I used to be really intimidated by Indian food. The flavors are deep and complex and the recipes often call for ingredients that are foreign to even a foodie like me. Despite this, I’m just so drawn in by the flavors, aromas and colors. I’ve been experimenting with Indian flavors a lot over the past few months and have noticed that as long as you have a jar of curry powder and a jar of garam masala, you can fake some pretty good Indian food. By no means is it authentic but it’s similar and it still tastes incredible.
These curried chick peas are like a pared down version of Chana Masala. It’s super quick and makes a great side dish or vegetarian main dish. I’d love to try them tucked into a pita pocket, maybe with some cheese and fresh cilantro… or perhaps with a poached egg on top! YUM. So versatile.
I used hot curry powder and I still didn’t find this recipe to be too spicy. If you want a little heat, you can always throw in some cayenne pepper or dice up a hot pepper and saute it with the onions and garlic in the first step.
Quick Curried Chickpeas
Quick Curried Chick Peas
Servings 6Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.22)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.37)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.14)
- 2 15oz. can chickpeas, drained ($1.32)
- 1 20oz. can tomato sauce ($0.52)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 1 Tbsp curry powder ($0.15)
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.44)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook the onion and garlic in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until softened (3-5 minutes).
- Drain the canned chick peas and add to the pot. Also add the tomato sauce, water and curry powder. Stir the pot until everything is evenly mixed. Bring the mixture up to a simmer over medium heat.
- While the chick peas are simmering, rinse the cilantro and pull the leaves from the stems. Roughly chop the leaves and add them to the pot. Give everything a stir and continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced to a thick consistency (about 20 minutes total). Stir the pot every few minutes to prevent the sauce from burning and sticking to the bottom.
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Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Step By Step Photos
Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Cook them in a large pot with olive oil over medium heat until soft.
Add the drained chick peas, tomato sauce, curry powder and water.
Stir the mixture well and allow it to come up to a simmer.
Rinse the fresh cilantro and shake it dry. Pull the leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop.
Add the chopped cilantro and give it a stir. Continue to simmer the pot until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Stir the pot every few minutes as it simmers to prevent scorching.
When the sauce is thick enough not to run back when you run a large spoon through it, the dish is done. Serve hot!
When I made this, it took MUCH longer than 20 minutes to reduce, and even then didn’t seem to get as thick as it looks in the picture. I thought it seemed quite watery after adding the cup of water. Any suggestions? Maybe less water next time? Thanks! It was still great, and so has been every other recipe I’ve tried here!
this looks amazing, I can’t wait to try it tomorrow
DELICIOUS! And such a nice change up for a side dish! My family loved it–even my picky 7 year old couldn’t get enough! Thank you so much! I have loved all your recipes I’ve tried so far, You use many ingredients I usually don’t (curry, coconut milk), so I love the exposure to different flavors! =)
Rebeka
Mmmm…yum! I eat a lot of chick peas…
this recipe is exactly what i’m looking for to compliment my very first batch of naan bread. i’ve been looking for a blog like this for awhile, you’ve hit some great notes here. you’ve got a new follower in me! i’ll check back sometime soon :)
I found this blog through another site. I made these tonight. They are great. I will be serving over rice for my lunch tomorrow.
I had a can of chickpeas sitting in my cabinet forever and finally found the right recipe. Deeeelicious and so easy! Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
thanks for this nice post. I have a website on live updates of exim.indiamart.com/budget-2011-12
Good stuff! Garam masala is also a good spice to add.
It tastes very good if you put some plain yogurt on top with some diced tomatoes and red onion as well. Or if you find some tamarind chutney (at any Indian store), it gives a certain something to the dish.
Yum! That looks delicious!!! I can’t wait to try it out!
Mary xx
Delightful Bitefuls
Hooray!! I already make this dish – or a very similar version of it. I use diced tomatoes, though, along with a tsp of garam masala and some black pepper. It’s delish, and so easy!
I love East Indian dishes. I also especially love chickpeas. In fact I just finished a dinner of chickpea and hummus pasta.
Love this recipe! I’ll try it soon.
Delicious! Definitely one of my favorite dishes — thanks for sharing your take on this!
Hooray! More chickpeas! Looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it!