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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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!
Where do you find a 20 oz can of tomato sauce? My grocery store has 29,15, and 8 ounce cans.
Had this and it was awesome! We added some Veggie Noodles, and it was fantastic. Thanks for the easy to make recipe!
I used coconut milk (beverage replacement, not from a can) instead of water, so I was afraid to let it simmer ’cause Beth said that would cause curdling. After waiting 30 minute with little thickening, I just let it simmer. It was a little bitter right out of the pot, but the 5 servings I took to work that week had no sign of that bitterness. This dish really improves with more melding time. Super tasty!
THE BEST!! I’ve made it for years and it is one of my favorites! :)
Just made this for the first time and about o eat with rice. Looks and smells really good. Plan to freeze half for another day. Simple and quick.
2 cans of chickpeas with each 15 oz or should both be 15 oz together.
Thanks for your great page :)
Each can is 15oz. :)
This recipe freezes really well and is ridiculously easy to make. AND it tastes amazing! I have it on my ‘freezer cooking rotation’. There is always a serving available to heat up if I’m tired or cold or hungry and want minimal cooking work. 4 min in the microwave and voila! A nice tasty dish.
I made this last night and it is excellent! I used a small white onion because my yellow onion went bad. I served this with some brown rice. Very good, will be making again. I love your site, Beth!
I wonder if this could be done in a crockpot. I love this recipe, it is simple and i have made it many times. I will be hosting a dinner party and am looking to simplify my day by making it in the crockpot. What would you recommend?
Hmm, that might work. I’ve never put already cooked chickpeas in a crock pot, though, so I don’t know how much they’ll break down. You really only need to warm the ingredients through, so I’d put it on low heat, maybe for a few hours?
OMG Beth I love you for real. This is one of the best stuff I’ve ever had, being an Indian myself
This is one of your best recipes I have tried yet!
I am so sorry I haw my reviewed more of your recipes. This one I just made today. Super easy, quick and delicious. I did add a touch of salt – personal preference. I will make this again. Thank you!
Yum! I made this and served it over brown rice for a quick hot lunch. I used dry chickpeas [cooked ahead of time] instead of canned, so the recipe needed salt.
My teenagers loved it, but we do like a little more spice & kick so once it was in the bowl, we added a little salt and Louisiana hot sauce.
I’ll be making this again!
How much does the kind of onion really matter? I try to get the cheapest one I can and can’t really tell the difference.
For this one it doesn’t matter too much, as long as it’s white or yellow. I wouldn’t use a red onion.
Wegman’s has these “cooking onions” that are suspiciously cheaper than all the other ones. I wonder what kind they are. Yellowish but not exactly yellow onions. I’ll just use those and hope for the best.
Ha! “cooking onions”… Definitely sounds suspicious. :P
Update: “cooking onion” rotted away in two weeks, I’m furious.
This was great! I added a bit of fresh ginger and the half a jalapeño that was loitering sadly in my fridge, just to use up some vegetable scraps. I also had some kale that was starting to wilt, so I tore it up and threw that in, along with a chopped tomato.
Served it over warm quinoa with a super cheap and easy vegan broccoli salad on the side.
My omnivorous boyfriend and his (also omni) sister could not say enough good things, and even tried to steal the (read: MY*) leftovers for lunch!
Thanks for this awesome recipe!