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.
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!