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 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!