinner tonight. It was so easy and really delicious. It came out just like the picture. Will definitely be making this again!
Made this tonight and it was so tasty. I didn’t have any spinach in the house so I used frozen kale and let it cook longer to soften it a bit more.
Paired this with some leftover rice I had from your “golden rice bowl” recipe. Nice combo.
Also made your naan recipe, wow! Simple and delectable!
Loved that I had all the ingredients in house, except for an onion I borrowed from my neighbor. ;-)
Thanks again!
I have tried something similar to this and added a can of pumpkin. Sneak another veggie in there! The one I had made froze so well.
Great recipe, I broke a golden rule and cooked this for the first time for some friends (1 pregnant and gluten-intolerant and 1 lactose intolerant). They were skeptical but loved it after trying it. I added several garlic cloves and needed to add more ginger and of course Siracha. I’ve been talking about this recipe to many others who are all equally pumped about making it.
P.S. have you ever tried the squeeze tubes of garlic/basil/ginger/cilantro before? how about the frozen cubes version? a little more expensive but definitely time saving and I find a good price every now and then.
My local store was out of ginger the last time I went, so I bought some in the tube. I use it in my smoothie packs (gives them a nice bite and helps settle my stomach). It’s not quite as potent and I was a little disappointed to discover that it also had salt in it. Luckily it wasn’t enough salt to throw off the flavor of the smoothie, so I don’t have to waste it. I still prefer fresh, though.
Would this be good with chicken? Also, what can I use to make it spicier? I’m a flight attendant on a budget and I’m obsessed with your recipes!!! I can’t get enough! Thank you!
Yeah, you can definitely add some chicken in there :) If you want it hotter, just add some cayenne pepper. Cayenne is like the heat dial. Add more or less to meet your heat needs. :)
This was awesome! I used arugula instead of spinach just because. Thanks!
Easy and delicious meal. I added a few extra spices-coriander, tumeric, and a tiny bit of cinnamon. I used hot curry powder and the spice level was perfect.
That. Was. DELICIOUS! I can’t believe how easy it was; I almost always have these ingredients in the house. I made your naan recipe too and together it was the PERFECT post-workout meal!
I made a few adjustments: I used a primavera sauce instead of tomato sauce. I served it with a saffron rosotto, Greek yogurt and hot naan. I eliminated the cumin and ginger and replaced it with Italian seasoning and red pepper. Delicious!!! Thank you for the lovely recipie.
Delicious! Goes great with Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce (I need to find a hotter curry). This will be added to my recipe rotation for sure!
Worked out beautifully!! Served with cilantro brown rice…yum!!
Beth,
I’ve been a reader of your website (and a cooker of your recipes) for about a year now. I’ve had so many great successes with your recipes, this one included! I love how most of your recipes are simple and easy to follow but turn out delicious! I added some coconut milk to this recipe and it turned out AMAZING! I will certainly be making this again! And I can’t wait for the book!
I’m sure you get this all the time, but I appreciate your blog so much! I love to try new recipes, and yours have always been such a success. I’ve been recommending your blog to everyone I know!
This looks delicious!
Would powdered ginger from the spice rack be ok to substitute for the fresh ginger? And if so, how much would you suggest using?
Well, they do taste quite different, but it will still be good. I would probably use 1/4-1/2 tsp. Start small and add more if you feel like it can handle it.
I have never really gotten into curry and wasn’t even sure if I liked it. I saw the picture on the site and decided to make it, based on never being led astray before. It was really great and super easy, awesome one pan dish.
I really didn’t want to try this recipe all that much, but my husband was really interested. I’m so glad we tried it, it was amazing! One of the best meals. I added some fresh lime juice on top my second serving, really added to the already delicious flavor profile.
Did you use red curry or curry powder?
Curry powder. :)
Pretty good! I should invest in some special curry seasoning, as regular curry powder is kind of dull to me. I also think this could benefit from some red pepper flakes. I added corn. To the person who suggested this needed cheese I’d recommend adding some sort of creamer a la the chana saag recipe.
Just made this, but used Bon Appetit’s version — you use whole peeled tomatoes instead. I think the whole tomatoes work better instead of the tomato sauce.
Delicious! I omitted the ginger but added cumin and salt and it was a hit! Served it with naan bread and white rice :) thanks for the recipe <3
I upped the garlic and ginger a bit (personal taste), and also added a big spoonful of peanut butter at the end, because I wanted a little extra creaminess to offset this cold night… That peanut butter touch worked wonders, perhaps an alternative for those of your readers who were thinking cheese !
Yum! Great idea!
Made this last night. I loved how quick and easy it was. I actually had all the ingredients on hand. I used a can of diced tomatoes with spicy green chilies instead of the tomato sauce and they added a nice kick. I served it over roasted garlic and olive oil couscous and it was super yummy. I think I’ll be making a giant batch of this over Christmas when my family is in town. Thanks for another great vegetarian recipe!
