Chickpea Curry
Published Apr 06, 2026
Homemade chickpea curry made in one pan with curry powder, paprika, coriander, coconut milk, and tomatoes. Serve with basmati rice or warm naan.
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Chickpea curry is a great weeknight dinner!
Out of all my curry recipes, this chickpea curry is probably my favorite. I love the texture the chickpeas add, especially once they’ve had time to sit in the sauce for a bit.
I usually serve this chickpea curry over basmati rice, and if there’s naan around, that’s even better (and even when there isn’t, I’ll usually make homemade naan). It’s mostly pantry ingredients, vegetarian, and vegan-friendly. It reheats well, and it’s one of the easiest meals for me to throw together when I need dinner to just be done.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Chickpea Curry Ingredients
- Chickpeas: Rinse and drain the chickpeas well before adding them to the skillet. Let them simmer long enough for the sauce to coat them instead of serving it right away while it is still loose.
- Curry Aromatics and spices: The olive oil, onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder, paprika, coriander, salt, and black pepper all go in early, so take a few minutes to let the onion soften before adding the spices. Fresh ginger and garlic are best here since they make up a big part of the base. Once the spices go in, stir them for just 30 seconds or so. Long enough to wake them up, but not so long that the garlic starts to burn. If you need to swap in dried ginger or dried garlic, use ¾ teaspoon of the dried version in place of each fresh one.
- Tomatoes and coconut milk: The diced tomatoes need a few minutes to cook down before you add the coconut milk, so the sauce does not taste too thin or watery. Use no-salt-added tomatoes if you want more control over the seasoning. Full-fat coconut milk gives the creamiest sauce, but light coconut milk will work if that is what you have. Just know the sauce will be a little thinner.
How to Make Chickpea Curry
Chickpea Curry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 (15-ounce) canned diced tomatoes no salt added
- 1 (15-ounce) can coconut milk
- 2 (15-ounce) can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- Cooked basmati rice or naan for serving
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 5 minutes, until the onions become soft and fragrant.
- Add the curry powder, paprika, coriander, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, stir well and simmer for 5 minutes, until thickened and deepened in color.
- Stir in the coconut milk until smooth and creamy.
- Add the chickpeas and reduce the heat to low. Simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce coats the chickpeas.
- Serve warm over basmati rice or with naan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Stir in leafy greens: This chickpea curry would be so good with spinach or kale. I recommend adding them in the last few minutes of cooking so they can soften without completely wilting.
- Add peas: Either frozen green peas or canned green peas work. I recommend adding them in the last 5–10 minutes of cooking so they stay bright green.
Recipe Tips
- Finely chop onions for the best flavor. The chopped onions and the diced tomatoes create the base sauce for this chickpea curry. Many curry recipes will even recommend blending the onions and tomatoes in a food processor!
- Keep in mind that it thickens as it simmers. If the curry looks too watery while it cooks, don’t worry. Keep simmering, uncovered, to reduce the liquid.
- Adjust the spice level to taste. Try the curry and see if it needs more curry powder, paprika, coriander, salt, or pepper.
Serving Ideas
- Bread: Naan, Flatbread, Pita Bread
- Chicken: Grilled Chicken Tenders, Grilled Chicken Thighs, Shredded Chicken
- Salad: Broccoli Salad, Avocado Mango Salad, Mixed Greens Salad
FAQs
If your curry is too runny, you can thicken it by simmering it uncovered to reduce the liquid. Or you can stir in a cornstarch slurry and let it simmer for a few more minutes until it thickens.
Blooming the spices is the cooking technique of heating spices (ground or whole) in oil, ghee, or butter to unlock the flavor. You want to fry them long enough until they become fragrant to bring out the best taste.
