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!
I really enjoyed this recipe. I didn’t add the cilantro and used powdered garlic, all I had. I didn’t adjust anything else and would definitely make again.
Yummm!! Thank you!!! To any of the naysayers and haters just disregard their comments and give it a try yourself. Tweak it to be yours. That is the beauty of cooking!
It turned out really well. It’s extremely simple and yet delicious. When I added everything, it seemed like there was too much liquid, but after like 45 mins it was dense and sooo yummy. WIll be making again! I think you can add even more curry than specified
I’ve made this a zillion times and LOVE it! Just wondering- does it freeze well? I wanted to make it for a friend that’s recovering from a hospital stay but it may not be eaten right away.
Yes, this freezes great! :)
I used diced tomatoes instead of tomato sauce, and added some cumin and roasted red pepper flakes. Delicious!
How can you prepare a curry without salt?! Don’t call it a curry it is disrespectful😂 curry powder dont necessarily make curry
Some people do not add salt to food …. I don’t!!
People’s cooking preferences are not “disrespectful”. Cooking is art, and there are no rules. If you don’t like part of a recipe, you are allowed to make your own changes.
Tomato sauce is already salted…
😂😂😂 You are mad ethnic for this. Agreed with the fact adding curry powder isn’t making this dish curry, but non the less the ideas are there. And I’m sure it’s a nice stroll through flavor town. Whenever you come across a recipe that feels as though it’s missing things. Instead of criticism towards the creator, try just detailing those around with how you changed yours up. Everyone has different preferences.
Blessings
Only had 1 can of chick peas but 3 zucchini and toast 1/2 bag of spinach. It’s all going in and it already tastes yummy.
I forgot to say Thank You! This will be part of our regular rotation. : )
I’m amazed by how delicious this is. My husband loved it too, and all 4 kids ate it. Big winner!
I cut the curry about 1/4 tsp… wanted to be sure it wasn’t too spicy for the kids. As another reviewer did, I added cumin (1/2 tsp). It seemed very watery after I put everything together, but it was a great consistency by the time it was done. I used 1 1/2 cups of cooked garbanzo beans I had made in my instant pot.
I decided at the last minute at the very end to throw in a cup of frozen corn just for extra veggies, not necessary, but I don’t thing it detracted from the deliciousness of the meal. Since I didn’t have Naan or Chapati, I just served it with warm tortillas and it worked. Next time I’ll make Naan to go with it.
We’re trying to eat healthier which for us means less meat and more beans and veggies. This is awesome because it’s so nutrient rich and pretty easy to make.
Edible, but doesn’t remind me of Indian food. It’s , more like a chickpea tomato sauce. Weird that there is no salt other than from the canned and jarred food. I added salt and no salt seasoning.
Can we just talk about the excellence of this dish! I halve it for an easy lunch when I’m craving Indian flavors but don’t want the extra expense or and control the nutritional value. I add a dollop of plain greek yogurt and save the cilantro as a topper. Toss in a portion of Trader Joe’s frozen naan and I’m in heaven. Thank you Beth for sharing!
Does anyone have the nutritional information on this recipe?
If you use chickpeas that you hydrated overnight, you’ll need to cook this recipe for over an hour otherwise they’ll still be hard.
So simple, and honestly, one of my favorite recipes from the site! Cheap, quick, healthy, delicious!