Made this tonight with two subs: boneless pork loin for the chickpeas and green beans for the spinach. Just added some salt at the table and was a hit with all home tonight! Will make as vegetarian over the holidays when our son is home from college. Thanks for all the great recipes!
mom of one in college, 2nd to start in a year
I made this for dinner tonight, and both my husband and I loved it. I used coconut oil instead of olive oil and added 2 tsp of cumin. Will definitely make again.
Another successful meal from this website! Thank you for providing cheap meals, my husband and I loved this and I diced up some pork chops and mixed them in so that the hubby could have a little meat in his meal!
forgot to mention that I used jamaican curry and added some red curry paste to the mix!
This was great!! Very easy, quick and inexpensive — a wonderful weeknight meal. I upped some of the measurements — 3 cloves of garlic, a full 2 tablespoons of curry, extra ginger. Also added salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and a some fish sauce for a little umami flavor. Yum!
For a second I thought you had a Spanish recipe up. I had something very similar in Spain. If you switch out the ginger and curry for some smoked Spanish paprika, a little cumin and saffron but leave everything else the same It could be a way to change it up if you wanted. :)
I will have to give your recipe a try. I love trying different flavors.
Yummm, that sounds good!
A previous poster commented on cheese – you could probably add fried paneer (indian farmer cheese, easy to make at home) to this recipe to good effect. Homemade paneer is not difficult, you just need milk, lemon juice, fine cheesecloth, a pot, and something heavy.
Also, have your considered making your own curries? Bulk whole spices are very affordable at Indian Groceries and last a long time – add a mortar and pestle and you can have custom curries in minutes.
Oops, missed you reply about paneer!
I’m definitely going to make this one soon! I just discovered three cans of chickpeas in my cupboard and thought…well, either it’s time to make hummus or find a new recipe!
So tasty! I added some cumin as well– super duper tasty! Planning to serve it over some homemade naan and your yellow rice recipe :D You are a lifesaver!
Would this freeze well?
Yes, very well! :)
How would Green Lentils work in this recipe (the only kind I can buy around here), and if they would work well, how much should I use in place of the chickpeas?
Green lentils would probably be good, you’ll just need to cook them separately before adding them to the skillet with the spinach and sauce. I’d say cook one cup of dry lentils to replace the beans.
It was pretty good with green lentils! Though I think one cup of dry was a tad too much, it made it all far too thick in the end, I would’ve liked a bit more ‘sauciness’. I also had to add a touch more curry powder towards the end since the flavor was kind of bland at first, that might’ve been due to all the lentils or it might’ve been the cheap-o brand curry powder which was all I could find.
Still, it turned out to be really good, and easy to make!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I just made it for myself and my boyfriend, and it was 100% perfect, except my boyfriend suggested it would be even better with some sort of cheese. I know that’s not very authentically Indian, but what do you think — could that be good? And if so, what kind of cheese would go with this? Maybe feta?
Hmmm… I don’t know if I’d like cheese with this, but maybe something mild and creamy to offset the spices? Like maybe a simple mozzarella? Or, if you want to go more authentic, try to find some paneer. It’s a fresh cheese similar to ricotta, but it’s pressed so you can cut it into cubes and stir it in.
Paneer is an Indian cheese that is used in a lot of recipes; it might not be as cheap as the rest of the ingredients here but I could imagine it would make a good addition.
I let it cool and then stirred in a few spoonfuls greek yogurt at the end…so good!
Hooray for beans & greens! This is exactly the kind of food I like to eat best: simple, delicious, cheap, and tasty, Win win win win!
i don’t like ginger so i replaced it by a little more curry powder and some shallot : delicious !
thanks for your recipes, i’ve tried 4 different and never disappointed !
(i hope i didn’t make mistake in my comment, it was a long time i haven’t written in english)
Bye the way I discovered your web site about a week ago and I’m officially obsessed with your recipes
Why not sautee the chickpeas for a bit before adding the spinach? Brown them a little bit ant bring out the flavor?
Great idea! :) (I was a little afraid that I wouldn’t be able to fit the spinach with the chickpeas in there, though. It’s so BIG before it wilts down! Using a big pot would make it work.)
This sounds awesome. I’ll be making it this week. I love curried lentils and this is very similar!
wow. this seems so simple. why hadn’t i thought of this one! great quick veg dish that even meat eating hubby will like if i serve over rice!!! <3
This is perfect! I have been looking for something that I can make and serve pippin’ hot to beat the cold.
this looks so delicious! i love the addition of fresh ginger to kick the flavors up a notch. excellent way to use garbanzos made in the slow cooker, if you’re like me and find you have a bottomless pot.
Looks great I’ve been wanting to make something like this for a few days now and I think this will hit the spot nicely, thanks!