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.
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.
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!