Coconut Chickpea Curry
Chickpeas in a golden coconut gravy — a pantry curry that tastes like you tried much harder.
Ingredients
- 2 tin Chickpeas
- 400 ml Coconut milk
- 1 Onion
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 tbsp Ginger
- 200 g Canned tomatoes
- 1½ tsp Garam masala
- ½ tsp Ground turmeric
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 180 g Basmati rice
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Rinse the basmati rice until the water runs clear, then cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- Dice the onion, mince the garlic, and grate the ginger.
- Drain and rinse the chickpeas in a colander.
- Soften the diced onion in the oil in a deep pot over medium heat until golden at the edges, about 6 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, garam masala, and turmeric and fry for one fragrant minute.
- Add the tomatoes and cook them down until thick and pasty, about 3 minutes.
- Add the drained chickpeas, the coconut milk, and the salt, then simmer until the gravy thickens, about 12 minutes.
- Finish with the cilantro, if using, and serve over rice or with anything flat and bready.
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About Coconut Chickpea Curry
A coconut chickpea curry is the pantry cook's victory: dried chickpeas rehydrated, tinned coconut milk, and a small arsenal of warming spices—turmeric, garam masala, ginger—combine in half an hour to produce a dish that tastes like it took considerably longer. The method is its own teaching tool: fry the aromatics in oil until golden to build a base, toast the spices to bloom their essential oils, then add tomatoes and let them cook down to a paste that caramelizes slightly and deepens in flavor. This foundation transforms the subsequent addition of chickpeas and coconut milk into something far more textured and interesting than if you simply threw everything together.
The result is a gravy that's golden, velvety, and deeply savory in a way that makes the chickpeas—which can otherwise read as inert and starchy—feel genuinely nourishing. The ginger adds warmth and a subtle bite, the tomato provides structure and slight acidity, and the coconut milk rounds everything into an almost buttery richness. A handful of cilantro finishes it, adding herbaceous brightness. Serve it over rice or alongside flatbread, and you've got a vegetarian main course that satisfies with zero advance planning required. This is the kind of curry that improves with time; leftovers taste better on day two.
Coconut Chickpea Curry: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Coconut Chickpea Curry?
A serving has about 923 calories — 23.6g protein, 110.7g carbs, 45.8g fat, 18.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Coconut Chickpea Curry gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Coconut Chickpea Curry has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Do I need every ingredient to make Coconut Chickpea Curry?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Coconut Chickpea Curry make?
This recipe makes 3 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.